Daunt Books

I’ve seen pictures of this library in magazines and guides, but actually being here last Sunday was pretty amazing. One of those places where time stood still, and you wish your own time would stand still to be able to see everything and walk in every single corner. It’s one of those venue that make you feel very small… and I loved that.
2 things that really stood out during my short visit here: 1) The super welcoming staff 2) Their gigantic travel collection… which made me think it’s their domain of expertise. Planning you next travel around the world? Surely Daunt Books have everything you’re looking for. A must-​go if you’re in the area.

This is like a world encyclopaedia of books on every and I mean EVERY country you could travel too. This is awesome for someone like me. One to unwind an hour and read over and one to actually look over some great travel books that really seem dedicated to the art of global leisure.

I wandered unknowingly into a magical place! This bookstore sells a wide array of books, but also makes you feel as though you’re in another world. It’s special. The wooden interior and creaky floors make you want to stay a while and explore. And you’ll notice that when you wander back, there’s a downstairs that’s very intriguing! Additionally, there is a narrow staircase leading upstairs to even more books and allows you to look over the entire store. It’s a beautiful place. The staff is friendly as well.

Very helpful, attentive staff. They ordered a book in for me and it arrived in just over 24 hours. The interior has lovely appeal and the books are arranged by region/​country, which I enjoy.

This is one of the best book stores in London as far as I can tell. You can literally (pun intended ;)) spend a whole day long there wondering and sampling the books on display. Not to mention their huge collection of the travel books, guides, history books, etc.
The place in Marylebone High Street is a very convenient space with a lot of room for nerdy bookworms like me :)

Since moving to London I have rather fallen in love with my neighborhood, ok so I live on Marylebone High Street so its perhaps not a surprise that this would happen.
One of Marylebones institutions is Daunt Books, roughly split over three levels, once you wandered right the way through this is a book shop from a time now lost. With both on just about anything its easy to get lost in a section perusing the books. For me my recent found adoration for 19^th century Russian authors has been well fed here and if you are ever unsure about anything the staff are attentive and knowledgeable.
If you need a book and nobody else can help you… maybe you can find Daunt books :)!

This beautiful Edwardian bookshop in the middle of Marylebone High Street is full of style and substance. Gorgeous wood interiors and skylights, excellent book selection, helpful & friendly staff, and a wonderful shelving system that encourages browsing, serendipity, and discovery.
I adore the way they organise travel books in groupings with non-​traditional travel titles. In those groupings you’ll find not just the box standard Lonely Planet guides, but also works on the particular region’s food, literature, folk cultures, art, novels, you name it, it is probably there.
A wonderful place to visit when you want to feel that moment of elation and excitement when you come across a «book in the wild» that you weren’t searching for, but non-​the-​less needs to come home with you right then and there.

I just love old fashioned book shops and this place really hits the nail on the head. The selection is wide and yet it maintains a really old fashioned vibe.
The travel section (which was my target for the day) made me want to travel everywhere and had relevant novels as well as traditional travel books.
I’ll be coming here again for some peaceful browsing. If they had a couple of comfy arm chairs and coffees on order, I’d never leave.

Spent at least an hour in here browsing books one rainy August Saturday afternoon. If you fancy visiting a book shop that’s a little bit different, try this. Beautiful interior design makes you feel like you’re in a traditional library rather than a shop. Great selection of books & especially travel book section at the back which also includes a selection of novels (alongside travel guides) per country.

Beautiful but a bit pricey.

Is this the best book shop in London?
A beautiful building with a great selection and editorial picks. Haven’t been disappointed so far whenever I have plumped for one of their recommendations.
A great way to spend an afternoon.

Die schönste Buchhandlung, die ich je betreten habe. Die eingebaute Galerie erinnert an eine kleine schnuckelige Bibliothek. Es stehen auch einige Sitzgelegenheiten bereit — schmöckern scheint bei Daunt Books erlaubt und die Freundlichkeit der Angestellten hat schon Seltenheitswert in London.
Die Reiseführer sind in Großbritannien im Vergleich zu ihren deutschen Kollegen aber viel größer und schwerer — ganz gleich ob Lonely Planet, The Rough Guide, Dorling Kindersley, … unseren Baedeker habe ich erst gar nicht wiedererkannt wegen seinem ungewohnten Riesenformat. Die Briten reisen wohl gerne mit Übergepäck ;oD??!

We got recommendation for coming here for a textbook for our class at LBS. I found this bookstore to have quite an extensive selection of books as well as good atmosphere. Albeit, they did not have the book we were searching for. But still, it seems that this is the local place to get books based on local opinions and recommendations. I would recommend swinging by just to get a nostalgic feel of older bookstores. The front clerk is also very friendly and can help you locate the book you want faster.

One of my favorite bookstores in the world. I travel a lot and I love how this bookstore organizes books by country and city. You can find novels, photo books, even poetry and vintage books. Their general fiction and children’s areas are also treasure troves.

