been here twice, and i have to say ive never been to a friendlier cafe! everyone here is so beyond sweet, and the food is amazing. my favorite to get is the dirty chai latte and its AMAZING. jessica especially is such a doll, shes been so helpful and always a great laugh. definitely coming back when i visit!! read more

A few paces away from my old home in Aberdeen, Books and Beans was always a welcome sight. Even when I wasn't going in as a customer it was nice to walk by and see open windows framing folks reading books and sipping their lattes or friends chatting over their pastries. I did go in several times to do some writing for my Masters Dissertation, when I didn't want to spend another day in the library or just needed a change of pace. (I will say, this cafe isn't the best for super focused working. The volume was a bit too loud, with various conversations happening in different corners and music playing as well. I was on occasion able to find a nook that gave me a bit more privacy and quiet though.) I also brought friends in to try my neighborhood spot, and then we would be those people chatting away. My usual choice was their chai latte, it was not too sweet, creamy, and well spiced. The overall vibe was just so cheery and cosy, with walls of used books for perusing and purchase, yellow paint, and windows out onto Belmont St for Grade A people-watching. Super cool that all of their coffee and tea is FairTrade, and they're the only independent, fully fair trade coffee shop in Aberdeen. Woop, I'll keep supporting them for sure. Can't wait for my next visit this summer! read more

Honestly, this is supposed to be a cafe/bookshop, but it's more like a CAFE/bookshop. There's a cafe downstairs, but upstairs, with the books, there are cafe tables too! In front of the book shelves. So you are stuck awkwardly trying to look at the books around people seated, who look at you like you're interrupting their conversations. Also, it's hard to figure out how they're even organized, so you're left with all these awkward interactions without knowing if you'll even find the book you want. All in all, an extremely awkward and unfortunate experience. read more

Loved this place. Had great coffee, tea and desserts, and bought 2 books. Coffee was the best in Aberdeen. Very fresh and delicious carrot cake. Definitely worth the stop. Trust me. read more

Very cute and inviting cafe that serves a wide variety of sandwiches​, paninis, and coffees. It is three stories tall and in addition to getting a quick bite to eat,​ you can browse their second-hand​ books and comic book collection to take one home for an extremely reasonable price. I ordered the books and beans triple decker vegetarian sandwich and it was colossal​! Two sandwiches, each containing three layers of toast, and a wonderful array of veggies in between. Well worth the cost. read more

Excellent surroundings, awesome coffee, pleasant ambiance & helpful staff, couldn't recommend it more

Nice lovely people serving decent fairtrade coffee and selling you 5p/minute Internet access and nice-enough sandwiches. oh, and lining the walls? books. Used. At £1.50, £2,50, or £3.50, cheap as chips. This is a not bad at al place to come while away an afternoon. The food's good, the people are lovely, and it's a fine place for a cup and a think. So go there. And do that. Now. read more

From our trip in July, 2016: My wife and I were looking for a good place to grab a bite and some coffee. We found Books and Beans tucked away in Aberdeen off of Belmont Street and we loved it. The atmosphere is that of a cafe with indoor seating around the edge of the service counter. There is local art up on display around the tables and the lighting is warm from the outdoor sunlight along with the indoor lighting. The music was nice as well. (Not loud, but in the background. Pleasant) Bathrooms were small but well kept. The servers were friendly and helpful. The food was excellent! (I had a very tasty brie, ham, and cranberry panini!) The latte was OK. If you have high standards for your coffee, then you might be disappointed. Otherwise you will love this cafe! read more

2 stars always feels really negative, and Books & Beans was far from terrible, but 2 stars means"meh, I've had better" and I feel that sums it up. We'd just come off an overnight ferry from Orkney, and were in need of some good breakfast in Aberdeen before we caught the train home. A quick look at Yelp suggested Books & Beans. I kinda wish I'd just stuck to Starbucks. That's not to say that it was really bad or anything, it just didn't live up to it's near perfect rating whatsoever. Kip S had a panini, it was fine but the salad wasn't fresh (left over from the day before I'd guess), and no dressing. I ordered pancakes with bacon and maple syrup. For one thing the serving was too big for me (not their fault), but also the bacon was so so fatty (very streaky, not in a good way), and I go the impression that it was precooked stuff normally used in sandwiches that had just been heated up for the purposes of my breakfast. Not cool. Oh, and Kip's 'large' mocha wasn't that large, and my pot of tea was teeny. Barely a cup and a half. That and there's just generally an average vibe about the place. There aren't even really enough books to sell the concept, it's more of a charity shop sized collection. And some of the local art displayed is WEIRD. Books & Beans is fine, but nothing special and certainly not deserving of its current rating. read more

An adorable little place to grab some food or a book. This three story book /coffee shop is irresistible. They have quite the extensive food menu...i.e. something for everyone. The food is all deish and quite reasonably priced. Plus, you get to eat your food nestled among the books! The books are second hand and for those of you looking to save money on books, you can save at least 50% buying your books from here. Also, there is great art on display and for sale throughout the store. The only downside is this place gets quite busy during peak times, but that's because it is so great! read more

