The Top 10 Best Bookshops in Berlin

Berlin has some of the best bookstores in the world. As someone who writes about literary travel and who is constantly seeking out the best bookstores in Europe and beyond, that’s really saying something coming from me. 

On my recent visit to Berlin, I had one of the best book shopping sprees I’ve had in a long time. So much so that I refused to even take count of how many I came home with! I loved finding these great bookstores in Prague this summer, but I’ve got to say, Berlin blows Prague out of the water when it comes to English bookstores, both in quality and in price. 

Luckily for me, there are a lot of fantastic English bookstores in Berlin. There are also lots of specialty Berlin bookstores, including dedicated used bookstores, bookstores selling all fantasy and science fiction, and antiquarian bookstores.

So for my fellow traveling book lovers, I won’t gatekeep this info. I’m about to give you a list of the best bookshops in Berlin, especially for English readers. 

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Whenever possible, I recommend buying books at local bookshops or through Bookshop.org, because shopping there puts the profits right into the hands of indie bookstores all over the country.

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Berliner Büchertisch

Gneisenaustraße 7a, 10961 Berlin

I love stumbling upon indie bookshops that I’m not specifically looking for. Before visiting a new city, I do my research so I know where to find the best bookstores. But almost invariably, I come across one or two that were not on my radar at all and that take me completely by surprise (this happened to me a lot in Paris and Athens!).

I had the same experience with Berliner Büchertisch, which I’d name as one of the best bookshops in Berlin.

Berliner Büchertisch is a Berlin bookshop that is a legitimate hidden gem, one I haven’t seen on any other list of Berlin bookstores. I stumbled across it on my way to visit another, more famous bookstore, and I fell instantly in love. 

While this Berlin used bookstore carries primarily German language books (and I am so jealous of German readers who get to browse the entire extensive collection), there is a really browsable selection of used books in English, and not junk or random titles like you sometimes find. I found several books to purchase here in a short amount of time, and best of all, they are sold for the best used book price I found in any Berlin bookstore (talking only 2-5 euros here). 

For other language readers, this Berlin bookshop also carries a decent selection of used books in French and Spanish. 

This Berlin bookstore is old school: there’s no website, no social media. Just pop in and browse for some great book finds. 

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Related: Make sure when you’re in Berlin you make a stop at The Empty Library, the book burning memorial in Bebelplatz.

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Otherland: fantasy bookstore in Berlin

Bergmannstraße 25

Here’s another great find to check out if you are looking for the best Berlin bookstore for fantasy lovers. Otherland is a Berlin bookstore specializing in fantasy, sci-fi, and horror books. They pride themselves on carrying a mixture of genre classics as well as new and experimental, genre-busting books.  

According to Otherland’s website, when they first opened, the English books took up only two shelves. Now, the entire back wall of the bookshop is dedicated to books in English, or roughly 40% of the selection by a quick glance. The majority of the selection of books at Otherland is books in German.

If you are a sci-fi, fantasy, or horror reader, this is one of the best Berlin bookstores you can visit. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, contact the store directly. Their website says they order books weekly, and they are happy to try to track down a title they don’t currently have in stock. 

In this Berlin bookstore, you’ll find primarily new titles, with some used books scattered in disorganized boxes throughout the store, and a lot of unique memorabilia that will appeal to fantasy lovers. 

Otherland is a popular Berlin bookstore amongst locals and usually draws a good local crowd on a Saturday. Make sure to check it out on your next visit to Berlin.

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Related: Headed to Frankfurt? Read all about how to maximize a visit to the Gutenberg Museum, all about the invention of the printing press and the history of book printing.

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Antiquariat Die Geisterschmiede

Prenzlauer Allee 198, 10405 Berlin

Antiquariat Die Geisterschmiede makes it onto this list of the best Berlin bookstores for aesthetics moreso than top notch book browsing.

Take a peek in this gorgeous Berlin bookshop and, if you’re feeling brave and not at all claustrophobic, walk through the narrow aisle between rows of precariously stacked books (try not to send them toppling over!). When I stopped by, the place seemed to be at capacity (not hard to be, with so little room for people and so much room given to the books), but I enjoyed a visual feast just by gazing in from the sidewalk. 

I’m not entirely sure how this Berlin bookstore can make enough money to keep operating, but I hope they do, because it is pure art. Reviewers on Google recommend against looking for books on your own, but rather consulting the shop owner and letting him do the book digging for you. That’s probably wise. 

