Waterstones

This is definitely the most beautiful Waterstone’s I’ve ever seen. I had a great time browsing the photo and knitting books — and the selection for both was very generous.

This is definitely the most beautiful Waterstone’s I’ve ever seen. I had a great time browsing the photo and knitting books — and the selection for both was very generous. My husband would tell you that I spent too long, and for that he did not appreciate this Waterstone’s. He would also want me to tell you that the coffee shop during our visit did not do well at keeping up the toilet, and he appreciated the store’s proximity to ULU. (Caveat emptor?)

I’ve been coming here as a kid, it’s always been a perfect retreat to fade into the land of books, well stocked so difficult not to find what you are looking for, comfy sofas in quiet strategic locations of the store, good customer loyalty system that enables you to make savings/​buy presents!

Every time I visit Waterstone I find something new. I have spent there lots of hours looking for the right book and every time leaving with at least 4. They are certainly the best!

My local book store. Conveniently located next to the University of London, University College London, SOAS, Birkbeck and many more, this book store serves mainly students.
Next to the normal range of books on cooking, DIY etc., this store has a huge range of academic books in stock at all times. You can find books on almost every subject here, ranging from politics to medical studies.
Additionally, the Waterstone’s also has an in house Costa Coffee on the lower ground floor and a Ryman’s on the same level. You can easily spend an entire day in this store, reading, writing, and also listening to one of the many authors that are coming in for talks and book signings.
Five stars for this all-​around perfect book store!

Oh, how my hours have I spent here while studying in the UCL. And it’s not like I didn’t enjoy it, because I love books and Waterstone’s is the best place to get something new to read. This is the heaven for book lovers as myself.

Love coming here and discovering new titles. Peaceful atmosphere and nice staff.

Everytime I come back to London, this Waterstones is a surefire pitstop. So I live in the US now, and sure, I can get books from amazon super easily, but it’s never the same as walking around in a store, poking around at the tables, and just… the smell of all that paper. It’s one of my favourite things. This store has just bags of character — the recommendations are almost always spot on (except that one time someone recommended I buy A Confederacy of Dunces… never before has a book made me so ANGRY)
Best bookshop in London.

Large building with astronomical collection of books. My girlfriend finally got some old classics that she was looking for long time but could not find it at any other place.

This Waterstone’s has to be the most beautiful bookstore I’ve ever been in. I adventured in here recently in search of coloring books (which are on the top floor in the children’s section if anyone is wondering). They have an awesome selection of second hand, cheap books, and the staff is very helpful. Also, Ryman’s in the basement!

SO you’re sittin in class and thinkin to yourself «I really wanna get the hell outa here and watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall, unrated edition,» right?
Well luckily Birkbeck College is a pebble’s throw from this Waterstone’s, as it virtually sits on campus. I could honestly care less about books (though I have purchased a few here for classes), so the DVD/​music section is where I head every time.
They have INCREDIBLE prices, like even better than HMV. Tons of their DVDs are an astounding 3 pounds. Ya know that Forgetting Sarah Marshall, unrated edition you were daydreaming about in class? Well yeah, 3 pounds yo.
In the end this is an expansive bookstore but it’s got a really impressive media section. They even have a nice selection of vinyl, how rare is that in a chain store? Fun to explore, and with their lights out prices your wallet ain’t gonna bleed.
The bookstore part is a little overwhelming but I’ve never had too much of a problem finding what I need. The used books section upstairs is a bit all over the place and I get lost there every time. Therefore I’ve never bought a used book here because I start crying for my mother as I search endlessly for something that resembles anything I’m looking for.
Waterstone’s is keeping the dream alive for all you readers, so take advantage of a truly legit book store. And get DVDs for when you wanna procrastinate.

I’m spoiled by American mega-​chain bookstores, but this Waterstone’s is still a great little place– well organized books, and a mini-Ryman’s and a Costa’s on the lower floor.
There’s a really great selection of academic books and I’ve discovered you can access UCL wifi in some areas of the store (shh).

