Independent bookstores in London
Shops with a point of view — the stock tells you who does the buying.
Daunt Books
Edwardian oak galleries, travel shelved by country — the room raises your standards.
Daunt Books, London
London Review Bookshop
The LRB’s shop with a cake shop attached; every table is a well-made argument.
London Review Bookshop, London
John Sandoe Books
Three creaking floors off the King’s Road, staffed by people who read the stock.
John Sandoe Books, London
Stanfords
Maps and travel since 1853; you come for a city plan, you leave with an expedition.
Stanfords, London
Gay’s the Word
Trading since 1979 and still the community’s front room.
Gay’s the Word, London
Word on the Water
A Dutch barge of books on the Regent’s Canal, jazz on the roof when it’s warm.
Word on the Water, London
Libreria
Shelved by theme, no phones allowed — a small shop built for proper browsing.
Libreria, London
Broadway Bookshop
A Hackney fixture whose fiction buying you can trust blind.
Broadway Bookshop, London