This wonderful branch of Waterstones is filled with gorgeous big bookcases full of every kind of book you could possibly want. I can easily spend hours in here, browsing the shelves, flicking through a few books and then wandering downstairs for a coffee at their little branch of Costa. Waterstones has managed to make this great big book shop into a comfortable and cosy feeling store that welcomes its customers warmly, with staff that are well read and more than able to advise on your purchases. A good old British book store that will be staying put for years to come. read more

Waterstones - taken by Adele - Bookstores Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

This is not only Glasgow's largest Waterstones, it's Glasgow's largest bookshop. Actually, scratch that, I can do one better, it's Scotland's largest bookshop. This is a fact that Waterstones quite rightly takes a little pride in. It's split across five levels and includes a Costa Coffee in the basement. Certain indie coffee shop fans may turn their nose up at Costa, and while I sympathise, any coffee shop that's inside a bookshop automatically becomes a good coffee shop. I'm pretty sure that's a universal rule. I feel like in a good bookshop I browse differently to how I would online. If I'm looking for a book online, chances are I already know which book it is and I'm just trying to get the lowest price/nicest edition/fastest delivery time. In a real book shop you have that joy of exploring and of looking at books that you never knew you wanted (or even books that you never knew existed). It's easy to start on the top floor and lose 20 minutes, lose another 30 on the next floor down (that's non-fiction and reference covered), lose at least another hour on the next floor which contains most of the fiction, 20 minutes one floor below that , which is the level you enter on, the stock rotates a lot here and includes toys, gifts and (inhale sharply) stationary. See? You've already lost over two hours and you haven't even looked at the children's section or the young adult section. You've not even seen the books on travel! Or film! Or art! They're to be found across the next two floors alongside that coffee shop. It's a dangerous thing to enter a bookshop and the larger the shop the more dangerous it gets. Tell a friend to come looking for you if they don't hear from you after a day or two. read more

I must confess that I don't frequent bookshops as much these days as my fictional needs are almost entirely met by my Kindle - and I regret that deeply in many ways. But I'm a voracious reader and the e-book is so much more convenient when you travel around as much as I do (never mind that my bookshelves are already groaning under the strain of so many books!); so practicality wins the day. This used to be a regular haunt of mine in days BK (Before Kindle), and it's still my favourite Waterstones branch because of the quirky layout it has. I love the different levels, the quiet corners, the odd mezzanine bit between ground floor and basement, the spacious first floor, and of course the coffee bar in the basement that has hosted many a book launch event. I still come in here from time to time when I'm passing for gift shopping or if I'm after a particular non-fiction book, and when I have a gift token to spend as I did after Christmas, there's nothing I like better than spending a happy hour browsing through the various departments here. When it gets too exhausting, head down to the basement where there are comfy seats (and coffee) where you can read your purchase in relative peace. The building is interesting not just because of the unusual floor layouts - it used to be the La Scala cinema, which originally opened in 1912 as the Glasgow Photo Playhouse; an unusual venture that provided its patrons with the opportunity to have a meal during the movie as it included a restaurant and tea room - sounds like an ideal combination to me! When the cinema finally closed in 1984, it was the oldest surviving cinema in Glasgow; it opened as Waterstones in the early 1990s. The only bit of the old building surviving is the entrance pillars and the stained-glass arched window above, which is now a lovely feature of the first floor. read more

Even though this great big branch of Waterstones is the biggest bookstore in all of Scotland, I still think I prefer the smaller Edinburgh store. My first reason is, the Edinburgh store underwent a big refurbishment not long ago and looks fabulous but this store is still rather dated with torn carpets, grubby windows and burned out light bulbs. Don't get me wrong, there is still a great selection of books, maybe even better than in Edinburgh and there is a lovely little cafe in the basement called Café W. You would think that since it is in the basement, it would be cramped, dingy and dark but it is actually spacious, airy and bright. Much better than the Costa franchise that was there before. The children's books are also downstairs, by the lift and there is a fine selection of good books in that small corner of the store. Maybe not as prominent as in Edinburgh but still pretty good. I would personally start on the second floor and work your way downwards as there are 5 floors and you will never get through all of them if you do them in a random order. I would recommend taking the lift as there are a LOT of stairs and the escalators only seem to go up. Apart from the run down feel of the shop, I still think it is a good bookstore if you look past the decor. And on the second floor is a lovely stained glass window which is a great photo opportunity if you are an arty person. read more