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Another Country Berlin Bookshop

Riemannstraße 7, 10961 Berlin

Lonely Planet named Another Country one of the top ten bookshops in the world, and one visit is enough to see why. Without doubt, Another Country is one of the best bookshops in Berlin. It’s visually appealing, with high ceilings, shelves packed full of books, and lots of cozy elements, like an eclectic assortment of chairs and couches for you to sit and peruse your book finds.

At Another Country, book shoppers can browse a selection of twenty thousand used English books, making it one of the best places to find English books in Berlin. But what makes this English bookstore unique from the others in Berlin is that it operates in part as a library. That is, at Another Country, you can purchase a book, and after you’ve read it, bring it back to get your money back, minus a 2 euro fee. 

The clerk at Another Country informed me that this policy has no expiration, so even if you’re just moving through Berlin in your travels, should you happen to make your way back 10 or 20 years from now, you can still return your book to their store. Some of the books in the shop are available as library books only.

Another Country has lots of fun and creative book categorizations. Finding uniquely categorized bookstores is one of the delights of shopping in an indie bookstore, and Another Country doesn’t disappoint. I even found a category of books labeled, “White guys trying to be funny” (honestly, this could have been an even larger section). 

Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are available for purchase here. You’ll find them in the “drinks fridge” midway through the shop. Another Country also hosts social events, film nights, and book readings. There’s an English film club that meets at the bookshop every Tuesday night and a dinner club that meets on Fridays.

This Berlin bookstore is cash only (this is not uncommon in Germany, which is still very cash-based)

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The Berlin Book Nook: used English books

Pflügerstraße 63

The Berlin Book Nook is a bookstore selling used English books in the trendy Kreuzberg neighborhood of Berlin. It fits right in in the eclectic, artsy neighborhood surrounded by vintage stores, music shops, and art galleries. 

In this cute indie bookshop you can browse through two rooms containing a total of about 6,000 English language books. It’s not the largest selection of the Berlin bookstores on this list, but it’s wonderfully curated with lots of books I don’t often find in other bookshops. I was able to fill in a lot of holes in my book collection at the Berlin Book Nook.

When you’ve visited enough bookstores, you start to see the same books over and over, and you realize how hard it can be to find lesser-known works of classic authors. For example, it’s quite common to find Jude the Obscure and The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy, but it’s much harder to find copies of Under the Greenwood Tree or The Hand of Ethelberta. The Berlin Book Nook is the place to find those lesser-known titles, in great second-hand condition.

The Berlin Book Nook is in an unassuming location next to a beauty salon. There’s no large sign for the shop, and it’s easy to walk past. I was intentionally searching for it, and I still somehow managed to walk by it without realizing it.

These secondhand books are well-priced, between 4-8 euros for paperbacks. This Berlin bookshop takes card payments, but bring your own bag to carry your purchases, because none are available here.

This Berlin bookstore has a loyal following of customers from all over Europe who come to find hard-to-find books and good conversation with the friendly owners. I even met an enthusiastic shopper from New York who said he always makes a point to visit the Berlin Book Nook, that it’s unlike any bookstore in the world. 

The Berlin Book Nook also offers private German lessons, if you live in the area and want to improve your language skills.  They also sometimes buy used books to sell on commission. 

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Curious Fox

Lausitzer Pl. 17

Curious Fox is unarguably one of the coolest bookstores in Berlin. The exterior is covered in graffiti, and you may walk by it without even realizing it’s a bookstore, especially since the bookshop is partially underground. (Watch your head on the descent; anyone taller than 5’4” is going to need to duck to get in).

Inside the Curious Fox, you’ll find floor-to-ceiling, colorful bookshelves divided into various rooms by stone archways. Used fiction titles are in the front, followed by lots of your standard genres, like poetry, philosophy, crime, mystery further into the bookstore. 

I was surprised to see a couple sizable sections of books of Irish interest. As it turns out, the owners are Irish. They also said they kept getting Irish interest books sold to them, so it just made sense to give it a section. Go figure. So here’s your insider secret: Curious Fox is THE place to find Irish books in Berlin. 

In the very back room, you’ll find a great selection of English kids’ books for sale, complete with kid-sized chairs for them to sit and explore their finds. 

Used books are well-priced at the Curious Fox, most of them between 4-7 euros. This indie Berlin bookshop also carries locally-designed greeting cards.

Travel tip: Curious Fox is located directly in front of a great playground, so if you brought your kids, you can strike a deal for a certain amount of time to play for a certain amount of time to browse books. 

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Shakespeare & Sons Fine Bagels & Bookstore

Warschauer Str. 74

I have to say that when I found out that Shakespeare & Sons in Berlin sells both books AND bagels, I already knew it had to be one of the best bookshops in Berlin. I wasn’t let down. 

