Good bookshops are dangerous places, and Daunt Books is one of the most dangerous of all. You can…read morelose yourself for hours, browsing through the recommendations temptingly laid out on tables. And while you're queuing to pay, there are more temptations on your way to the till - for book junkies this is worse than the sweet counters in supermarkets! Daunt Books is a small chain of independent booksellers with an emphasis on travel and literature. I like the way they curate their shops and always succeed to find a gift here - but not without buying one or two books to keep myself.

A trip to Holland Park is in order when I feel like I want to treat myself to a view of upscale…read morehomes, eat fancy deli foods, and, a recent discovery, peruse the Daunt bookshop outpost tucked into the main drag there. Compared to the Marylebone locale--the only other Daunt that I've visited--this shop is smaller, quainter, and, on my trip, super quiet. Ahh. I found an interesting-looking book, 'Mendelssohn Is on the Roof', quickly bought it and went on my merry way. http://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/05/books/trying-to-murder-a-statue.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

Awesome I genuinely love working with bookstores and…read moreauthors. There's something special about spaces filled with stories, creativity, and people who truly appreciate books. Even when bookstores are crowded and full of energy, they still carry that classic charm that reminds you of how real bookstores used to feel before everything became generic. Helping bookstores and authors grow through authentic promotion and marketing is something I truly enjoy because every book deserves the right audience and visibility.

Beautiful and charming old bookstore! Three floors with lots of books! Friendly staff! Love…read morevisiting this bookstore!

Lovely little bookshop with an amazing,y well curated collection. We didn't plan to buy anything…read morebut browsed our way into a bag full, having found interesting titles we'd not seen elsewhere. While there, stop next door to Daquise for a fantastic lunch.

This bookstore was a fantastic find! It's located right next to the South Kensington tube station,…read moreand while it isn't too big, it boasts an impressive selection of books in various categories. Psychology, science, philosophy, politics, history, art, etc, and, of course, fiction. The books are all new, and extremely well-priced. I walked out of the store with 5 brand new books for only £22! If you are in the area and a book lover, this shop is a must-visit. The prices and selection are dangerous! I had to be careful not to buy out the whole store.

I love books and love finding small independent book shops. Nomad is an incredible shop! I love…read morethat they have a cafe and rather than being in its own section it is part of the shop and surrounded by books. When you walk around you find little nooks and crannies where you can curl up with a book. The shop feels more like a warm living room rather than just a book shop. The shop was busy, but the space is well laid out and you can easily get around mothers with strollers, which is always a plus. I really did enjoy just browsing the book shop and was shocked when I realized I'd spent an hour in the shop, just looking at books....pure bliss!

This book shop is the prefect mixture of picture books, bean bags, Tolstoy, Will Self and cake…read more It's as edgy as an obesity ward but as warm and lovely as a Sunday afternoon by the fire with a group of people who say lovely a lot. They have a really nice little café to one side of the shelves and they serve food and drink all day - all tasty. The selection in this place is great although it tends to stand a few feet further away from the bestsellers than say, Waterstones. Many of the newer books have a little book mark poking out the top with a short review from a member of staff and this makes a nice little gesture if you need a bit more convincing than the blurb on the back. This is the sort of place that would win the Booker prize for shops.

Super staff that was so helpful! Lovely children's section. Gifts, stationary..and of course…read moreBOOKS! Prices are very reasonable and all the new releases and classics are available. Can't find what you are looking ask them..they will find it for you.

I love Waterstones book stores. This shop on Kensington High street opened a few years ago after…read moremoving down the street. This is not a large store as compared to others in London (such as Piccadilly) but I can generally find what I need. The employees are usually very helpful. London is currently in Tier 4 Lockdown (all non-essential shops are closed) just days before Christmas. Waterstones has joined other merchants in a "Click & Collect" in which you can order what you need on-line; they confirm the inventory and purchase with an email; they call for payment information; and then you pickup. Genius!! Also, get a Waterstones Plus card to earn money back on your purchases. Waterstones.com

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

In 2018, after 115 years of independent bookselling, then-Chairman Christopher Foyle and the Board…read moreof 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.

Great esoteric bookshop that also holds events, talks and lectures on a wide range of topics…read more So if you are curious about paganism, wicca, the supernatural or the occult this is the place for you. Either call in or check the store website for an interesting list of events, which usually only cost a few pounds and is a great oppurtunity to explore new topics, make new friends and enjoy the friendly atmosphere. Also the store occasionally holds open days where you can enjoy cheese, wine and nibbles with the staff along with browsing the books, periodicals and small selection of craft gifts. Enjoy!!!!