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This Waterstone's is like many of the chain - big, bright and full of books. Well, as a book-store chain, you'd expect them to, I suppose. The reason I decided to review such a place is the fact that last year, for my course, I couldn't find a book I needed anywhere - the uni library stock seemed to be out forever, so I went on a hunt. Amazon, Ebay, and other online sites were fruitless, so on a last resort, I checked in this Waterstone's to see if 1, they had it and 2, how much it was. The guy behind the desk was fast and efficient as he typed my requirements, then PING! "Yeah, we have 2 in stock....oh, and it's half price at the minute." Music to my ears! So, not only did I get the book, I saved a large sum of money. Fantastic. I bought it there and then, and I'm ashamed to say, I then hurried down to the Costas on the lower level to read it. Geeky, or what? read more

Waterstones - Bookstores Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

This is a far bigger Waterstones than the Argyle Street store, and, as you would imagine, full of books! There's also some cool stationary and stuff in here too. I used to go here with my friend for a coffee with her daughter who was 2 at the time and it was a bit of a nightmare when she started bawling (not my friend, her kid) with people sitting trying to read quietly but it was fairly amusing nonetheless watching the limits of people's patience in public. The staff are cool for helping you find what you're looking for which was good for me when I was looking for a Nora Roberts book for the missus with no success only to find out it comes under 'Romance' from a fairly amused female member of staff who couldn't have been nicer. It's not entirely out of the question to potentially read a book in here over an afternoon or two without paying for it. Just make sure you buy something from the coffee shop. It looks better! read more

Waterstones - Bookstores Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

3 entire floors of books; is there anything else you could ask for in life? A book lovers paradise, Waterstones on Sauchiehall Street is the best place to find anything literary in Glasgow. Ever since All Saints took over the humongous Borders on Buchanan Street, this is the biggest bookstore in the city. As far as I can think anyway! The staff in here are great; always smiling and happy to help in any way they can. Each section, from biographies to food and drink, is impressively stocked. I know from personal experience of where I shop in there that there's at least 300 books on cooking. There's also a costa in here, as there is in most bookstores these days, where you can relax with your purchases and a nice coffee. Bliss! read more

Nice little Cafe in the centre of the bookstore, in the lower ground floor. Their hot chocolate is awesome! Mocha and cappuccino have been okay to good, not consistent the many times I went! Also try- coffee cake! read more

It's been so long since I've been in to an actual book store. Everything is much more convenient ordering from Amazon that I sometimes forget that actual shops exist that are even more convenient than ordering offline. I was frantically looking for a book my guy wanted and noticed that I would be able to find it at this Waterstones a few days before I wanted to give it to him. It was just released, so I wasn't sure if what was said online was accurate, so I decided to give them a call. I spoke with Ian, who was one of the friendliest people I've come across in a long time. He and I got to chatting about the book and the importance of finding it for both me and my guy. He went on to tell me that what was listed online wasn't showing in his shop, so he called down to another location, where they were able to hold the book for me to pick up at my convenience. I was really excited that he was able to help me find a book, even if it wasn't in his own shop. He really went above and beyond what I was expecting out of my experience with Waterstones. I was able to pop in to the shop and purchase the book and give it to my guy a few days later. He was thrilled that I found the book and I was thrilled with my overall experience with Waterstones. What a great wee shop. read more

Sadly bookstores are a rarity these days so I'm really glad that this place is still around. (Does anyone else still mourn the lost of Borders on Buchanan Street!). Anyway, this is a nice store with a number of levels with the main entrance featuring popular fiction and other levels leading to children's, reference and all the other delightful books you fancy. I particularly like the gift section at the back of the store which features a range of cards and other goodies like notebooks and trinkets (many of which are quite useless but fun!) The Costa Coffee in the basement is a laid back affair and its a store you feel happy to sit and browse without any pressure, although I think maybe a few more chairs dotted about the store would be nice. I would say though that as with most bookstores these days, sometimes its not the cheapest (particularly for some of the art books) and I confess to sometimes just browsing then purchasing things off the online rainforest. However, I have purchased a huge batch of book tokens for an event recently as prizes, and I can say that the service in store is fantastic and the staff are really helpful. Although I've never attended one, the store also hosts various events and author visits and I'm on the look out for one to attend. As I love browsing and looking at all the wonderful book jackets and artwork, bookstores will always have a place for me, so this store is definitely somewhere I'll continue to visit. read more

