The rise of coffee shop bookstores has created the best afternoon pastime. These delightful cafes provide an ideal setting for your next lunch or coffee break. In this post, we are going to share with you some of Sydney’s best cafes for book lovers. Let’s take a look!
Coolest Bookshop Cafe in Sydney
Ampersand Cafe Bookstore
Ampersand strikes a perfect balance between a successful cafe and a unique, comfortable bookstore. This cafe has won many awards, including the 2012 National Best Coffee Tea House. Its multi-level, multi-room layout allows you to find your own space among the books, away from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street. If you prefer to bask in the sunshine, it also has an outdoor seating area.
It is a bookstore with three floors in total, selling both second-hand and new books, with tall bookshelves displaying books in different categories. The dim light shines on the vintage floors and furniture, creating an indescribable warmth and sense of comfort!
The cafe’s display case showcases a selection of fresh, daily-changing food. The Ampersandian is definitely a healthy way to start a new day.
Ampersand Cafe Bookstore – 78 Oxford Street, Paddington NSW
Phone: (02) 9380 6617 Website: cafebookstore.com.au
Cafe 1812 at Berkelouw’s Bookshop
Cafe 1812 is located on the second floor of the Berkelouw bookshop in Paddington, so you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Oxford Street below. Despite its modern exterior, this bookstore has a lot of history. The first Berkelouw was opened in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in 1812, and at that time cafes often sold books.
The story of the first Berkelouw is displayed on the wall. The top floor’s second-hand book section adds to the historic charm of Berkelouw. It has an old-fashioned feel, with a huge wooden bookshelf beside the ladder and shelves.
You can sit around the fireplace in the room, enjoying a warm and cozy atmosphere. There are so many books to look at that one can hardly take them all in. The towering cathedral-style ceiling and the huge iron chandelier create a refined and warm ambience. We really like the peaceful countryside feel, and the sense of seclusion in the midst of the city!
Cafe 1812 at Berkelouw’s Bookshop – 19 Oxford St, Paddington NSW
Phone: (02) 9360 3200
Website: berkelouw.com.au/pages/cafe1812
Sappho Books, Cafe and Wine Bar
During the day, Sappho is a cafe, and at night, it’s a wine bar, but it’s also a bookstore all day long. Sappho knows how to keep its customers satisfied all the time. The cramped interior floor-to-ceiling shelves contain almost every kind of book imaginable.
Upon entering, it’s a second-hand bookstore with many interesting old books, as well as some postcards and the like for sale.
The food and drinks are tasty, and they offer brunch and food available all day, with plenty of seating available.
There are a few tables that are not suitable for studying but are quite interesting. The other tables are suitable for studying.
Sappho Books, Cafe and Wine Bar – 51 Glebe Point Road, Glebe NSW
Phone: (02) 9552 4498
Website: sapphobooks.com.au
Cafe Bookstore
On the way to Gould Book Arcade bookstore, we were attracted by a bicycle on the roadside, which turned out to be a coffee shop. Upon entering, we found a wall of books that could be freely browsed. The books mainly cover arts and humanities, and there are also Japanese anime by Hayao Miyazaki and many Taschen art books! These second-hand books are the owner’s personal collection.
The staff said that some would be sold, some would be given away, and some were just on display and not for sale. Therefore, whether or not to sell is up to the owner. If you see a book you like, you can ask the owner!
Cafe Bookstore – 632 King St, Newtown NSW 2042
Bubble Nini Cafe
This one is not really a bookstore but it is one of the new trendy coffee shops in Zealand and it’s really worth recommending! We passed by and bought a cup of coffee. The decoration is perfect for taking photos, We really love the arched entrance and the orange Morandi colour on the wall! The design of the suspended bookshelf inside is also super cool. They also have small desserts in the shop!
Bubble Nini Cafe – 10 Ebsworth St, Zetland NSW 2017
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