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    4.3 (8 reviews)
    InexpensiveBookstores
    Open 10:00 am - 5:30 pm

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    Qype User (MissyM…)

    Quirky little cafe/bookshop near Queens University (beside Villa Italia). On first entering it appears to be a bookshop, but it opens up into a cave-like cafe complete with retro style wine-bottle candles & poster covered walls. The food is homemade and hearty - fresh soups and a range of sandwiches, and some tasty cakes. The atmosphere is what makes it so special, - it's a quiet little gem in which to meet friends for a peaceful lunch, or order a coffee and spread your books out for a studying session. Some interesting books to be found in the shop, as well as good offers on some of the core textbooks for certain courses (if you get there quick enough.) Well worth a visit if you are in the University area and want to try somewhere unique. Oh & I forgot to add - haven't been there since my Uni days, but it often had poetry nights & the like on in the evenings, so worth checking to see what's on if that's your thing!

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    10 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    15 years ago

    Well wort a visit, not many of this sort left but smart staff and good range. entaining to say the least.

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    Waterstones - Gift ideas for Father's Day

    Waterstones

    4.0(20 reviews)
    0.8 miCity Centre
    ££

    I'm actually in Waterstones a lot without every buying a book. You see Waterstones houses one of my…read morefavourite coffee shops in the city, Ground Espresso Bar. The bookshop itself is always busy but don't worry there's also plenty of staff although sometimes I find it hard to distinguish between staff and browsers as they don't appear to have a clear uniform. The shop displays are always excellent - they often have featured books highlighted on a table and then related works nearby. I really like this concept as it makes it a really easy shopping experience. Waterstones has a really nice relaxed feeling about it - you won't get told off for having a good rummage and likewise if you want to contemplate your next novel choice the upstairs coffee shop is the perfect place to do that. I know this review wasn't exactly a thriller but hopefully it's a good non-fiction.

    Waterstones does not strike me as 'mainstream' as Easons or WH Smith. There is more of a homely,…read moresort of old fashioned atmosphere at Waterstones which takes the shabby bookshop feel but invests lots of money and time into it to make it into a great store. It is a great mix of old and new. The shop gives you a feel of being a bit like going to your gran's house, but instead of old photo albums, you have the latest bestsellers dotted around instead. They have some great offers, particularly on children's books. I went in with a friend to buy books for primary school teaching and they had some great ones for very cheap. The shop also has some travel guides, a great section on irish history, and is a perfect stop if you need to get someone a Christmas present and you've already exhausted the CD and DVD route one too many times. The staff are really nice and smile and do everything you want from a bookshop member of staff. Remarkable how some shops not too far away have the most ignorant members of staff you can find, yet a quaint little bookshop has the most polite and pleasent people you will ever find. Although I don't like buying books and not ever getting round to reading them, I do like to browse bookshops and Waterstones is one of my favourite in all of Belfast.

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    Waterstones - Waterstones

    Waterstones

    Waterstones
    Waterstones - Autumn of sport- ALL MEN :(

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    Autumn of sport- ALL MEN :(

    No Alibis - No Alibis is an excellent place for Irish Literature and drama. Very helpful staff will help you find what you need!

    No Alibis

    4.2(24 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    ££

    I must admit, I don't usually go in to book stores, when I am going to buy a book I usually head…read morestraight to Amazon but today after having breakfast in the Botanic area I was walking back to my car and I thought I would call in to No Alibis to see if I could pick up a book I had been recommended by numerous colleagues. On entrance No Alibis seemed cluttered and I couldn't immediately locate the section I thought the book I was looking for would be in. It certainly wasn't as clear as the Amazon search results. Anyway I struggled on and eventually came across the 'business' section at the back of the store. After having a quick sift through the books it became clear that they didn't stock the title I was looking for. With that I was about to leave but then I thought I'd ask the lad working there if she had seen/heard of the book. It was then my experience took an amazing turn for the positive. The helpful lady immediately consulted her 'book database' on the computer and immediately found the book. Unfortunately she didn't have it in store but she was able to reserve it for me and have it ready to be collected on Monday - plus it was cheaper that it was on Amazon. What a result! It was look old meets new! If you're looking for a book for study or leisure definitely pop in here - even if they don't have it they can source it for you. I also noticed they sold some unique pieces of local art. Hopefully this main stay of Botanic will be around for years to come!

    I'm an English student so any bookstore is a good bookstore as far as I'm concerned. This one…read morehowever is independent of Queen's but has a very close relationship with the students and the staff. Despite there already being a bookshop owned by Queen's, many would recommend you try here first as if they don't have it, they will guarantee you it with their next delievery. It could be either that or the fact the people (whose names escape me yet again) are exceptionally friendly and have a real passion for their job. I have been in browsing before and soon i was sitting down with some friends having coffee and discussing books... pretentious possibly, but it's almost certainly the bookstore that makes me want to sit and drink coffee and talk about books. I dont even like coffee either. Very very very helpful, very friendly and a must for anyone who requires a good book

    Photos
    No Alibis - Great selection!

    Great selection!

    No Alibis - A crime not to go in..

    A crime not to go in..

