Edison bookstore in Lucca is situated in a former bank and retains the strong and secure feeling…read morethat one gets from a magnificent old building. The selection of books in Italian is very good, though there is limited access to books in other languages. The staff is friendly and helpful, especially if there is a book or a subject matter that you are seeking. The café is wonderful; the couple who runs the restaurant is friendly and many of the foods are prepared by them. The food is reasonably priced and the seating provides a comfortable atmosphere to review books, magazines, and for just talking.

Very well made leathers and very friendly shop keepers of father & son. I can't say enough good…read morethings about this shop!!! I always make a point to go to Lucca and to this shop when I am in Italy and have shopped here for many years.

The best bookshop in Bologna, it's a very large shop not far from the centre of the town. I used to…read morespend a lot of time browsing in here. It's a lovely store to find a gift; there is a huge range of books in Italian and other languages, and you can buy magazines too. Very helpful staff.

Lovely owners, great service, and a .beautiful selection of books. This is a bookstore for people…read morewho really love books and for meeting other well-read people. Italian language books only!

While on our way to a local restaurant, our host took us for a tour of Ambasciatori librerie.coop,…read moreand it was love at first sight. Three levels of books, cafes, and food-focused shopping was certainly a highlight in Bologna. For all my Portland friends, it is their version of Powell's Books, only with food and wine. It is a modern, vibrant space with exposed beams and a glass ceiling with just a few remnants of the original church that were retained. What I really enjoyed was that you can enjoy almost every element of the business on site or to go. For example, on every visit (there were three), you would see people curled up with books in the elevated lounge area that is also used as a performance space. There are cafes and bars operated by Eataly on all three levels with seating so you can dine (or drink) in, or take your purchases to go. The third floor is part bookstore and part Dispensa, a food store with shelves filled with endless varieties of pasta and sauces, next to small kitchen appliances. Of course, there is a very large cookbook section. One thing to note, is that I never found an international or English language section in the bookstore. So all of my purchases were in the food and wine sections. The other really amusing thing is that the children's section is on the top floor right next to the wine bar. Wouldn't be surprised if little ones are handed a book while mom and dad slip away for a glass of vino. There are escalators, as well as an elevator, for those with mobility issues. This is definitely on my don't miss list of places in town.

A mix of book store, food store, and restaurant. In an amazing spot, with some fantastic…read moretraditional food, a great collection of artisinal beers and wines, and gorgeous views of the city roofs. Highly recommended.

Adorable and incredibly well stocked children's books. Whenever we travel, we buy books as gifts so…read morewhen I found out that this is a famous place for children's books, I knew we had to come here. It took awhile to find as the store name wasn't recognizable to me (clearly I don't know any Italian). It's directly across the street from Bennetton. They have all kinds of books (in Italian) for a variety of age ranges. The gentleman running the shop that day was extremely helpful and didn't scoff at me for using google translate to help me with my requests. After paying, he kindly gift wrapped the books which was a nice touch. Highly recommend this store when shopping for kids, or even if you're just a kid at heart.

I knew when we passed this caffe yesterday that I wanted to have espresso there this morning. If…read moreyou mix books or the bookstore vibe with coffee or booze, I want to go to there. (Tina Fey, 30 Rock). One half is a little coffee bar with pastries and a large seating area. The other half is a little bookstore. I don't speak Italian, so I couldn't tell you if they specialize in any particular books, but it's a very modern, attractive, clean space! We ordered an espresso macchiato, an espresso con panna and a little croissant sandwich. There were different options, which we didn't realize- vegetariano, salami, and others. We had the veggie one, and it was delicious.

Tons of books here and staff that answers all of your questions about finding the right book. It's…read morea bit cramped in here, but bearable. They have a restroom that has a code--you can use it if you buy something.

I know that I'm going to sound like an uncultured American saying this, but La Feltrinelli Express…read moreat the Santa Maria Novella train station is my favorite place in Florence to sit down, drink a cappuccino, and eat a pastry. Whenever we have to take the train somewhere we first head over to La Feltrinelli and my husband and I will each get a cappuccino and we all each order a sweet pastry. I'm sure some other place makes the pastries and delivers them daily, but wherever this place is, it makes some of our favorite donuts, croissants, and other treats. My daughter and I especially rave over the chocolate-filled donut--perfectly light and yeasty dough and very chocolately. If we still have a few minutes before our train leaves we'll browse the books and gifts. They have a great selection of books, some of which are in English. I took one star off because the workers can be very brusque and with what little Italian I know I've heard them bemoan and complain about the tourists to each other. I even caught one criticizing my Italian to another worker in front of me--I figured out she was mocking me and explained I'm trying to learn the language. But otherwise, I really like La Feltrinelli in the SMN train station. I think part of the appeal of La Feltrinelli is it's the closest thing to Barnes & Noble that we have in Florence. And to be able to relax and get something to eat and drink in a nice, clean, well-lit shop before a hectic day of traveling is very appreciated.

This bookstore was greta! Many floors of fantastic Italians reads with a solid english selection to…read moreboot. The woman at the counter was very helpful and spoke some good English too! She was also very pretty :) i got a killer cookbook from this spot and, though i can only read some of it, the pictures make it all the worthwhile. Definitely recommend this spot.

This is a fun stop to pass away the time with three floors of books, entertainment, crafts,…read morenotepads, you name it. I was delighted to find a decent sized English section with classic literature kicking off at 3,60 Euro. The staff was friendly enough and able to point me in the right direction. I appreciated the cool blast of air conditioning the moment I stepped inside. The space is very crisp and modern. If you're looking for travel books and guides, they have you covered. However, mostly in Italian. I would describe this place as the Barnes & Noble of Italy. I also noticed that they have a fair number of kids books and toys available. Happy reading! (And AC;)