The best bookstore in London. They have such a great collection - I can find books I can't find other places (and I've looked hard!!) Also great cafe, restrooms, and staff! read more

Best bookstore in London for language books (Celtic, German, English, Italian, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Arabic, Ukrainian, Polish, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Greek, Dutch, etc.!!) and it has a cafe upstairs as well as a huge kids books area. read more

In 2018, after 115 years of independent bookselling, then-Chairman Christopher Foyle and the Board of Directors sold the company to Waterstones, with the proviso that the Foyles name must endure. Based on our recent visit, let's now call this place a chain on steroids. I just wonder how much the inevitable Corporate culture has robbed the old independent Foyles of its soul. Gayle and I spend a fair amount of time on various floors and sections. I found a nice Judaica book, a BBC publication for an upcoming PROMS program, and some filing folders. Gayle found a book she was looking for and a gift for back home. It was a fun and good outing, but not a great one. The place was clean and shiny, and with attentive and helpful employees. That's good and sometimes not. And if given more time, I'd would have preferred to be in a dusty independent specialty bookseller. read more

My granddaughter loved this store. We were visiting from the US and she was looking for specific English editions of select titles. The service was great and the staff was very helpful in guiding her to her selected items. The books were not cheap, but she was able to take advantage of multiple discounts. Bookstore shopping made her trip more memorable. read more

I had no prior knowledge of this bookstore (founded in 1903!) or its history when I stopped in to pick up a cozy mystery. I didn't realize its full scale at first--I only made it to the third of its eight floors, one of which even has a café. The second floor, where I spent most of my time, felt somewhat cramped and had an unusual layout. I was impressed by the vast selection of books I wouldn't have come across in the U.S. I ended up purchasing two, finding the prices comparable to those at home. I also appreciated that they accepted cash instead of just credit read more

Amazing collection and great customer service. They have very good cafe with seating area. read more

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If you are looking for a bookstore to spend hours in just reading and window shopping, this is a great place in Soho! Not only does Foyle's have just about any book you could want, but there is a café on the top floor great for working or studying. read more

Foyles - Bookstores Near Me - London, XGL

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We brought our young book lovers here and it was one of the highlights of the trip, to be sure. It has five full floors!! The fella also found some rather exciting orchestral books that's he's looking forward to listening along with. Truly something for everyone here. And if you're lucky, you may even stumble across some signed copies! A must see for any book lover! read more

Greatest bookstore in the world! You won't be disappointed I promise you bbbbbbbbbbbbbb read more

A nice place to get a snack, use the restroom and go inside if you are in between appointments during you time in London. Bathrooms were mostly clean and plenty of books to check out! read more

Foyles - Bathroom graffiti inside the womens toilet lol - Bookstores Near Me - London, XGL

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Foyles is such a lovely bookstore to get lost in. There's so many floors (6 i think?) with some easy to follow organization, you could really spend the entire day here. There's also a TON of signed copies of books, especially new ones! When I visited there were gorgeous window displays of Sally Rooney's and Otesha Moshfig's new books. The hardback classics selection was also amazing! read more

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Better than Borders and with a selection ten times as broad as WH Smith or Waterstone, Foyle's is the place to go for the book lover. Most of their selection is relatively recently printed, so you can expect to see the usual best sellers available for purchase but also some of the slightly harder to find books. Completely accessible for those with moving-about challenges, there is a lift ("elevator" to the Americans) to all four floors as well as a couple flights of stairs. Tills ("registers") abound and you can usually find an assistant with little effort. The two I dealt with seemed to know their own areas pretty well. Four floors of books are neatly organized into different sections. The place is very densely packed and I swear it is bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside. On the first floor ("second floor" to Americans) is a coffee shop, but unsold merchandise is not permitted. As there are VERY few seats in the rest of the place, I found it difficult to make selections. I am one of those who really likes to read a bit before making a commitment. My main focus for the day: A good selection of computer books. Not only the more modern 2010 ones, but a few of the "classic" 2003 are waiting on the shelves. Programming guides as well as administrator handbooks. read more