    No Alibis - Courtesy of website

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    Courtesy of website

    War On Want

    War On Want

    3.0(6 reviews)
    0.2 miCity Centre
    £

    I prefer this shop to the Oxfam across the road, which, although certainly better looking with a…read morebetter selection of books, is a bit pricier than the War on Want one. Plus, this is beside Rusty Zip and the Marie Curie charity shop, meaning that trafficphobic me can shop for my books without having to cross the road. Yes, I'm that pathetic. The fiction section is quite extensive for such a little shop, and arranged alphabetically so you can quickly find what you want if you already have a title in mind. Non-fiction is a little less so, but I've bought a few old textbooks here in my time (I'll read anything). There's usually a box or two of books near the front in a small 'bargain' section, as well as a separate Irish section for both fiction and non-fiction. Given that I write teen fiction, I always browse the kids' section (well, that's my excuse), and almost always come away with a battered Enid Blyton or yet another Chalet School story. Then I take my life in my hands and dash across the street to Oxfam to buy some more tomes.

    Compared to Oxfam books, just across the street, this place is a real let down. I don't know what…read moreit is. Maybe the people who donate to War on Want just have really bad taste in books? I have been in here once to have a nosey, a regular thing for me when it comes to book stores. But all I found was the biggest bunch of dull, B-list books and I can completely understand why people wouldn't want them in their house. I know it's for a good cause and all that, but no ones going to buy just anything, so a little more effort wouldn't go a miss.

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    War On Want
    War On Want

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    Eason

    Eason

    3.5(11 reviews)
    0.9 miCity Centre
    £

    There are not many Eason's stores around these days but this one seems to be thriving, set in a…read morecentral location they've given the interior a real facelift - it's bright and vibrant and seems to be doing the trick when it comes to drawing the Belfast punters in. Eason's are specialist's in stationery and magazines, especially niche ones. I popped in here last week to grab a birthday card and to be honest I was a little disappointed with their selection but I suppose there's dedicated card shops for that sort of thing. One thing I noticed is that Eason's seems to have moved with the times, selling electronic goods and essential office supplies such as printer cartridges. On the lower floor there's a huge book selection that would rival Waterstones. Belfast actually doesn't have that many big book shops so if you still haven't succumb to a Kindle this will be your idea of heaven. This Eason is really well staffed so if you're looking for something in particular I would just ask one of the many attentive assistants (who are also pretty quick on the checkouts). All in all it's nice to see a familiar name in the city centre, I'm sure at some point the majority of Northern Ireland picked up their school stationery and chose that all important pencil case from an Eason's branch.

    Easons claims to be a bookstore, but it is not a bookstore in the traditional sense of the word. It…read moreis a corporate store than sells art supplies, stationary, newspapers, chocolate, fizzy drinks etc. I am a fan of old rickety bookshops which you have to bump into people to get past. This is not one of them. Though they do have cheaper priced books than old bookshops, they can still be gotten on the internet so again if all you need is a book, try the internet. If you want the experience, go to an oldfashioned book shop. Not a fan

    Photos
    Eason - Read all about it!

    Read all about it!

    Eason - Art supplies at Eason

    Art supplies at Eason

    Eason - Art supplies at Eason

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    Art supplies at Eason

    The Old Abbey Bookshop

    The Old Abbey Bookshop

    4.5(2 reviews)
    1.1 mi

    There are not many of these old fashioned, independent bookshops left anymore and so when I find…read moreone I like to spend a bit of time browsing around. I spent about twenty minutes in here the other day as the place is very small and quite intimate which made me feel I couldn't really use the place as a library. There is an extensive of first editions as well as a surprisingly large collection of old children's books - many of which I recognized from my own childhood such as Jemima Puddle duck and Thomas the tank engine. Because of the uniqueness of some of the books and the extraordinary condition they have been kept in some cost over £40. Obviously there are other books you can pick up for a fraction of the recommended retail price and I was able to find a book on painting on glass for a mere £6.00 - let my new hobby commence!

    An antiquarian/second hand book shop of the best sort with an interesting selection of books…read moreincluding first editions on history, literature, art and cookery. There's also a rich selection of children's titles from days gone by from old authors like GA Henty and Alison Uttley, as well as early editions of Enid Blyton and Biggles. The shop is small but well laid out, kept well and cosy. I could have spent ages in here looking at the fascinating titles as there were so many boosk that I'd like to read though it does also cater for the serious book collector/antiquarian enthusiast.

    Octopus's Garden - Wavey Garments

    Octopus's Garden

    5.0(2 reviews)
    0.7 miCity Centre
    ££

    I was cutting through Wellington Street on my way to Upper Queens Street yesterday when I stumbled…read moreacross Octopus's Garden. Belfast used to be a wash with Vintage stores but over the years these have slowly become extinct so it's always good to see a new one rise from the bottom of the ocean - much like an Octopus. Octopus's Garden has many strands or arms/tentacles (may as well continue down pun street). It sells vintage clothing for both males and females, old school vinyl and various other retro artifacts. The main thing I liked about Octopus Garden was that their was a varied choice - the rails were jam packed with everything from flannel shirts, band T's to leather jackets and potentially bum cheek exposing denim hot pants. The prices were reasonable too - you often find that vintage stores inflate the prices of their stock but it seems that Octopus Garden have made a concerted effort not to extort their clientele. I was only going in for a browse but I ended up walking out with a loud shirt that has already proved a controversial choice - but that's the beauty of buying vintage items - they always divide opinion and create a talking point. I recommend popping in here for a wee duke round - you never know you might come out with your (not everyone's) new favourite shirt.

    If I was trapped in the Garden of The Octo I would never have a time of misery or boredom. This is…read morethe slickest place so far and I would tell anyone who visits this city that loves music and old clothes to begin their journey here. I love this place!

    Photos
    Octopus's Garden - Shop exterior outside, shop window

    Shop exterior outside, shop window

    Octopus's Garden - Octopus's Garden

    Octopus's Garden

    Octopus's Garden - Really well priced

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    Really well priced

    Bookfinders - bookstores - Updated May 2026

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