Edit 17/12/2009: After having now been to some events, and spent more time, I have to upgrade this…read moreto a five. I've seen a growing book selection in my chosen topic/s over last time, gotten to know the staff better and seen the extras on offer. It's all I could really have hoped for! Original review in full below; So, I've been following this place for a good year or more now, but never got around til heading up - until now. I knew a lot about the place, and had a lot of expectations/pre-biased-ness, so maybe it'll reflect here. For those who have never heard of the place, the Treadwell's website sums it up far better than I could, so here's an excerpt; "Treadwell's Bookshop specialises in cultural history and esoteric belief. We have lots of British history, but also the history, religion and magic of Celtic regions, Europe, the Near East, Asia, Africa Australia and the Americas. "Yes, we are eclectic and wide-ranging! You will find a heady mixture of genres: poetry anthologies; fortune-telling guides; classic novels; grimoires, art books, folklore studies; occult texts; etiquette manuals; literary essays; almanacs; paranormal study journals; travel writing; philosophical works; antique dictionaries; tarot cards; biographies. "And it's not just books! You will find old engravings, carved wall-plaques, wall hangings, loose incenses, hand-made soaps, ceremonial daggers (including witches' athames), wooden wands, antique candle-sticks, rock crystals and ethnic jewellery. "Entering the shop is a step back in time: the building itself was constructed in 1710, and is listed. The interior is almost entirely original, right down to the archway sculpted with dancing fauns. The original hardwood floors are scattered with persian rugs and mismatched antique bookcases line the original plaster walls. Pride of place is given to the legendary "Browsers' Sofa" on which many a customer has spent a blissful hour." A bit of a long excerpt, but there wasn't a single part I wanted to leave out! It's welcoming to enter, and very laid back. The owner was sat at her computer eating an ice cream, yells of scripture from a play rehearsal downstairs could be heard over the shop music every now and again, and the amount of books all looking each as intriguing as the next takes a few seconds to come to grips with for where to head first. I had a few particular books in mind, and so with ease was able to track down the relevant category. I was a little let down to see just how few books there were for what I was after - the shop is quite small, and truly does cover many subjects, so I can understand. Now, I should point out, I've never been able to just 'waste time', without media. Be it music of my choice accompanied by some kind of game or work out, or a movie. Especially without chain smoking. However, I was able to pass an hour extremely quickly just browsing the books here. Under normal circumstances, as the only person actively shopping at that time, I'd have felt a little pressured or guilty, but thanks to being greeted as I entered by a sign reading something along the lines of "Browsers welcome, it's an all too lost practice", and the helpful, talkative but unpushy staff, it was a joy. I found a seat, I browsed, I read a few too many covers and pages, and was able to select the right books for what I was after - and then struggle to pick which of the many were what I wanted most. Thankfully, the prices were neatly written just inside the cover, at below back-cover prices, so it wasn't too hard on the wallet. After having a nice conversation with the owner on the books, an unreleased book which she showed me, and some subject matters as a whole, in which she also advised me of another nearby store that might have the other books I sought, I paid and went on my way with her directions. The only reason I couldn't warrant a five was, due to the size, the collection of books per topic matter felt a bit limited. This may be redeemed however, once I've attended some of their many events. For those with an interest in the esoteric, supernatural, and old religions, their website and facebook group are well worth a check. They host regular (1-2 a week, maybe?) gatherings, with generally well known names in the field, or authors on book launches. In fact, the shop and the owner have been mentioned in a fair few books, articles and websites, even involving a radio interview I believe at one point.

Lovely bookstore in the heart of the Northcote Road's busy shopping area…read more Entering this shop, you are immediately struck by the sense of a relaxed small-scale bookstore, with no 3 for 2 offers or heavy sells being thrust at you. There's a sofa to relax and take in a book, and a really good range of books, from the classics to children's, and a smattering of maps thrown in. Been around for over 25 years, so worth taking a look anyway to sample Old-school Clapham.

This store is wonderful but is closing soon thanks to unaffordable business rates…read more Another death of a fantastic small business thanks to this. Shame on you Wandsworth Council you're so amazing in so many other ways but this is very sad.

This is a quirky little bookshop at the end of the Kings Road. It smells really musty because the…read morebooks are so old but that smell has a strange effect on me. It sort of brings up memories of my old library in Ireland in a nice way. There is a pretty good selection of books here from cooking, performing arts to travel, history and politics. These days I get most of my books on amazon but it's nice to visit places like this to just switch off and enter into another reality.

Prices are a *little* high relative to other used bookshops. But they do have a very good selection…read moreindeed--I'm primarily interested in photography books, and they did have several interesting volumes last time I stopped in, but they have loads of other topics as well. Charming old space, this is a genuine, old-school, attractive London bookshop that you'll happily spend hours browsing.

This is a great book shop in Notting Hill. I'm not a Notting Hill native but I'm a big fan of…read morelittle independent book shops. I needed a travel book once day whilst strolling through Notting Hill, this shop has such a big selection. Books are so expensive nowadays but the books here were so affordable, there were lots of discounted books, the atmosphere was friendly and relaxed and the staff were so helpful and friendly. It's a shame this isn't closer to my house or else I'd be in there all the time. It beats the big corporate book shops on atmosphere and friendliness alone.

YOU will find great bargains, on both old and new books at this book warehouse. They have a…read morecomplete range for all age readers, from childrens, religious, fashion, lifestyle, property, fiction, biography, etc. Also to be seen are gift and accessory articles for presents. So if you ever find yourself around Notting Hill Tube station then drop by 'The Book Warehouse'. Come rain or sunshine they always have a deadly table laden with the best bargains outside the shop. One really can't resist pausing to browse.