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Great bookstore in downtown London with a wide variety of British and international books. It's expansive as well - with floors and floors of different book categories. I heard a couple people asking about children's books and cooking books and the staff cheerily directed them along. The one thing I found odd is that I was reading the fiction books on the display table and as I put a book down after reading the back cover, a member of the staff was about two inches behind me, straightening the book piles as I put them back down! I felt like she was giving me a death stare because I didn't put the book down exactly like she wanted. That's why I knocked off a star. In the future, I'd wait till the customer is done shopping. read more

Foyles - Books! - Bookstores Near Me - London, XGL

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Located on Charing Cross Road which isn't too far away from Tottenham Court Road Underground Station - Foyles is one of the largest bookstores in the UK, as I recall only Waterstones' flagship Piccadilly branch is larger, which is actually the largest bookshop in Europe. The store is over multiple floors with a cafe and toilets on the fifth floor - for a store of its' size, I would have expected more toilets, however, especially considering the toilets they did have wouldn't lock so I didn't want to use them. The staff were 50-50, some seeming rude and disinterested however others seemed friendly and willing to try to help. The selection of books was pretty good - it is one of the largest selections of books available in a bookstore in the country - they did have a nice store layout stating which category was on every floor but still having more staff around all levels of the store to offer assistance from recommending a good book to finding something similar to what Waterstones do (with handwritten tags about the books) would really be useful especially for a store of its' size. 3* - Large store with a great selection of books in a great central location, however, staffing levels and attitudes, number of toilets and perhaps making the store layout less random would help to improve the store. read more

Wonderful bookshop that opens later (9 pm) than most other bookstores in London. There are several stories, all of which are so well-lit, clean and spacious - and there's plenty of seating around the entire shop to encourage you to sit down and stay around! There were some pretty unique, sleekly-designed journals on the ground floor that I was very tempted to get. There's even an area with files upon files of music sheets on one of the higher levels! Wow, how cool is that. It's right around the corner from Tottenham Court Road station, and also near where Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is playing :) read more

Terrible customer service. Long queues. Staff just chatting rather than dealing with the queue. When finally served no apology given. Just blamed staff sickness. As a frequent customer who spends a lot of money in the store I expect better customer service read more

I've been coming here when I'm in London since 1976. In 40 years, they've done a fantastic job of making the place more open, better lighting, and more modern. This trip was after my longest absence from the store. With the new world of Amazon, it was good to see there was still five floors of books. It's not a "new slimmed down" store. Despite my love of reading on the iPad and listening to Audible, there is nothing like a real bookstore. Thanks for being able to hold down the fort. read more

I went here to study today because I heard it had a wonderful café upstairs not only were there many people there with laptops working there seem to be a lot of seating. I got a banana and a coffee and proceeded to sit at a seat with a plug. Not even 20 minutes pass by and the manager asks how long I'm going to be there and pestering because there are customers waiting. I am a paying customer, and there are at least 20 other people present that have laptops and are working. I then proceeded to get yelled at by a random old man trying to sit down, talking about how I am ruining the coffee shop and I should be ashamed because I am working on my kapp too there. Then he starts being extremely rude and trying to sit down at my seat, even moving my stuff out of the way. I finally left and the manager did not really do anything at all. I felt embarrassed, unwelcomed, and overall uncomfortable. I will never return. read more

I spent hours here. They even have some rare antique books in each section, like cooking, or Buddhism. I can't believe I thought Shakespeare and Company in Paris the best bookshop in the world, when clearly this place takes the cake by far. If the U.S.'s Barnes and Noble was still around, I bet they'd be like this. Thank you! read more

Foyles flagship store lies in central London and Charing Cross Street. Huge store, with several floor, thousands of book titles and a beautiful cosy coffee shop on the top floor. Even for a quick stroll around its shelves and a quick coffee at the end, it deserves your visit. read more

Foyles - Bookstores Near Me - London, XGL

The history and military history section is so nice. It's such a delight to sink into this store but I found myself in a trance state quite often and had a hard time leaving. There are so many nooks and crannies to hide away in and my only wish is that they were open until midnight every day. A cleaner more polite version of the nyc city Strand bookstore, it's so beautiful ! read more

