Daunt Books – Independent Bookshop Delight

Browsing in bookshops is definitely one of my preferred ways to while away a couple of spare hours on the weekend. Well, along with greasy-spoon fry-ups and drinking gin (not at the same time, you understand), anyway. Thankfully nowadays bookshop time is spent blissfully ambling around; as opposed to the frantic stockpiling of Critical Theory and Renaissance poetry that was my university years. One of my favourite places for this favourite activity is Daunt Books, an independent bookshop on Marylebone High Street just north of Oxford Street.

Fitting in perfectly on this quaint, pretty high street the shop has an attractive dark green and oak frontage with enticing window displays. Through the door, the full beauty of the Edwardian design is revealed, with polished dark wood shelves and floors, arched stained-glass windows and huge skylights. Many of the shelves are also covered in fabric with William Morris print which adds to the opulent feel.

At the front of the shop, books are organised by section, as usual. What I love though is that through the back into the large main rooms, books are then ordered by country. So you have travels guides and maps, classics and modern fiction all sitting together; perfect for some literary inspiration for your next trip. The ground floor houses books for Europe, downstairs ‘the Rest of the World’ and the beautiful gallery upstairs is for England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

For your browsing delight, there are also four other Daunt bookshops created in a similar style in Chelsea, Holland Park, Hampstead and Belsize Park.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Daunt Books | Art & culture, Shopping
83 Marylebone High Street | Central
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 19:30. Sun 11:00 – 18:00