TOP 10: Best bookstores

An ideal combination of a café and a bookstore. Wrzenie Świata specializes in non-fiction. It is run by the creators of the Dowody Istnienia Publishing House – Mariusz Szczygieł and Wojciech Tochman. You can often see here reporters absorbed in a book.

We have no idea if size matters but it turns out the smaller the bookshop is, the better. This Bęc Zmiana’s tiny place is filled to the top with books, albums, magazines on art, architecture and design. You can see here an exhibition and buy a designer gift.

A new spot on the Warsaw map run by the founders of the Big Book Festival. It is also a combination of a cosy café and a bookshop. A common room in Mokotów. Check out for updates because many interesting literary events take place here.

An ideal place filled with culture. Additionally, with a fine bistro located on the premises where after the shopping, you can immediately start reading what you purchased. There is also a shelf with books recommended by the actors from Nowy Teatr.

It is worth visiting the right bank of the river because it is probably one of the best antiquarian bookshops in town (visitors have inflated criteria so we don’t want to risk). For sure it is the biggest. There are two adjoining labyrinths with books, newspapers, oldprints, photographs, postcards, knick-knacks and a wide choice of vinyls (new and vintage). You will get there by tram route 22, Kickiego tramstop.

A bookshop from a fairytale or “You’ve got mail” movie. Located in Powiśle, with an exemplary selection of books for kids and teenagers, not only those published by Dwie Siostry. You can sit here and drink coffee. The book sellers are extremely helpful so you will not leave empty-handed. It also offers workshops for kids.

Bookoff has many locations but we recommend the one in Pańska Street at the MoMA with beautiful interior design by Projekt Praga (photo above). Low key exhibitions are showcased in the adjoining space and you can drink coffee in the DOM cafe. Mostly publications on art, architecture and design.

A cameral bookstore located in the heart of Warsaw. Perfect service, unique atmosphere and a fine selection of books and albums. Many English language publications so we highly recommend this place to tourists.

Tajfuny is an exceptional place, not only because of the fact that it is the only bookshop in Warsaw specialising in Japanese literature but most of all that it is run by girls who have the power of a typhoon (in a good sense, not destructive for sure). Karolina Bednarz and Anna Wołcyrz (photo above) graduated from the Faculty of Japanese Philology (Karolina in Oxford, Anna in Poznań). They read Japanese and English fluently and they are experts in modern Japanese literature. They visit Japan as frequently as possible in a search of new inspirations. 

They call themselves “the first café and bookstore for cityholics”. And indeed books on towns are dominant here. However, there is also a first floor with books and play zone dedicated to kids. Drop by when visiting the nearby Polin museum.