Giving Foyles less than 5-stars is like... like... giving In-n-Out less than 5-Stars. Or Powells. Or Johnny's Diner. Or, I don't know, God. Foyles is a mecca - a centre, a focal point, a magnet, a hub in the heart of London that often gets ignored. Don't ignore your heart London, just don't. Plus, it has an amazing Jazz Café with free wi-fi and tasty coffee. With ebooks and iPads and Ken-Dolls and other vowel-infused electronic reading devices that are all the rage these days, it's nice to walk into a store that was long ago made with bricks and mortar, pick up a book with physical, tangible pages, and read it. Foyles makes that possible. read more

Foyles is the grand-daddy of bookshops and looking at its many floors of books, I can believe its claim to be the largest bookshop in the world. It did have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the modern age but the shopping experience today is much improved by those changes. For example, you used to have to find a member of staff to write you a ticket for a book before you could pay for it at the counter. They also used to have a bizarre classfication for their books, making it hard to find what you wanted and yes, you then had to find a member of staff to help you Today, the shop is bright and airy with the books in more traditional groupings. However, certain sections like travel for example, is strangely sparse. I do enjoy browsing some of their sheet music on the top floor and they have a semi decent medical reference section in the basement. They do have a book ordering service for anything they don't have in stock and it's a decent bookshop on bookshop row on Charing Cross Road read more

When I was a kid, my dad would take me for a day out in London a few times each year. Now I got super excited about this as the one thing that both me and my dad had in common was our love for books. We'd get off at TCR and walk down Charring Cross Road popping in bookshop after bookshop. I was allowed to choose a selection, which was normally half the size I actually wanted so I would ponder for hours over the books, which ones would be the best read, but which ones would last the longest. When I was younger I remember loving the children's section, they even had paper doll books and maze picture books, both of which were my favourite. As far as book shops go this one really does have it all, a comfy cafe, a HUGE selection, helpful staff that don't mind you spending all day there. Like I said, a perfect bookshop. read more

I don't tend to give 5 stars very often but Foyles certainly deserves them! I have been going there for ages, and it's actually one of my favourite places in London. The music section is no doubt one of my fav within the bookshop, in particular the section with scores! I also quite like the cafe on the top floor and the small art exhibition area. read more

It's a given that the bookshop itself gets five stars - what it loses in its confusing lay out and maze like configuration, it more than makes up with selection, customer service and character. So, bookshop aside, my five stars are basically for the cafe. Years ago it used to be much bigger and downstairs in the basement - it used to have much more of a music venue and bar feel, which was also great. These days, the cafe is up on the first floor, and feels more like a little independent cafe that happens to have a band playing in the corner sometimes. The staff are cool and friendly. The coffee is good, and their range of cold drinks is interested and varied. And what I like most is that everything has a real home-made feel - the cakes, the savoury snacks (great stuffed peppers). It's such a great antidote to the boring Costas and Starbucks you usually see in giant bookstores. If only more places were like this... read more

Foyles is, hands down, one of my top spots in London. I've been known to spend an entire day in this literary haven, and when someone says "day out" Foyles is one of the first places that comes to mind. Run more like a department store than a typical bookshop, the employees in each section are knowledgeable about the associated topics and are incredibly helpful. It's a welcoming environment and I will keep going back until the end of days! read more