I visited the original Shakespeare and Sons in Prague earlier this summer and then had the pleasure of visiting this second location in Berlin, opened in 2011. 

Shakespeare & Sons is half bookstore, half bagel/coffee shop. They make all of their New York-style bagels on site, and with care: hand-rolled, risen cold, boiled sweet, baked hot, and toasted. If you’ve never had a great bagel and aren’t sure what could possibly be so great about this, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to one at Shakespeare and Sons Fine Bagels in Berlin. You can order it with an assortment of cream cheese flavors, or with other toppings like eggs, lox, and avocado. 

Now, let’s talk about the books in this Berlin bookstore. Shakespeare and Sons: Berlin sells primarily new books priced near MSRP, but there are two bookshelves’ worth of used books here as well. Genres you’ll find on their shelves include German books in translation, mystery/crime, fantasy, essays, biography, classics, and more. 

This indie bookstore is the perfect place for breakfast or lunch in Berlin, though you should anticipate a decent line for bagels. 

You can order books online from Shakespeare and Sons’ Berlin location to pick up in store. Gift wrapping is also available. This is also a Berlin bookstore that will buy your used English books, praying between €0.50-€2.00 per book, or more for in-store credit. 

Related: Shakespeare and Sons is a popular bookstore name! I’ve visited bookstores by this same name in Prague and the closely named Shakespeare and Company in Paris! 

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Saint George’s English Bookshop

Wörther Str. 27

Saint George’s English Bookshop is an excellent bookstore for finding English books in Berlin. They claim to have the largest selection of new and used English books in Berlin and may have one of the most extensive selections in all of Germany.

Entering Saint George’s English Bookstore in Berlin, you are immediately at home. It’s spacious and has a great feel, with high ceilings, intricate crown molding, rustic wood floors, and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves complete with book ladders.

This Berlin bookstore sells mostly secondhand books but some new. Books are well priced,  between 4-8 euros for a used hardcover book based on my personal browsing. 

Saint George’s is one of the best bookshops in Berlin for finding German literature in English translation. There’s also a great section of Berlin fiction. Whenever I visit an indie bookstore in a new location, I look for a section like this: books by local authors, or books very specific to that location. It’s a huge help when getting to know the local culture and one of my best sources for finding books set in a certain location (for example, check out my recommendations for the Best Books set in Italy). 

Plus, I’m always guaranteed to find books in sections like this that I can’t find on internet lists or blog posts. 

Saint George’s is also a place where you can sell used English books; they buy back their own books at half price for store credit and buy other books for cash or credit. If you live in Germany, the shipping rates are also really reasonable.

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Ocelot, Not Just Another Bookstore

Fountain street 181

Ocelot, Not Just Another Bookstore claims to be not just a bookstore, but “literary brokers,” on a mission to match the right book with the right person. Their Reading World magazine aims to help you sift through the endless selection of books in the world to find one you will love. 

This Berlin bookshop sells all new titles, mostly in German but with a decently sized English section. The book selection skews toward contemporary fiction. You’ll also find a good selection of German authors in translation.

Ocelot, Berlin, is also a bookstore café. You can purchase typical tea and coffee beverages here as well as light snacks typical to a coffee shop. Also, it will benefit you to come prepared: they encourage customers to use their own reusable coffee cups, and charge a 1 euro cup deposit to use one of theirs.

You can also order from this indie bookstore online. 

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do you read me?!

Auguststraße 28

This one-room Berlin bookstore is for the reader with an appreciation of the visual arts. do you read me?! carries a stock of German and English language books, mainly focusing on visual arts: architecture, fashion, art, and other coffee table type books. 

do you read me?! in Berlin is worth a cursory browse if you’re a book lover of all sorts, and a deeper dive if you’re into any of these genres or looking for a beautiful book to inspire you. You’ll also find magazines here in German and English, such as The Happy Reader, my personal favorite find. 

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Finding Accommodations in Berlin

Berlin is a sprawling city. It’s not compact and walkable like many other European cities. So keep that in mind when looking for hotels or rentals in Berlin. You’ll want to map out the locations of your top priorities, and make sure that your accommodations are located on an easy public transportation line.

If you’re looking for privately owned vacation rentals, I recommend checking VRBO. I’ve personally had much better experiences with their owners and rentals than I have with their primary competitor.

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That concludes this list of the top 10 best Berlin bookstores. Have you been wondering, is Berlin worth visiting? I’d say for book lovers, it is a resounding yes!

Don’t forget to pin this post to reference when planning your trip to Berlin.