Great bookshop, record store
meeting place, venue for talks
by authors: for example in 2011
An Evening with.. .Owen Jones
Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class

Another one of my favourite bookshops. They have a a specialist medical section, including a great section on Epidemiology and Medical Statistics which is where I spend a lot of my time (yes, I admit it, I’m a geek), and you can find most books from the LSHTM reading list in stock.
They have quite a big fiction section as well though and although it’s a little disorganised and hard to find things, due to lots of little cubby holes and secluded parts of rooms, there’s actually a lot here if you have the patience to look.
If you don’t have time, the staff are very helpful, and can quickly tell you if a book is in stock or not. I really like the personal comments that waterstones’ staff write about various books around the store.
I’ve spent many a lunch break in this shop.

While it may not have the most expansive catalogue of available books in comparison to other London bookstores (coughFoyles), because of this Waterstones’ Bloomsbury address, it has a fair selection of academic titles. It has an entire section dedicated to the medical field and it even houses a Ryman the Stationer for the ease and convenience of academic customers.
But what I like most about this Waterstones is its used book selection. Its used book section alone could defect from the main store and become its own used book store. And the prices of the used books are completely reasonable. I once found a hard-​copy edition of Sweet’s _​Anglo-​Saxon Reader_​for £7.
Sweet.
All of this on top of the dark olde-​worlde vibe complete with winding staircases and labyrinthine corridors and nooks that the Waterstones building puts off makes this one of my favourite book stores in which to browse.
And, of course, no good book store would be complete without a café, which this one houses on its lower ground floor. I appreciate this, as it means the noise from the espresso machine cannot be heard throughout the entire facility.
Plus, 3-​for-​2 sales abound in the contemporary areas, as it is Waterstones we’re talking about here.

This is definitely my favourite Waterstones in London. The proximity of the store to UCL University means that they have a wonderful stock of academic books and study aids, amongst the other bookshop standards.
The staff are sensational, and know exactly where every book in the whole store are. They have a particularly amazing philosophy and anthropology section.
The shop is in an old Georgian building, so the stairs are steep and climbing to the top floor can be a bit of a slog for the unfit. This architecture adds to the feel of the shop though, almost as though you’re thumbing through the bookshelves of a posh friend as opposed to a bookshop. They have a good Costa coffee too, so you can grab a take away latte and get stuck into the books.

My favourite waterstones bookstore, set up in an old georgain building. The best feature of this bookstore is the little balcony alcoves where you can browse a book.
The different sections and floors each have a unique extensive collection. The basement has Costa coffee with ample sitting. For the academic and students this is truly a heaven. Even people working in nearby offices tend to drop in for a quick break.

Waterstones, on Gower Street, is certainly a very good book shop as can be expected with it being next to one of the London University campuses. It is housed in a huge, characterful, building and is arranged over several floors.
However, to me it feels somewhat dated in its design, possibly due to the limitations imposed by the building. It feels a bit like stepping back in retail time by about 20 years. If you like exploring the range of books available in such a place this probably doesn’t matter, but to me it felt undesirable to spend too much time in there.
Overall a good book store despite the somewhat dated retail experience.

As a student and knowledge junkie I love book stores. The Gower Street Waterstones although part of a chain does have the feel of an independent. If reports are correct it has the largest saleable collection of academic books in Europe.
The store is huge and they frequently run book clubs and signings. They were recently offering 50% discount on secondhand books and sensational deals on their remainder titles.
There is an onsite Costa Coffee so once you’ve purchased your books you can sit, relax and start reading.
The staff are attentive and helpful and will order you books if they are not in stock. I would class Waterstones Gower Street as one of the best book store in London.

I’m generally not a fan of chain stores, especially chain stores which sell books. The clinical aspect a coorporation brings detracts a great deal from the buying experience; I like the idea of rooting through a mountain of crap in order to find that one elusive beauty. Book stores especially seem to almost need this atmosphere of chaos to be credible.
However, Waterstones on Gower Street, the flagship store of the Waterstones empire, and, therefore, supposedly the belly of the beast, is just annoyingly good. I want to hate it but try as I might I’ve been won over the the excellent choice, service and air-​conditioning.
Gower Street boasts 160,000 volumes along with a willingness to acquire new texts at your behest. Due to its close collaboration with the University of London, this Waterstones has a distinctly academic feel to it and is a great place to come and stock up for the new semester. They periodically offer gatherings and signings involving various authors and last year famously hosted a talk by Professor Stephen Hawking.