A Bookworm’s Guide To London’s Loveliest Independent Bookshops
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3 weeks ago
Find your next favourite read in these cosy spots
There’s nothing better than whiling away the hours in a cosy bookshop. Luckily, London is home to some of the most beautiful, historical and unconventional out there. And, thanks to the unruly beast that is TikTok (or, more specifically, #BookTok), it looks like they’re here to stay.
In London, start in Camden, Hackney or Richmond – the city’s official independent bookshop hotspots, according to Barratt London. From a literary shop on water (yes, really) to the oldest bookshop in the capital, here are the best independent bookshops in London to explore in 2026, and to support this World Book Day (5 March).
London’s Best Independent Bookshops
Daunt Books, Marylebone
With nine enchanting stores located across the UK, Daunt Books has established itself as a star on the independent bookstore scene – but the best branch has to be the original Marylebone bookshop (84 Marylebone High St, London W1U 4QW). With its British racing green signage and amber light emanating from green lamps, this Edwardian bookshop is thought to be London’s first purpose-built book emporium, and as such you’ll find beautifully aged oak galleries and shelving units within, all lit up by skylights and spotlights. Specialising in travel literature, the store is arranged by country rather than genre or alphabet, so you’ll find something unexpected every time you visit. A TikTok favourite, however, it’s bound to be busy; quieter Daunt Books outposts include the spacious Holland Park branch (112-114 Holland Park Ave, London W11 4UA) and the branch near Hampstead Heath (51 S End Rd, London NW3 2QB). dauntbooks.co.uk
BookBar Chelsea
BookBar, Highbury & Chelsea
Books and wine? Don’t mind if we do. With its own line of merchandise, ‘Shelf Medicate Prescriptions’, wine pairings, author events and a popular book club, BookBar has expanded the definition of bookshop into a whole experience that’s definitely worth the trip. The original bookshop is a cosy spot between Finsbury Park and Highbury (166 Blackstock Rd, London N5 1HA), featuring towering bookshelves split across two floors. The newer Chelsea spot (11 Chelsea Manor St, London SW3 3TW) retains all the charm with a slightly larger footprint (ie more space to sit and dig into your new book); think ambient lighting and tables featuring the team’s own book recommendations. I’ve built whole summer evenings around picking out a book before sitting with it in the sun and sipping a cocktail from the bar, and winter evenings cracking a new spine with a hot chocolate. True bookish bliss. bookbaruk.com
John Sandoe Books, Chelsea
Also in Chelsea, John Sandoe Books (10 Blacklands Terrace, London SW3 2SR) is an eclectic institution manned by Johnny de Falbe who perches behind the book-clad desk like a wise old owl. The 18th-century Georgian-fronted shop sits just off the King’s Road, and inside you’ll find dark wooden shelves and tables stacked with piles and piles of books, ladders aiding access to those at the tippy top. It is a favourite among the likes of Bob Geldof, Neil Tennant, William Boyd and Elton John – but you’re more likely to get lost in the stacks than stumble across any celebs going incognito. In fact, that’s the whole idea: ‘I want people to get lost,’ de Falbe tells C&TH. ‘If they don’t know where they are, then they ask – and that opens up conversation. Signs block conversation.’ johnsandoe.com
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Word On The Water, Kings Cross
London’s most unique bookshop? It has to be Word on the Water, which you’ll find bobbing on Regent’s Canal near Coal Drops Yard (Regent’s Canal Towpath, London N1C 4LW). Selling both new and pre-loved books spanning classics to contemporary releases, this higgedly-piggeldy selection is all squeezed into the confines of a 100-year-old Dutch barge. As if it couldn’t get any more endearing, the eccentric store also hosts a range of creative literary events, from jazz and poetry readings to book launches and live music on the roof. It’s another one that gets super busy – but if it’s a sunny day you’ll find the collection of tomes also spills outside for your perusal. Recent visitors include Malala. wordonthewater.co.uk
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Books For Cooks, Notting Hill