Call me difficult to please, but I've been in Foyles more times than one looking for a book that I cannot find, despite the store's online inventory saying it was available. Sure, I'm often looking for the most obscure books you can imagine, but if www.foyles.co.uk tells me that the store has Gerald of Wales' _History and Topography of Ireland_ in store, well, I expect to find it in store when I make the special trip. And, no, I don't want Gerald of Wales' _History and Topography of Wales_. I may not be a Brit, but I realize that Wales and Ireland are markedly different countries. The location itself is spread out over at least six floors, and I enjoy a good browse now and again. The employees aren't generally keen to offer their help to customers, but when specifically approached they will lend a hand as necessary and required. Although, if they can't find the aforementioned rogue book, they sure do give up the search pretty easily. A little area on one of the uppermost floors contains used and antiquarian books for sale, although the selection isn't that vast. And I hear the cafe in the store offers free wifi. I'm a fan of the sheer breadth of topics covered by the in store inventory. From contemporary fiction to academic theory to queer non-fiction, Foyles has something for just about everyone to browse through. Except for books I specifically need. It never has those So, go, take in the bookie haven that is Foyles. Just don't expect to cash in on many 3-for-2 deals that you might find at Waterstones or Borders. Displays at the front of the store may mislead you into thinking that all Penguin Modern Classics, for example, are on sale, so you excitedly pick out three titles from the shelves only to find out that the only titles available in the sale are the ones on the display itself. LAME. . read more

I could spend all day here and never be bored. The new location is simply beautiful, light-filled and elegant, with a modern design. I particularly liked the art/design/magazine section on the main level, the cozy but spacious children's zone, and the terrific cafe/gallery space upstairs (additional seating and gathering space on the top floor). I loved that sheet music is intelligently housed in drawers, rather than on shelving that inevitably forces you to kneel/lie on the floor/stand on a ladder to find what you're looking for. Lots of foreign language learning materials--amazing! I do wish there was more seating (or any at all), but I understand why they don't want people (like me) sitting around forever. read more

Considering I went out of my way to come here I was a bit disappointed in the service. These days, I sort of expect book stores to be a bit more of an experience -- I don't *need* to go to any book store, I do so because I want to be around book people and places that *get* book people. I spotted the first guy at a computer and told him the name of the author (who's book name I couldn't recall exactly) I was after. He seemed excessively put out about this task, as if I'd said I "Wanted that one book ... you know? With the blue cover?" He found it in the system but I was told they didn't have any in stock but "one should be coming soon." And then stared at me. Just one? Coming "soon"? No mention if that "one" was ordered by someone else. Or when "soon" might be. No offer to take my info and notify me when the book came in. Apparently this has what kindle has done to book stores, made them forget how to provide customer service. Not to be deterred, I then asked after Lena Dunham's book. He didn't have to look it up; I was told "second floor." At which I got a little frustrated and asked "Anything more specific?" To which he replied "TV section." Off I went, even though I didn't think a memoir would be in the TV section -- and I was right. There were loads of books *about* TV and film, etc. So I had to wander up to another floor to find someone and ask again where this book was, and simply told to go ask on the floor I just came from. Seriously?! Went back down to find a guy now at the desk that had been empty minutes before. He pointed directly behind me to a giant display. Finally got my book and got the eff out. Get it together Foyles. read more

Foyles. 4 floors of books in the middle of London. (there's a free toilet on the top floor, behind the art books. Don't tell anyone) It's a pretty brilliant shop. They aren't affiliated with my uni, so I don't shop there so much as my alumni card consistently fails to impress them, but if you need it today, they've likely got it, unless it's one of those things you have to get via the Electric Internets. Staff favourites? Always good & fresh (and digging up old classics) Live readings & signings? Yup. A stunning graphic novel selection? That too, though they should really call them comics. Even if they're for grown-ups. A mile of books underground? Blackwell's in Oxford for that one. read more

I absolutely love Foyles. There is something about being in a place with such history, with floor after floor filled to the brim of some of the best books in print that I find incredibly inspiring. Foyles not only has an incredible mix of very niche books with the mainstream and best sellers, but I was absolutely blown away by the number of books on computing they sell. From books on Twitter to C# to how to set up your own server, I've not seen a selection like this since wandering into a Borders in the Silicon Valley. Better than Waterstones and Borders (may it rest in peace), Foyles is by far the best (and biggest) book shop in London. Just make sure you give yourself and adequate amount of time to browse, as you could easily spend your entire afternoon here! read more

I LOVE FOYLES Yes, it is mayhem inside. Yes, it can be hard to find what you are looking for. Yes, it can be overwhelming. But it is all worth it. Their selection of books is amazing, especially when it comes to obscure texts. I found a rare anatomy book here that was completely out of print... AND at a fair price. This store is simply a classic, and as the previous posts have said, it has definitely evolved over the years. I look forward to days where I can wander the aisles with no itinerary and simply browse the seemingly endless stacks of books. read more

