Mary Martin Bookshop And Cafe

This is one of my favorite bookstores in Adelaide. The interior is just beautiful! AND there is a patio area too! A unique spot, it is a converted bookstore/​café in the location of the former Norwood Baptist Church. Before you go thinking dark and dogma, it is an airy, pastel-​colored sanctuary.
And in case you’re wondering, no, this is not named after the Broadway musical performer Mary Martin. Rather, the South Australian-​born Mary Martin who apparently resided not too far from here.
I do echo what one Unilocaler stated about not having tons of inventory. More books is always a good thing. But more than books, other tchotchkes abound should you need to pick up a gift for someone. As a souvenir, I picked up a copy of Blinky Bill.
The café can get rather loud, but I never had a problem finding a seat. You can get gelato here too!

Steeped in history this old Church serves as the digs for this Mary Martin’s. It just so happens that they are around the corner for where its namesake was born in 1915.
It’s perfect for those lazy afternoons due to its charming in store-​café that is perfect to while away the hours with a new book that you’ve just purchased.

This quaint bookshop and café is located in the Heritage-​listed Norwood Baptist Church.
The sun gleans in through the stained glass windows as you browse the rows of books and walk on the polished floorboards.
The high ceiling of the former church, erected in 1869, caps off a heavenly book browsing experience.
Mary Martin’s café is also worth a visit. It’s really nice to sit outside at a table with a parasol by the stone wall, supping decent coffee and eating cake on a fine day.
The bookshop and café is also only a street away from where the writer, artist and independent bookshop pioneer Mary Martin, whom the shop is named after, was born.

At first glance, I hardly noticed that there was a business being run inside this building. I assumed it was a church, and often drove straight passed it without giving it a second thought. Then I noticed the words Mary Martin Bookshop on the exterior, and soon realized «Shit, that’s a bookshop!». I’m constantly pleasanty surprised by the ways in which people transform churches, and this has to be one of the most innovative examples I’ve seen to date.
Like its Rundle Street counterpart, Mary Martin Bookshop on The Parade is a REAL bookstore — it has class, atmosphere, and most of all good books. It takes away the clinical feel of plastic-​wrapped books that you’d find in shops like Borders or Kinokuniya, and reminds its patrons that books were meant to be read.
The interior of the church is something to marvel, and makes the experience even more enriching when you pick up a great piece of literary and can enjoy it in such a classic atmosphere. Perhaps my favourite aspect of this shop is that once you find a book you’d like to buy, you can proceed to sit at the coffee shop annexed to the church and enjoy your book to a nice, hot cup of jo. Now that’s what I call service!

Spooky space. Very echoey not surprisingly, it being an old church and all. MM seems to me more of a quirky café than a book store, there’s usually twenty people dining and only one or two actually browsing. The range is mostly current best sellers and art history with a nice range of giftable books.
While the fiction range is good quality, I think with such a large space they could stock a lot more great literature than what they currently have. The kids range is pretty slim too, with no novels, just picture books. What a great venue though, I would like to use it for parties and perhaps as a secret holiday house. M and M is definitely a cool space to lounge around in, have a foccacia and perhaps, pray.

Possibly the best use of a church in the City of Churches, Mary Martin Bookshop & Café is a perfect mix of literature, culture, good food, and coffee.
Their book range isn’t of a large quantity, but the chosen quality of tomes is immaculate. Everywhere I look I find myself wanting to pick up a book and put it in my basket. I could easily spend hundreds there in a short period of time, half of which could easily be their delicious coffee and sweet treats.
As it was once a church of some description, there is an absolutely gorgeous old church organ at the back of the store. Even if you aren’t a fan of reading or good food, I’d strongly suggest taking a look at the church interior.

If there’s one thing I like as much as literature it’s macarons.
The fact that I can purchase and enjoy BOTH at the same time at Mary Martin Bookshop is a huge selling point. The downside: I often make weird snap purchasing decisions while on a sugar high. Maybe that’s their game… either way, I don’t care. It’s impossible for me to walk into Mary Martin without walking out with at least one volume.
As Sarah mentioned, the building itself is a stunner. Set in an huge, heritage-​listed Baptist church, there’s stained glass and polished floors aplenty, and the whole space has an airy and inviting vibe.
But what really brings me back is the fact that Mary Martin really know their books. All the top tier authors and art house writers are there, a well curated selection of biographies and nonfiction, as well as an awesome collection of children’s and cookbooks.
Which brings us to the café (and the macarons). Serving simple meals, good coffee and cakes, it’s a quiet spot frequented (as far as I can tell) mostly by the purple-​rinse set. But it’s also kid friendly: I recently took my 2 year old niece there and she had a whale of a time bouncing around the padded booth seating.

Mary Martin is the best possible combination of my most favourite things, coffee, books and a quiet and trendy place to read. Although there is another Mary Martin’s in the city, the Norwood version comes complete with coffee shop and a much bigger selection of books which makes it the better choice.
The architecture and décor of the building is beautiful. From the outside it looks like an art gallery or a fancy office and doesn’t look like dumpy or old like most of the libraries around Adelaide. Inside is a very bright, white and modern space dedicated for literature and coffee. The front section is occupied by the café which sells good coffee and a selection of biscuits, cakes and savoury items.
There is none of the usual bookstore vibes that you get from well worn book franchises and there is no one loitering to tell you off for browsing at a book for too long without buying it. Of course you cannot sit down and read a book with your coffee unless you buy it, but you can also feel free to bring your own and still enjoy the reading/​coffee-​ing experience.
For the hardcore reading buffs they also feature appearances by famous authors and also host book launches throughout the year. Makes for a more comfortable and less corporate setting and just may help you to get up close and personal with your favourite author.