This is a great big bookshop to get lost in and spend hours finding loads of books you never knew you needed. It is not a good bookshop to nip into to pick up a quick book for your sister when you have a buggy. Puff's buggy is not massive, it is much smaller than a wheelchair and as such should always fit. But not in a pre-Christmas waterstones. I kept getting wedged places, having to apologise to people as I reversed out or abandon the buggy to look at something in a tight spot, less than ideal when as well as leaving my small child, my purse, phone and favourite lippy are all in the bag hung on the buggy. Shoplifters please note there is never any cash in my purse, my phone is now close to obsolete and I will hunt you down a la Liam Neeson in Taken to get my favourite chubby stick back. I am sympathetic to the retail need to cramp the contents of Ali Baba's cave into a retail unit less than a third the size of said cave. Isn't that what Christmas is all about? What made me cross is that I can easily leave the buggy at home wheelchair users just didn't stand a chance in here and that just isn't good enough in a big, corporate, chain company. read more

Ah waterstones. I love this shop. I could spend hours in here, and literally did the other week. Perfect venue for a lazy saturday when you are in need of some new literary delights - worked my way from A to Z doing the frowned upon activity of judging books by their covers. Lots of chairs mooching around so you can have a wee read - I used to bring my own book in here and just find a seat to chill in for a while. They also have an excellent collection of travel books and maps for all your OS needs and a Costa coffee in the basement (though this is my least favourite of the big coffee chains). read more

They have a great selection of cook books here and really strange ones at that. I usually try buy any books from charity shops but often come here they are cheap. I noticed that there are staff reviews near books that staff have read There is a costa coffee shop here and good seating area. You can but calendars big maps Diary's also read more

Waterstones - Bookstores Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

Having now outlived fierce rival, Borders, Waterstones is the last of the large book retailers left in the city centre. This shop is pretty decent stuff. I find the cafe to be a little dirty at times, but otherwise it's a big enough space to lose yourself in for a while. Like Borders, I don't see too many people actually buying books here and I worry that it may go the same way. These places tend to act like big libraries for office workers on their break and indeed, I, myself, have only ever purchased stationary from its excellent selection. read more

I could count on 1 hand the number of physical books I've read since I got my Kindle. But nothing beats the feel and smell of a good book. These days I reserve that for either art or travel books - which is what brought me to Waterstones. We're off to Paris soon (ok, 5 weeks to go!) and the book I already have is years old now. I love bookshops but kinda hate this one. Plus points are: it's huge and it has a Costa & kids play area in the basement. Downsides: each floor might be organised to hold certain types of book, but within the floor it has a really bizarre layout which makes it really awkward to quickly find anything. Each time I've been in, it doesn't matter what floor I get my book from, I've had to go to the ground floor to pay. Which is irritating as there are tills on each floor. But, they have a huge range of books - reference books in particular are really well represented. Pricewise it varies drastically from reasonable to ultra expensive. It's not somewhere to go if you're actively bargain hunting - or if you're in a rush. read more

This is a bookshop to get lost in. It's massive and to be honest apart from the tills on the ground floor I rarely see any members of staff in here. It's just you and the books! I love spending time in any bookshop and there's so much to see in here. I think my favourite section is the children's books which are tucked away in their own dedicated area on the basement floor. They have a Costa which earns them half a mark off because Costa is rubbish. It's fine for a hot chocolate or a latte but I'd love to see a local cafe take over or even a Cafe W. On the bright side it's really spacious and gives you the chance to sit down and have a read. The other mark off is for their customer toilets which are some of the worst I've been in, a makeover is badly needed. If you need some help finding a book or want to place an order the staff are always helpful. They also have a great selection of stationary, gifts and cards including local designers like Libby Walker. The prices are higher than Amazon but you have the satisfaction of knowing you're supporting a more ethical company and the joy of actually browsing the books. We've already lost so many high street bookshops (Borders, never forget) and I'd really miss this one if it wasn't around. Check out their Facebook page for details on author events which are held here regularly. read more