AHH, 3 floors of books? AND MORE? That's my kinda place! I love how there's pirañas in the children's section. They got a couple of chairs around and they have a harry potter section which is always great. I can spend all day here. enuff said. read more

Huge bookstore (four floors) specializing in new books on Charing Cross Road (road of bookstores). While I dig what the other Yelpers are saying about this bookstore, it just doesn't do it for me. Frankly, it's just too big, and reminds me of a UK Borders more than anything else. Frankly I want some sort of intimacy in my bookstores, and this just feels like a big department store. I have asked the staff various questions, and haven't found them super-knowledgeable either (they told me for instance a book was only print-on-demand, which was BS and just a way of covering up that they didn't have it in stock). If you must have a new book now, today, then this is probably a good place to go, but I would much prefer to either buy on Amazon or go to a smaller, more selective bookstore, where the staff know what they are talking about and the overall quality is much higher. Bottom-line: Don't confuse size with quality. read more

This used - 30+ years ago - a nightmare shop to buy a book in, though it used to be the best bet to get that book. It used to have chaotic storage, varyingly knowledgeable but sometimes grumpy staff and a truly bizarre payment system that involved wandering with chits of paper from A to B. It's got streamlined so it is a bit more homogeneous a la Waterstones. On balance, for the better. But I only popped in to get David Nokes "Jane Austen - A Life" (my first copy drowned in the bath) which was out of print, as it transpired. When i asked if they had it secondhand, they checked but no alas. Foyle's once had a superb on-site secondhand stock. The likes of eBay and so on have clearly damaged on-site secondhand book sales. Still a bookshop worth visiting for the bibliophile read more

This, the biggest bookshop in Europe, is not just a novelty, it is by far my favourite book store because it always has the books I am looking for and often much more great finds too. Now moved to a different premises but still on Charing Cross Road, Foyles still has the best range of books imaginable but the newer store is even more easy on the eyes and comfortable for browsing around. Seating is available and there are not many stairs to climb between the floors. Retaining its image of respecting and proudly displaying books of all kinds, as well as holding readers' or writers' events, this branch of Foyles has practically been a landmark for London that we should all treasure. read more

It's much more than a bookstore. I feel home... I was enchanted by the South American Pan Pipes and Celtic Spirit from the Global Journey music box on the lower ground fl. Later on I discovered the music store on the 3rd fl, rare collections from 9 inches to wild int'l titles and sheet music. Folyes even has the live Ray's Jazz events a couple times a week at the Cafe (http://bit.ly/1wLzEZ) The service quality of the Foyles staff members is also top notch. Without providing my name and details, I walked in late at a poetry event feeling a bit embarrassed. Surprisingly, during the intermission, the staff member recognised me and provided the raffle ticket and my discount coupon. Moreover, at the panel discussion, one panellist wanted to reference a book and the book was in his hand within 5 mins. Quite a few of my friends told me at Foyles you find more titles and selection choices. I enjoyed my own little surprises on interesting titles that I discovered, such as the Paris Review, and the Guinness official celebration of 250th anniversary. Finally, if you're a book lover, you will also enjoy the experience walking up and down the Charing Cross road :) read more

OMG this place kills me every time! I could spend hours and hours in here, in fact I have on more than one occasion. Floor after floor of books. It makes me sad I can't sit and read all day everyday. Book shops are a dying breed, but this place will reginite your love for reading actual books and not those electronic kind. read more

I love Foyles! Nothing can keep me away form Foyles. Their philosophy section is INSANE, my mind has been blown many a time and as a result I'm permanently changed for having browsed those shelves. This store is huge and each of its sections are thorough in their stock. Foyalty offers a generous incentive to customers and on top of that students get a 10% discount. There's even a cafe so you can enjoy your new Ian McEwan novel INSIDE the bookshop. If that's not heaven I really don't know what is. read more