A great little shop and cafe. The other reviewers have hit the nail on the head here. The coffee is good, the teas are excellent. I love the chicken masala, with aged Scottish Cheddar panini. Then on upstairs to the bookstore. One of the only real bookstores I have found in Aberdeen outside the Borders like chain on Union St. They have a very good selection of all used books. The people that work here are friendly, and knowledgeable Because everything is electronically stored, they can look up to see if they have what ever you are searching for quickly. They have a good range of literature. I always love the classics, and have found some Walter Scott, Dickens, and Donleavy before. This place has a lot of charm, and great way to spend an afternoon before heading over to PoW for a pint (which I have done many times). read more

A nice little coffee/bookshop with a twist. The books are second hand, and they have an eclectic collection from engineering and law to fiction and comics and everything. There's random seating among all the bookshelves on two floors, to sit and drink coffee/hot chocolate or eat your panini/scone/salad/etc. Downsides? It's mobbed during the daytime, especially lunchtimes and weekends - being very centrally located and friendly, the place is in high demand for its cafe aspect. They also do a takeaway service, so you can pick stuff up to go. The thousands of books are arranged for bibliophilic browsing, not fast browse-n-buy. Interestingly, they also have poetry evenings. read more

Only two reviews!? This cosy wee cafe deserves to be raved about! :D Set in a second-hand bookstore and spread over two floors, you can always find a corner to occupy and settle down with a coffee and a book. It's a little cramped for parties bigger than 3, but if you're on your own looking for somewhere to chill out, it's perfect- plus they have an Internet cafe. The staff are always lovely (they even know my Gran's 'usual'!) and the soups in particular are always amazing. They have a good range of sandwich/baguette fillings and super yummy cakes. I also remember them doing coffee for £1 before 11, maybe they still have that deal :) This used to be my after school haunt, so I make sure I always visit it when I'm home- and it's hasn't failed to impress yet! Yummy :D read more

I'm shocked this place has not been reviewed yet! I spent a semester at the Uni of Aberdeen studying abroad and fell in love with Books and Beans during my stay. It is a dual cafe/sandwich shop with a cozy used bookshop upstairs. They also have many teas that you can order and take your food upstairs while you find a nook and a book to read. :) I wish there were more places like it in the states. I miss you Books and Beans! read more

A nice little business offering the winning combination (see name) Get educated while you have a coffee. :) small and cute but can get packed easily which shows a nice demand. read more

Kitch little coffee shop on Belmont street. The sandwiches are always fresh and the soups are fantastic. Nice atmosphere and firendly service make this a good place to chill. This a great place to relax with a good book and coffee. read more

A lovely little place and really nice to eat. I haven't eaten that often here but have occasionally stopped for a coffee and cake. The food is pretty good and they have an offer on in the morning - cheap coffee I think. They also do breakfast here. The USP of Books and Beans is that the walls are covered in bookcases full of second hand books for sale. I have often dropped into Books and Beans to look and the books and find it really nice that you can find a book and then sit and read it with a nice drink or over your lunch. The books are priced on average £1-3 but hardbacks are dearer. The food is priced well too. It's a lovely atmosphere in this wee shop/cafe. read more

Really cozy and welcoming shop, with great books, cakes and coffee (in that order). You could easily spend a few hours browsing the book collection (which includes some rare tasty morsels!) with snack breaks. It's lovely and bright in the upstairs window areas, less so downstairs. Sandwiches are also nice, but slightly marred by addition of manky crisps to all of the plates. The one major flaw is current lack of wireless internet access, but then, maybe you're better having no distractions from the bookshelves. read more

This is a lovely little place on Belmont Street. It has a wonderful atmosphere and a nice place to just chill for a while.

Highly recommend books and beans. Very good value coffee before 11am in the morning if you are up early! For those watching what they eat they do lovely healthy food. The food is tasty and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. Good value coffee and snacks in the centre of town. Can get busy and can be difficult to get a seat at busy times but if you do it is worth it. read more

Nice cafe, good wholesome food and soup. good place to chill out in Belmont street read more

Quirky place that gives the impression of dining in an antique shop. Food is fresh homemade stuff ranging from soup to pancakes. Good place to go for a quiet coffee and a bite to eat read more

Lovely Fairtrade coffee and very tempting wraps! A busy place and always something new to browse through. Very relaxed and laidback. They also have poetry readings and you can often find books here that are hard to come across - a real sense of achievement! Definitely recommended. read more

Over priced and not my scene, good for all the students around though. Food and service was good but place felt a bit claustrophobic to me. Not a bad place but probably wouldn't go back it was about £5.50 for a can of juice and a cheese and onion panini which included a charge for sitting in the place. read more

Great Internet access, must be the only internet cafe in town but still keeps good standards / fast service not too pricey.

this place is AMAZING, cheap coffee and awesome pancakes, i'm yet to buy a book though but probably will do soon :)

it is off the high street it has a good selection of coffe and cakes