The Best Independent Bookstores in London for Book Lovers

This blog post is all about the best independent bookstores in London that I love visiting while living in London.

There’s nothing I love more than independent bookstores.

And while I don’t think London has enough compared to New York City, there are still a few dotted around the city that are worth browsing.

Some of the best independent bookstores in London on this list are quite famous, but others are lesser known and quieter which makes for an enjoyable browse on a weekend morning.

If do you ever find yourself in New York City, you can see me wander around the city and browse my favourite New York independent bookstores in one of my latest YouTube videos here.

But for now, see my favourites and the best independent bookstores in London below.

RELATED Best Independent Bookstores in London blog posts to read:

Table of Contents

The 8 Best Independent Bookstores in London

Below are the best independent bookstores in London to wander and browse if you’re a book lover like me.

No matter if you’re looking for the latest fiction or non-fiction, memoirs or cookbooks, all of these bookshops are fully equipped to help you find exactly what you’re looking for, or something you hadn’t been looking for at all.

From brand new publications to second-hand favourites, these are the best independent bookstores in London.

1. Daunt Books

Address: 84 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 4QW

Daunt Books is most famous for its layout. With an upstairs balcony that overlooks the ground floor, it makes for a lot of aesthetically pleasing Instagram photos.

They also sell the famous green tote bag that you’ll probably see around the city almost as much as a Trader Joes tote bag in New York.

Located in Marylebone, Daunt Books is a very nice store to browse, but do be warned that it’s very popular and often very busy for a very small space.

2. The Notting Hill Bookshop

Address: 13 Blenheim Crescent, London W11 2EE

One of the most famous areas in London is Notting Hill and you’ll luckily find quite a few of the best independent bookstores in London dotted around this area with The Notting Hill Bookshop located just off Portobello Road.

It’s an incredibly small store with a lot of footfall, so prepare to cramp yourself into its small aisles when popping in for a browse.

Saying that, it’s one of my favourite bookshops to pop into while I’m in the area on a weekend and I’ve picked up a book or two in the past along with a tote bag.

3. Brick Lane Bookshop

Address: 166 Brick Lane, London E1 6RU

Located directly on Brick Lane, the Brick Lane Bookshop is another small space for book lovers to browse when strolling around Brick Lane Market on a Saturday morning.

I think I browse here a lot more than I buy due to it being very small and cramped, but it’s still worth a visit if you ever find yourself in Shoreditch.

Plus with Brick Lane Market being a very popular thing to do in London at the weekend, I’d highly recommend spending the morning in the area starting with a spot of brunch at one of the best breakfast spots in London, then a mooch around Brick Lane Market with a pop into Brick Lane Bookshop along the way.

RELATED blog post to read: The 19 Best Breakfast and Brunch Spots in London

4. Word on the Water

Address: Regent’s Canal Towpath, London N1C 4LW

One of my favourite and the most unique independent bookstores in London (if you can even call it a ‘store’) is Word on the Water.

Why is it called Word on the Water you ask? Because it’s a barge.

Yes, you read that right. This is a barge along the canals beside Coal Drops Yard and the books are displayed on top of the barge, and you can also go directly inside to find some more great books on the actual boat itself.

It’s a novelty for sure, but it often has a great collection of second hand books for a reduced price and I’ve purchased a book each time I’ve visited Word on the Water.

5. Primrose Hill Books

Address: 134 Regent’s Park Road, London NW1 8XL

You can tell that a lot of the best independent bookstores in London aren’t often too creative when it comes to shop names.

Notting Hill Bookshop (in Notting Hill), Brick Lane Bookshop (on Brick Lane) and Primrose Hill Books in – you guessed it – Primrose Hill.

Primrose Hill is a very posh and lovely area of London, perfect for a stroll on a crisp Sunday morning to grab a coffee and a pastry and take in the London skyline on top of the hill in Regent’s Park, but also to stop by Primrose Hill Books.

Another small bookstore, but often very quiet on a weekend, I love to pop by and browse here when I’m in the area.

They also always have a few stands of books outside the shop with second-hand books to browse too which I can spend a half an hour or so doing.

6. The L&R Bookshop

Address: 21 Kensington Park Rod, London W11 2EU

One of the prettiest and most photogenic independent bookshops in London, Lutyens & Rubinstein is located in Notting Hill, just behind Portobello Road.

As well as selling books, it also has an array of stationary supplies and of course, the classic bookstore tote bag.

Definitely one to pop into if only to see the floating books above your head as you browse.

Lutyens & Rubinstein has recently been taken over by Daunt Books (number one on this list) and been renamed The L&R Bookshop, but still remains the same interior-wise.

7. Libreria

Address: 65 Hanbury Street, London E1 5JP

Located on a side street off of Brick Lane in Shoreditch, you’ll find Libreria bookstore.

A relatively small bookstore that looks very large until you realise there’s a floor to ceiling mirror and you’re about to walk smack, bang into your own reflection.

There isn’t a huge selection at Libreria but it’s carefully curated for literary fiction fans and if you’re after a specific niche.

However, you definitely won’t find any Colleen Hoover books or TikTok famous books in here.

8. Hatchards

Address: 187 Piccadilly, London W1J 9LE

Claiming to be the UK’s oldest bookshop, you’ll find Hatchards in the centre of London right next to Fortnum and Mason.

This is another one of the best independent bookstores in London as it reminds me of a bookshop I used to visit in Donegal every summer, the Four Masters Bookshop.

The carpeted floors, the dark oak, and the separate rooms for different genres, it has everything needed to make a great independent bookstore that you can get lost in for hours.

The Best Independent Bookstores in London: My Recommendations

And there you have a list of my favourite and the best independent bookstores in London.

Whether you find yourself in the East near Shoreditch and Brick Lane, or in Central near Picadilly or in Primrose Hill or Notting Hill, you can always find a great independent bookshop.

My personal favourite is Daunt Books or Hatchards when I’m in the city as I could browse in either of these bookstores for hours, but if I find myself with a quiet weekday, I head to Word on the Water as there’s truly no other bookstore like it.

Do let me know if I’ve missed any other great independent bookstores in London from this list and I’ll make a point to visit them next!

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By Orlagh Shanks

Orlagh Shanks is the Editor of Orlagh Claire, an award-winning travel and lifestyle blog.
After working in the PR & Influencer Marketing industry in New York City and London, Orlagh quit her job to travel Asia for 12 months and moved to Sydney, Australia where she is now a full-time travel blogger and content creator sharing travel tips and recommendations for all 30 of the countries she’s visited so far.

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