There's something wonderful about walking into a bookstore. Time just seems to slow down, mobile phones get put in pockets and you're allowed to relax. This is a HUGE bookshop split over 5 levels with more popular books, stationery & games on the ground floor but it's worth exploring all the floors. If you can't remember a title or author have a word with the staff & they'll try their hardest to help you remember & can check if it's still in print. There's a Costa Coffee in the basement with a small service area but that's redeemed by the number of chairs and sofas there & in the mezzanine level. read more

one of the largest waterstones book shops that I'm aware of within Glasgow. Spread over multiple floors & has just about every book that you might ever want to read. With a small coffee shop in its bacement & the ocashional events behing held in this store well worth checking out their Facebook page & or in store to see what might be coming up. read more

I love a good bookshop, and Waterstones on Sauchiehall Street is a really good one. It's most definitely my favourite bookshop in Glasgow, and I could spend hours in here. It's massive, yet well-organised and not at all overwhelming. It has five floors, each dedicated to a specific genre/type of book. The entrance floor is where all the new releases are, and further in there is a nice selection of stationery and games. My favourite floor is probably the 1st, which has most of the fiction, classics, science-fiction, fantasy and poetry. There used to be a Costa in the basement, which was nice for the fact that you were surrounded by books, but also kind of meh because... well, it was Costa. Recently they've opened up a new Café W though, which looks lovely! I still haven't had the chance to actually eat or drink anything there, but it seems to be a really nice café, and I love how they've done the place up. I know most people buy books online these days, and I'm definitely guilty of doing the same. Waterstones isn't as cheap as Amazon, but they do have quite good deals on, like buying one paperback and getting the second half-price. And really, sometimes it's just wonderful to have a browse through a bookshop and slowly select the books you want to buy by physically picking them up and reading the back. I also love the little cards that they put next to books they recommend. I know I've come out of Waterstones with books I didn't plan to buy many a times. read more

I love browsing round book stores, getting lost in all the different stories and wondering what all the other customers are looking for. Even though I love reading, I often find it hard to get a book that I like. If I like a book I can read it till the end without putting it down, if I don't like a book, I can't even get half way through no matter how hard I try. There's nothing better than getting a page turner that you get so engrossed with that you actually begin to think you know the characters in the book... maybe that's just me. The staff in this Waterstones are very helpful indeed and I've often asked for recommendations and have always been very happy with my subsequent purchase. I have a friend who I always meet here when we're going for lunch. We'll zip around looking at books for a while then go for a hot chocolate in Costa Coffee downstairs, it's very handy! Book shops are great, but sadly the internet seems to have an increasing amount of appeal due to the fact that you can get brand new books for dirt cheap. I managed to get all of Philip Pullman's Dark Materials Trilogy for 1p each. I really can't complain. It's sad though, as this is why so many book shops are closing down, so for every 5 books I buy off the internet I try to buy one from a book shop, it's only fair, I guess. read more

Though not quite on par with the sadly departed Borders in terms of atmosphere or selection, Waterstones still has what I can only describe as "the book shop magic", which entices one to wander around for minutes on end, browsing books and subjects you didn't know you were interested in before you came in the door. If you're after the latest piece of cutting edge fiction, or even one of those awful chick-lit atrocities that have a picture of a martini glass and a handbag on the front, then chances are you'll find it in here. Perhaps tellingly however, once you've found it, you'll probably nip back home and order it off Amazon for half the price, and thus the main weakness of the High Street bookstore is exposed. Everyone comes in, but they rarely buy anything, and I fear that Borders passing will be the first of many. read more

