Blackwell’s

I find Blackwell’s a very pleasant bookshop; it almost seems classier than the other chain book stores in the city. They have a huge range of non-​fiction, especially in their travel section, which spans such a large area of the wall. They have the perfect books for all the local students & academics with law, business, philosophy, science and literature books etc. all carefully and brilliantly selected.
They also have a fascinating local history section, which is a really nice feature and makes the shop feel like a valuable part of the city; not just part of a cooperate chain. They also have a great selection of DVDs, mostly world cinema and obscure film choices but the staff will happily talk to you about all of them. They have knowledgeable, ‘cultured’ staff who will talk to you about books and films they enjoy
On my way out today I noticed a beautiful selection of Moleskine sketch books, which are hard to find in shops, I will back to pick mine up soon.

If you are a fan of books and love to read then the thing you will love most about this particular branch is the fact they have a coffee house inside the building too! There’s a little café nero, meaning that you can pick up any book in the store and enjoy a relaxing read over a coffee — often you can read a book without buying it, unless they are being particularly strict in which case they might ask you to pay first!
In terms of stock Blackwell’s has pretty much the same range as Waterstones, however they also sell a variety of office supplies making it a handy place to grab some paper, pens, diaries etc. It’s a good little shop with nothing bad to say about it, and the coffee shop is a definite bonus — as well as it’s location on Park Street — so check this book shop out if you fancy a read!

Blackwell’s advertises itself as a real booklover’s bookshop, generally offering a wider range of academic tomes than more mainstream businesses like Waterstones or the (recently extinct in Bristol) Borders.
This particular branch includes a Caffe Nero. I’ve always been a fan of the café/​bookshop combination as there’s nothing quite like leafing through your brand new tomes over a latte or two.
A good selection, peaceful, browse-​for-​hours-​inducing atmosphere and a pervasive aroma of coffee beans make Blackwell’s probably the best chain bookshop in town.

Blackwells is located right at the top of Park Street meaning you might be pretty knackered by the time you get here. Luckily there is a Café Nero inside meaning you can pick up an interesting book and put your feet up with a hot mug of Italy’s best roast.
They have a good selection of books but everything that Waterstones would have too. I like the fact that they seem to have better deals on and it’s a bit more personal than Waterstones. Best bet is to check them both out to compare the prices and deals as it is hard to tell them apart.

Walking around Blackwells you could be forgiven for thinking it was an independent book shop — shelves full of interesting and well chosen titles, knowledgeable staff and a hushed, library volume. If it wasn’t for the über commercial Café Nero on the bottom floor and «buy two titles, get one free» stickers everywhere there would be no clues.
Spread over four levels I could spend hours here, probably much to the annoyance of the staff who are always at hand to recommend, advice and offer assistance. The prices here are on the expensive side, having been spoilt by supermarkets and Amazon, but it’s one of the most enjoyable ways to buy a book in Bristol. Incidentally, this Café Nero is much more enjoyable than it’s equal further up Park Street.

Blackwell’s is, of course, a large chain of bookshops, and to be completely honest where Waterstone’s ends and this begins, I’m not quite sure (right down to the black exterior with a gold logo). As far as chain stores go, though, this one’s a bit different.
It’s set on four levels for starters, which means it has an extensive range. You may want to check the map on the wall before you start, though, as it’s all laid out in sections on different levels. They also sell an extensive range of posters and the like by the entrance, and if you nip up the steps there’s a pleasant café where you can peruse your purchases, which is a nice touch for a bookshop.

This book shop, over four floors, is one of Bristol’s biggest. Yes, I know you can get absolutely every book ever printed on Amazon these days, or close enough. However, it’s still nice to be able to go, say, to the fiction section and discover a title by one of your favourite author. Although not a independent itself, Blackwell’s seems slightly less chain-​y that Borders or Waterstone’s.
Unlike Borders up the road, it feels like a book shop should; slightly hushed and without any bustling around. You can stop and read a book for a few minutes (although there aren’t any seats around, which I think a bookshop should always have a few of) here, and decide if you actually like it.
As is I said, it’s pretty big, which means they’ve got the space for things like a dedicated poetry section. It’s fairly close to the university and the top floor is devoted to law and medical text books (which are horrifically over-​priced by the way, very glad philosophy books are generally pretty cheap). Although if you’ve got a particular book in mind, then it probably will be cheaper just to get it on the net. Blackwell’s is good for browsing and finding something to distract you for the next couple of weeks.