Find Your Next Read at one of Sydney's Best Bookstores

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 for your nest page turner. Make a morning of it and hit up a market or cafe, too. Not sure where to start? We've rounded up Sydney's best bookstores to set you on your way. 

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 

The Best Little Bookshop in Town 

It’s all right there in the name. An unpretentious, local favourite bookstore 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

Romancing The Novel 

Romance novels are having a resurgence and to be frank, we're 100% on board with it. Aside from stocking the sauciest reads in Sydney, Romancing The Novel also boasts a schmick reading lounge where lovers of steamy literature are welcome to spend a few hours as well as pretty pink interiors to set the scene. 

2 Heeley Street, Paddington 

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 you 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 in equal abundance. 

400 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo 

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. 

66 Old Barrenjoey Road, Avalon Beach

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.

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. The staff are well-versed and encourage a good chat about your latest read and regular author talks 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

Elizabeth’s Bookshop

Behind the iconic forest green awning of Elizabeth’s 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 

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. 

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 with a side of books.

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 gem is just a quick stroll from the water and a post-swim trip never grows old. Gertrude & Alice sells both second-hand and brand-new books. 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). They regularly host book launches, author events 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 Sydney's best bookstores 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.