Another spot topping the ‘unique bookshops’ list is Books for Cooks (4 Blenheim Crescent, London W11 1NN), a cosy bookshop in Notting Hill specialising in, you guess it, cookbooks. You’ll be faced with thousands – and you’ll also find handy guides, histories, foodie memoirs and more across the shelf-lined walls and recommendation tables, plus gourmet cards and posters. Dating back to 1983, the shop’s whole concept stemmed from former nurse Heidi Lascelles’ desire to improve upon the woeful, dusty and ignored cookery sections in most British bookshops, and share the joy of good food. Now owned by Rosie Kindersley and Eric Treuille, at the back of the shop you’ll find Books for Cooks’ most unique feature (if you haven’t already smelled it): a test kitchen where the team cooks the books (and by that I mean they put recipe books to the test). booksforcooks.com
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Gay’s The Word, Bloomsbury
Gay’s the Word (66 Marchmont St, London WC1N 1AB) is the UK’s oldest LGBTQ+ bookshop – and you can find it a stone’s throw from King’s Cross. Focusing on queer fiction and non-fiction and established in the ’70s, over the years it has evolved into an institution, hosting events, launches and readings throughout the year. While you’re there, make sure to pick up one of our favourite books by LGBTQ+ authors. gaystheword.co.uk
The Common Press Bookshop, Shoreditch
Speaking of the city’s best LGBTQ bookshops, The Common Press Bookshop (118 Bethnal Grn Rd, London E2 6DG) is another one to have on your radar. More than just a bookshop (though you’ll find a pleasingly diverse array inside), Common Press is also a cafe and events space, with daily events including things like dance classes, yoga sessions, book clubs, workshops, parties and book launches. And on the book front, while this is a firmly radical, intersectional space, the books aren’t all theory: you’ll find poetry, plays, graphic novels, children’s books, YA and of course plenty of fiction in this cosy spot. commonpress.co.uk
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Brick Lane Bookshop, Brick Lane
While you’re in the area, make sure you stop by Brick Lane Bookshop (166 Brick Ln, London E1 6RU) – ideally after a bagel pitstop. This is another busy bookshop, but what else would you expect on bustling Brick Lane? As Homesick author Silvia Saunders puts it, Brick Lane Bookshop is ‘worth the hype’. East London’s cult-followed independent bookshop, you’ll spot Brick Lane Bookshop in between all of the vintage stores thanks to the tomes piling up and tote bags hanging in the front window. Step inside for a gorgeous selection of fiction and non fiction titles, alongside a team of booksellers brimming with recommendations. ‘Once you’ve finished browsing the well-stocked local interest section and the BookTok tables, head to Backyard Market for affordable secondhand cashmere jumpers and get a swift half at The Pride of Spitalfields,’ Sylvia recommends. bricklanebookshop.org
The Broadway Bookshop, Broadway Market
Another spot beloved by Sylvia (and myself) is The Broadway Bookshop (6 Broadway Market, London E8 4QJ), situated on Broadway Market. This is the epicentre of East London cool; as Sylvia puts it, ‘you’ll pass many a well-dressed whippet, and can stock up on empanadas, crocheted hair scrunchies, and a stack of novels from Broadway Books’. With a small frontage, the shop is deeper than it looks, and you could spend hours delving into the shop’s ‘joyful labyrinth of paperbacks,’ Sylvia says. ‘But my favourite nook is right by the tills, where they have tons of novellas by authors you’ve definitely heard of, and authors you’re about to become obsessed with.’ broadwaybookshophackney.com
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Hatchards, Piccadilly
OK, Waterstones may have bought Hatchards in the ’90s, but it still operates as its own brand (royal warranted, might I add), and the Picadilly bookshop (187 Piccadilly, St. James’s, London W1J 9LE) is an absolute must-visit for literature lovers. Founded in 1797 by John Hatchard, the shop has operated from its spot at 187 Piccadilly since 1810, and claims to not just be the oldest bookshop in London but the entirety of the UK. The regal Tudor exterior beckons you into a carpetted shop almost arranged like a townhouse with separate rooms, staircases with lovely wooden bannisters and elegant tables laden with books aplenty. hatchards.co.uk
