Find Your Next Page Turner at the Best Bookstores in Sydney
Lose yourself in the best bookstores in Sydney that have everything that literature lovers crave – including coffee and wine.
Few things in life hit like a good old-fashioned wander in a bookstore, flipping pages and judging books by their covers. The only thing that trumps said mosey is taking your stash of books home in a brown paper bag and settling in for a cosy afternoon of reading. Now, that's a pretty picture!
So, next time you're stuck for weekend plans, consider popping into your local bookshop or exploring a nearby suburban gem. Make a morning of it and hit up a market or cafe, too. Not sure where to start? We've rounded up the best indie bookstores in Sydney to set you on your way.
Bookaccino
Brews and best sellers are the order of the day at Avalon’s beloved, Bookaccino. With a bustling café corner, friendly service, and an all-around literary atmosphere, it offers the ideal spot for a coffee date, either with your paperback or fellow bookworm. Bookacinno are serve live jazz every Friday night and Sunday morning.
66 Old Barrenjoey Road, Avalon Beach
Woollahra Bookshop
On top of handing out thoughtful recommendations, Woollahra Bookshop is dog-friendly so you can bring your pooch for a browse, too. Keen to share their love of books far and wide, these guys also offer free local home delivery if you can't make it in-store.
Spicer Street, Woollahra
Elizabeth’s Bookshop
Arguably Sydney’s best-known second-hand bookstore — with locations spanning both sides of the country — Elizabeth’s is also one of the best. Behind the iconic forest green awning awaits thousands of titles squeezed onto shelves and stacked high on top of tables. Don’t know what you’re looking for? Try a ‘blind date with a book’ and receive a hand-wrapped mystery title tagged with clues as to what’s inside.
257 King Street, Newtown
The Best Little Bookshop in Town
It’s all right there in the name. An unpretentious, local favourite with a solid range of fiction, non-fiction and children’s books, The Best Little Bookshop in Town has something for everyone. Be sure to visit their Instagram page to check out what the crew are currently loving before picking up a read and heading to the beach. Their recommendations never miss!
97 Cronulla Street, Cronulla
The Burns Bay Bookery
If you happen to find yourself cruising around the leafy streets of Lane Cove anytime soon, be sure to pop by this gem of a store. You'll be greeted by the always friendly staff who are more than happy to swing a few recommendations your way or let your browse. The Burns Bay Bookery packs a whole lot onto the shelves with artisan and Australian-made homewares and gifts dotted throughout.
4/50-54 Burns Bay Road, Lane Cove
Title
Title is more than a bookstore, it’s a bona fide arts destination. Taking pride of place inside a sleek, glass-walled building in The Streets of Barangaroo, its encyclopaedic collection of classic, obscure, out-of-print and hard-to-find titles in the art space is all but unmatched. However, books are just the beginning with independent films and music as equally in abundance.
400 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo
Ariel Booksellers
For killer coffee table books and gorgeous gifts for the bookworm in your life, make a beeline for Ariel Booksellers. Poetry, plays and film history genres also line the shelves, alongside cute knickknacks and stationery items to round out any gift.
326 Oxford Street, Paddington
Potts Point Bookshop
This award-winning independent bookstore is owned and staffed by book lovers (with over fifty years of experience between them), so when you pop in to find your next read you know you'll be in the right hands.
14 Macleay Street, Elizabeth Bay
Better Read Than Dead
It is too easy to linger way longer than you should in this bookstore. Better Read Than Dead is a Newtown institution with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined with a curated collection of books. The staff are well-versed and encourage a good chat about your latest read and regular author events are held throughout the year. The best part is, they are open late every night of the week – so browse to your heart's content.
265 King Street, Newtown
Sappho Books, Café and Wine Bar
Fans of literature can’t get enough of this inner-city gem. Sappho Books has mastered the book/coffee and book/wine combo. A general second-hand bookstore on Glebe’s busy strip, you can pick up an out-of-print or hard-to-find book before heading through to the courtyard café that transforms into a bar come nightfall. Monthly poetry nights are popular for established and emerging poets.
51 Glebe Point Road, Glebe
Ampersand Cafe & Bookstore
No one is disappointed when brunch turns into a novel adventure and Ampersand is the place where this evolution regularly occurs. Housed inside a two-story cafe that sprawls onto an open terrace, Ampersand serves exceptional coffee and breakfast dishes that won’t disappoint.
78 Oxford Street, Paddington
Berkelouw Books
Sitting beside the Verona Cinemas, Berkelouw Books’ flagship store in Paddington is the perfect Sunday afternoon stop off before catching an evening movie. The three-storey building showcases a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction literature as well as trinkets and an array of coffee table books.
19 Oxford Street, Paddington
Gertrude & Alice
Moments from Bondi Beach, this hidden gem is just a quick stroll from the water and a post-swim trip never grows old. Gertrude & Alice, which sells both second-hand and brand-new books, is curated to perfection with bestsellers easy to find and an abundant selection of spiritual and philosophical literature. The store, which doubles as a café, lends itself to a relaxed peruse that can end with a coffee or wine (and a long read). The workers love their books as much as their coffee, so you’ll always find a helping hand. They regularly host book launches and other bookish events so keep an eye on their socials to keep in the loop.
1/46 Hall Street, Bondi Beach
Loved this edit of the best bookstores in Sydney and looking for a quiet corner to read? The city is filled with great spots to bury your head in a good book. From picnics in the park, cafes, and cosy bars - you name it, we've got it.