We’ve found the best boltholes for all you bookworms.
If, while the rest of the world binge watches Netflix, you like to spend your days and nights racing through the most moving and momentous of tales, then we have a treat for you. This list of lovely bookshops is sure to satisfy the ravenous reader inside you and even provide you with a few picturesque places to put your feet up as you turn the page on a new title.
1. The Winding Stair, Dublin 1
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If you’re a sucker for a story then The Winding Stair is likely to be your favourite on our list of lovely places to bury yourself in a book. Named after a Yeats’ poem, the shop was infamous in the 70’s and 80’s and was frequented by famous artists and writers alike.
After a devastating closure in 2005, The Winding Stair was scooped up and re-established by Elaine Murphy. Now restored to its former glory, its shelves are once again packed with popular fiction, past poetry and everything in between. Find a quiet corner to curl up with your book or pop upstairs to the restaurant and tuck into something tasty. Cosy and charming, it really is a book lover’s paradise. Find it at 40 Lower Ormond Quay.
2. The Gutter Bookshop, Temple Bar
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You know what, Oscar Wilde? Being in the gutter doesn’t seem so bad when it’s Gutter Bookshop. Sitting quietly on Cow’s Lane, this little independent bookshop is sure to charm the very socks off you. Offering an impressive range of reads—loads of which you would struggle to find in larger chain shops—The Gutter Bookshop really is a hidden gem. And considering they host their very own book clubs, this place couldn’t get that much more wholesome! Find it on Cow’s Lane.
3. Hodges and Figgis, Dublin 2
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There was no way Ireland’s oldest bookshop wasn’t going to make the list now, was there? Serving Dublin’s bookworms since 1768, it’s fair to say that this shop is something of a landmark. Apart from its utterly gorgeous exterior, Hodges and Figgis offers shoppers an absolute paradise of publications. Pretty much anything you could hope to get your hands on will be hidden away on one shelf or another. Boasting the largest stock of books relating to Ireland found anywhere in the world, this place is basically a cornerstone of the city’s culture. Find it at 56-58 Dawson Street.
4. The Company of Books, Ranelagh
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Unlike lots of our earlier entries, The Company of Books has not been around since before your grandparents were born. Setting up shop in 2009, this place has quickly become renowned for having well-stocked shelves and rather charming interiors. From Cooper to Coleridge, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for at this little gem. Find it at 96 Ranelagh.
5. Alan Hanna’s Bookshop, Rathmines
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Specialising in Irish Literature, with their very own academic section too, Alan Hanna’s Bookshop is a must for any serious reader. Navigate your way through their absolute mountain of brand new and second hand books and when the whole expedition gets too much for you, sit down and enjoy a quiet cup of tea in their super quaint café. With thousands of books piled up in corners, stacked towering on top of each other and just generally everywhere, this really is a bookworm’s wonderland. Find it at 270 Rathmines Road.
6. Stokes Books, Dublin 2
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Established in 1983 and with a whopping 10,000 books wedged into its shelves, Stokes Books has been proudly stocking people’s pockets for rather a long time. From your €5 paperbacks to your €5,000 leather bounds, this place is ready to fill your day-to-day and collector’s case with wonderful stories. And, if by some freak chance of nature they don’t have what you’re looking for, their extremely helpful staff will be more than happy to assist you as you try to track down whatever it is you want. Find it at 19 Market Arcade, South Great Georges Street.
7. Ulysses Rare Books, Dublin 2
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Well, no prizes for guessing which types of books are being sold here. With rows and rows of first editions and stacks of utterly seminal works piled high, Ulysses bookshop is absolutely teaming with literary giants. Get lost for hours as you explore the endless stories tucked away in hidden corners of this charming establishment and find something undeniably original to take home. Find it at 10 Duke Street.
8. Books Upstairs, Dublin 2
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Supplying great books to discerning readers in Dublin for over four decades, Books Upstairs is a big part of the city’s literary life. Well stocked in the humanities and Irish interest section, alongside your usual poetry, fiction and history choices, the covers you’ll find inside are both classic and cultured. With their very own cosy little café and free poetry readings often on offer too, you might just fall a little bit in love with this place. Find it at 17 D’Olier Street.