Their travel section really is impressive, and I love that they had an entire shelf dedicated to special designer reprints of classic books, which I had discovered previously in various design blogs. I mean, if you’re going to buy the classics anyway, it’s even better if they look fabulous on your bookshelf right? Right. There were also chairs littered about for your reading pleasure, and a good selection of modern fiction.

Looking to pick up a parcel for the husband on my trip to London, I popped in here to see what I could get him. I wasn’t expecting such a beautiful bookshop to be honest, I was really blown away. This is a very old-​school kind of bookshop I haven’t seen in years — but don’t think that I mean old and run down, I mean classy and a real flair for shelf arrangement that makes you feel like buying everything your eyes spot.
I wandered around the shop for a good 15 minutes before discovering the downstairs travel section which I had a quick peek at. I loved how everything was organised by country and there was more people than I expected browsing some seriously obscure countries.
I picked up Lucky Peach magazine here which I hadn’t seen before — it is a real treat. The staff were friendly and helpful, and I would love to have a bookshop like this nearby to visit more often!
Note: I didn’t get my husband a present here. Woops. I got too distracted!

Probably my favourite bookstore ever (maybe second to my childhood corner manga stand that has disappeared many years ago, mmm hard to decide).
It’s «designed for travelers who like reading» (raising my hand eagerly). Famous for it’s travel book collection, but definitely a gem for literature books as well.
Their travel books are way beyond just travel guides, although there are many of them for sure. Categorized by country and region, you can find books on: history, arts, food, culture, film, literature, and many more topics of the region. It’s absolutely fascinating.
My favourite is the London literature section near the entrance. Very tasteful selection and it’s a pleasure just to read a few paragraph while you browse (and I always end up buying, which is rare because I usually buy books online, but I just can’t resist).
The interior is beautiful. Classic wooden counters, wooden floors, shelves and tables of book organized nicely, bright natural lighting, reading tables and chairs at the back, every time I passed by I had to make a stop there (and it usually turns out longer than I planned). Staff are helpful and friendly, and they also have cute stationaries for sale all around the store (my fav is cards of book illustrations).
I love the convenience of Amazon but bookstores like this just cannot be replaced. And they should never be.

I love a bit of bookshelf porn. The bookshelves here are awesome. The structure and the steep staircase. The wood. The shaft of light down the middle. Just beautiful. I need something like this in my fantasy house in the clouds.
I needed to get a gift for a friend and just landed up here as the closest bookshop from work which had the book I was looking for. I was so shocked/​surprised I hung around for more than an hour late into the day just taking it in.
I think I’d give it a 5 if I had gone back a second time. But haven’t got round to it yet.

When I grow up I want to be the owner of the Daunt Books on Marylebone High Street. Just this one, though. They can keep the rest. For this one is the thing of fairies and magic and unicorns. And all things shiny and glittery.
Let’s be honest; only on one of the poshest high streets in London could an independent bookshop specializing in travel books survive these dismal economic times. It’s a unique space and is rewarded as such. It’s nice to have a place where in-​the-​know tourists can experience this one-​of-​kind bookshop, while not disturbing the more regular clientele.
There are few things I love more than spending a sunny afternoon perusing the London/​England/​Scotland/​Ireland cat walk in the airy, two-​story, solarium-​style travel room. Two (very minor) gripes, however… 1) They should demand that I return some of their canvas bags. 2) The cookbooks are seriously overpriced.
One last thing: does Daunt remind anyone else of the bookshop in Funny Face where Fred Astaire discovers Audrey Hepburn? Like I said before: magic, et al.

Not a WH Smith or a Borders, this is a real bookshop. Loaded with all sorts of eclectic and one-​off items, all neatly displayed on tables and on shelves. Prices are generally at cover price, but that’s okay because you’ll be hard pressed to find these anywhere else.
I liked the organizational system that they had laid out and if you’re looking for something specific and can’t find it, the staff is more than happy to help. Try that at Amazon or WH Smith!
I picked up two books that I never knew that I really wanted until I saw them here — Simon Pegg’s autobiography «Nerd Do Well» and a history of the Great Western Railway (the one that goes from Paddington to Reading).

I object. The organization of Daunt Books rubs me the wrong way. Books are sorted largely by country. So far, fine. But Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden? Japan. Carlos Ruiz Zafon? Spain is accurate, but he is also an author of literature. Same with Haruki Murakami — he does not write guidebooks of Tokyo, he writes awesome novels. I dislike that authors from non-​US non-​UK countries are classified by country of origin as if their writing would only appeal to people of non-​European descent.
Otherwise, though, Daunt has a nice set-​up, with large floors filled with books. The selection of (European and American) literature is very good and well-​edited. I picked up a signed copy of Jonathan Franzen’s new novel, though interestingly, the cashier expressed doubts as to its authenticity despite aggressive advertisement of signed copies on the part of the bookstore.
If I lived in the area, I suppose I would browse Daunt now and then despite my fundamental objection. It is a pleasant bookstore, so if you have no problem with perceived insults to beloved foreign authors, you should probably check it out.