Where to Find Sydney's Best Bookshops for 2024

Title Barangaroo, along with its mothership store in Surry Hills, is where quality reigns supreme. Not about what’s new, but what’s good, as its slogan goes, the Sydney bookshop avoids the trends. Here, you’ll find a massive collection of art books, ranging in topics from architecture and interior design to fashion to photography, as well as the usual suspects, including fiction, literary fiction, non-fiction, mystery, sci fi and the like. Find joy in sifting through the many titles available, then bounce over to the film and music sections. Pan through new vinyl and feel nostalgia over scanning the DVDs for your favourite flick.

Since 1996, Better Read Than Dead has provided a quiet, booked-line haven on Newtown’s hectic King Street. Students, locals, thinkers and drifters come in here to get lost among the floor-to-ceiling shelves. Spend as long as you like wandering around one of Sydney’s best bookshops, without feeling pressured to make a decision. The diverse collection will definitely keep you going, spanning everything from fiction and poetry; law and medicine; and sport to cooking. Head to the landing if you’re craving a culinary read — the space is entirely dedicated to food-themed books including cookbooks, memoirs and biographies. The section also comes with a side of travel books, if you’re after something to inspire some wanderlust.

Image: James Horan via Destination NSW.

Named after Australian writer Frank Moorhouse’s 1993 novel, Grand Days is a paean to Sydney’s bohemian years. An afternoon spent at this fabulous Sydney bookstore is one spent on an unpredictable adventure — through everything from classic and contemporary fiction to art, music and film to history, science and architecture. Interspersed among the titles are vintage dresses, secondhand shoes, hats, bags and jewellery if you’re after a new outfit to wear while reading your new book. Meanwhile, in the backroom, you’ll discover a space devoted to vinyl — where you’re welcome to spin a record or two. Pick up your new read and, while you’re at it, a new record to listen to while curled up with your book. Wholesome weekend, sorted.

Image: Kitti Gould.

The Berkelouw story begins more than 200 years ago, on the other side of the world. In 1812, in Rotterdam, Holland, Solomon Berkelouw started selling theology books on Rotterdam Quay. Six generations later, his ancestors are still in the book trade, with bookshops all over Australia. The Paddington branch, opened in 1994, gives you three floors of books to explore — both new and secondhand. And if you’re struggling to decide on a book, the staff is more than happy to provide some recommendations and reviews. Once you’ve found your read, there’s no need to leave right away. Head to the cafe on level two overlooking Oxford Street to sip a coffee while leafing through your new purchase.

Image: Destination NSW.

Sydney’s Sappho isn’t just a bookshop. It’s a cafe, tapas bar and general hideaway, where you can get cosy with your new read for hours. The collection is all secondhand, so you never know what you might find, from first editions and hard-to-find titles to a near-new copy of a recent bestseller. Once you’ve uncovered your next read, head out to the courtyard for coffee, cake and a nice, long reading session in the sun. Come evening, the space transforms into a tapas bar, which frequently hosts open mics, poetry readings and live music. It also makes for a great spot to sip a glass of vino while you dive even further into your story.

Image: Daniel Boud via Destination NSW.

Established in 1985 in Paddington, Ariel Booksellers is one of Sydney’s oldest independent bookshops. Following a stint in The Rocks, the store has now settled in Darlinghurst right on Oxford Street. The shop is perhaps best known for its excellent collection of books covering art, design and architecture — including a bunch perfect for the coffee table. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you’re looking for poetry, plays, film history or literature, you’ll find it all here, too. Check out the shelves featuring the store’s recommended reads if you’re stumped on what to pick up next. Or browse through the tables piled with new releases, cheeky self help-style books and off-beat titles.

Image: Destination NSW.

Readers of the lower north shore have been gathering at The Constant Reader since it opened way back in 1979. On top of being one of Sydney’s oldest independent bookshops, it’s also one of the biggest. Lose yourself in more than 238 square metres — crowded with fiction, biographies, art, design, cooking, crime, sport, travel and more. The Sydney bookshop also runs frequent author talks, so you can find your new read while meeting its creator all at the same time. Plus, its Facebook page is constantly being updated with info on new releases, award-winners and general inspiration for the books to add to your list.

Sporting a name that pays homage to Irish playwright and poet Oscar Wilde, this is a great spot to hit up when you’re looking for a fresh read to get absorbed in while the weather is cooler. Browse through the brightly lit bookshop and marvel at the huge shelf that takes up the entire back wall. The Sydney bookstore beholds an extensive collection of cookbooks, a huge fiction section and hot-off-the-press new releases.

Image: Arvin Prem Kumar

Every neighbourhood needs a great local bookstore — one where browsing is encouraged, where staff members are generous with their personal recommendations, and it’s almost impossible to leave empty-handed. Hill of Content is one of those places. From award-winning literary fiction to children’s books and gorgeous new hardcover additions to your finest coffee table tomes, somewhere among the rows of merchandise you’ll find a winning pick. It’s also a gift shopper’s sanctuary with jigsaw puzzles, games, and literary-themed knick-knacks to choose from.

Images: Arvin Prem Kumar

According to its owners, Potts Point Bookshop is found in the ‘Paris-end’ of the inner-city suburb. The beautiful independent Sydney bookstore certainly makes you feel like you’ve entered a European pocket of Sydney, with its light-filled space and stacks upon stacks of fiction and non-fiction to gaze over. The shop is filled with books of all kinds, from an impressive list of art and design prints to political memoirs and the latest paperbacks. The sheer volume here requires a dedicated team of experts, and you’re in good hands as 2020’s ABA Penguin Random House Young Bookseller of the Year, Simon McDonald, is here to guide you through whatever page-turner you’re after. Between them, the store’s staff has 50 years of bookselling expertise to share. It also hosts author talks and readings from time to time.

Images: Kitti Gould

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld once said that “a bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking”. Gleebooks on Glebe Point Road, the original of a small forty-year franchise with stores also in Dulwich Hill and Blackheath, captures the serious and delightful business of buying a new book in an elegant well-tended store. It’s right next door to second-hand book shop Sappho, so visit back-to-back. Apart from selling books, Gleebooks also holds various talks, events and book launches which take place in an upstairs room. Forget “that new car smell”, it’s the scent of freshly printed pages that truly piques your interest.

Images: Kieran Gilfeather