5 Best Bookstores in Sydney (2026)

Books Kinokuniya Sydney is the Japanese bookstore chain's flagship Australian location, stocking over 300,000 titles in English, Japanese, Chinese, French, and German according to its own site. Reviewers describe clearly labelled genre sections, a dedicated information counter that can special-order titles, and a manga and comics range large enough to draw repeat browsing. It has been operating in Sydney since 2002 and is now expanding to Melbourne.

Dymocks Sydney is the flagship store of Australia's long-running Dymocks chain, spread across two levels on George Street with an attached cafe, gift shop, and stationery section. Reviewers describe a wide general range with staff recommendation notes placed directly on the shelves, plus staff in identifiable black aprons available to help. It sits just behind Kinokuniya on review volume, within a few blocks of it.

Sappho Books, Cafe & Bar is a Glebe institution combining a secondhand bookshop with a cafe by day and a wine bar with live music by night. Reviewers consistently mention the combination of browsing, a quiet courtyard, and a resident cat as what sets it apart from a standard bookstore. It also runs a book club, giving it a genuine community role beyond selling books.

Abbey's Bookshop is an independent store on York Street with a reputation, per its reviewers, for careful curation rather than sheer volume. Reviews single out its history, politics, and classics sections as particularly deep, alongside a staff known for personal recommendations rather than just directions. One reviewer describes shopping there for over 25 years, a sign of long-standing local loyalty.

Berkelouw Paddington is a multi-level bookshop on Oxford Street that has operated since 1994, mixing new and secondhand titles with a cafe upstairs. Reviewers highlight its architecture and design section as unexpectedly deep, and several mention the cosy upstairs cafe as a genuine reason to linger rather than just browse and leave. It is part of the wider Berkelouw network, which also deals in rare books.