Love a good bookstore and still mourn the loss of our beloved Borders from Glasgow's Buchanan St! I have to be honest am rarely in town these days, with two little ones it requires a bit more planning than it used to! However, we had such a lovely time in Waterstones with our two tots yesterday that this might be a more regular weekend occurrence for the Lenzie McKenzies! We parked ourselves in the basement... There is a Costa coffee here, so the adults can get the much needed coffee fix and the toddler has her "coffee cake", in other words a Fruit Shoot and a traybake! Also, there is a fantastic children's section in the basement with a wonderful selection of kids books, gift ideas for little ones from newborn upwards, and a lovely selection of soft toys including some of your favourite literary kids characters. There is also a little rail of dress up clothes for the little ones and toddler friendly tables and chairs with colouring in materials. There is a great selection of cookery books and cake decorating books in the basement too which I would love to have time to browse (wishful thinking just now). The only negative from yesterday's trip was that the baby changing facilities could have been a little more easy on the nose! The baby changing area was in the disabled toilet, which although appeared clean and well maintained, the aroma was not so pleasant! Moving on, this is a good sized Waterstones, and although I have purely concentrated on the kids section and the coffee shop in this review (yes that is my world right now), I have always found whatever I was looking for here in the pre-kiddo days, and have found the staff helpful and friendly if you can't see what you are looking for. For now, you might find me in the basement with the kiddos, but equally would love a toddler-free day to roam around the other levels and sections that Waterstones has to offer. read more

Henry Ward Beecher once asked "Where is human nature so weak as in a bookstore?" I couldn't really agree more with this. I love Waterstones, I love books. Everytime I walk through the doors, I have to do my utmost not to grab a ton of books and carry them to the till. The fantastic thing about Waterstones is that the staff is really friendly (once I walked in just before closing because I was in desperate need for a guidebook before jetting off on a summer holiday (...Yes, I'm that person with the guidebook when I go on holiday haha). Not only, however, are the friendly, they are very knowledgeable, and passionate, when it comes to literature - I had a rather specific request (before I go to foreign places, I like to read a book by one of the "native" authors, just to get a feel for the place, if that makes sense). I was looking for a book by a Caribbean (British Virgin Island-er) and a Puerto Rican author. I left the shop with a book for both (well, not BVI-er author, but Caribbean), and it was perfect. This is also a great place as they have a Costa Coffee in the basement, so if you're looking for a hot beverage and a book, this is the place to come. I also love their Waterstones Card, and I love that they have introduced a Student version with which you collect even more points (and therefore money) to spend on more books. Hurray for being a student! One thing I would however note that it is not always easy to find your way around the layout, and sometimes their selection can be a little bit limited. read more

Love the bookstore but became quite irritated with one of the baristas today who kept asking us to move our daughter's high chair. She had aeons of room to get past, in fact if the highchair had not been there, an adult chair would have been and after the third time of her coming up to explain at length why she wanted her moved, after us having moved her well away, we decided to leave. Her idea of friendly - our idea of annoying! We like to think we are reasonable and polite but we were really scratching our heads about what the issue was an conclude she was having a VERY bad day. read more

Awk. Waterstone's just reminds me of how good Borders really was, and how inferior this actually is compared to it. It is a bit on the shabby side of life, and is quite depressing inside. There is absolutely no atmosphere, and each and every time I have visited, I have walked around in circles and came away empted handed, unable to find anything I was looking for. There is a Costa Cafe in the basement, which is alright I suppose, but always seems very quiet and empty, which adds to the drab atmosphere and vibe I get from the place. Maybe it's just because I miss Borders (sob sob) or maybe it is because this place is genuinely under par, but I just can't warm to it. read more

This is one big book shop ! If you can't find what you need in here - you've probably made up what you're looking for. Even when you're not looking for something in particular you'll probably find a little treat for yourself on the never ending shelves. With smiley staff ready to help you on every floor, you'll never be stuck for someone to ask when you need a hand. Whether it's finding a book, seeing if they have one in stock or ordering one in, they can help. The beauty of this shop is it has a lovely Costa Coffee on the lower level. So when you've just found the book you've been hunting for you can get cosy with a nice cup of coffee. read more

I love this shop. Shop til you drop then drink coffee and have a seat. A few floors. Great for drama books. Please get more Bujinkan Ninjutsu books esp by Masaaki Hatsumi. read more

Disgusted by the rudeness of Staff in the Cafe. Was there when half empty and asked to leave because I hadn't bought a drink within 20 minutes of arrival as waiting for my partner to arrive !! Woman I spoke to was extremely cheeky and abrupt. Will never step foot in the building again. read more