Dublin – in fact, Ireland as a whole – has a rich literary history. So much so that we use two of our 20 galleries at EPIC to just discuss storytelling through our diaspora, whether it be through novelists, playwrights, poets, comedians, actors, you name it. It’s only natural that a city that has fostered and inspired so much literature would have so many bookshops to visit, all with their own unique quirks and crannies.
From stores spanning several floors, and around for several decades, to cosy nooks budding with the most beautiful Penguin classics, second-hand treasure troves with books stacked in the dozens, to airy bright shops absolutely stuffed with the newest best-sellers, these are the best independent bookshops that Dublin has to offer.
1. The Winding Stair
Location: Lower Ormond Quay
The Winding Stair bookshop, named after a WB Yeats’ poem, is one of the longest surviving independent bookshops in Dublin, selling both new fiction and second-hand books, and has a lovely restaurant upstairs if you fancy getting stuck into your new purchase. The Winding Stair prides themselves on their unique collection, selling niche books that you’re not likely to find everywhere else, as well as a selection of literary magazines. They also regularly host book launches if you love getting your novels signed by the author.
Plus with a view of the Liffey and the iconic Ha’penny Bridge, which you can enjoy from their upstairs restaurant, you’d be forgiven for spending a couple hours in this gorgeous location.
More info here.
2. Chapters
Location: Parnell Street
It was touch and go in 2022 when Chapters revealed they were closing down. An institution of Irish literature, I was naturally reluctant to see it go, but over the moon to learn they had been taken over by new owners and would resume serving the Irish people their literary needs once more.
A home to books both new and old, any bookworm in the city no doubt has spent an inconceivable amount of time browsing the shelves. Now with the new café upstairs, it would be easy to spend a whole day in there.
Chapters also has a café and a garden centre to explore – making it a triple threat.
More info here.
3. The Secret Book and Record Store
Location: Wicklow Steet
The term “hidden gem” gets thrown around a lot in this city, so much so that it’s a little bit of a parody at this point. Nevertheless, some truly great spots remain off the beaten path, places you’d almost miss entirely if you didn’t know where to look. The Secret Bookstore is one such spot, narrowly tucked away between Nourish and L’occitane on Wicklow Street. They sell tons of new books, as well as secondhand, a location you’d happily get lost in on purpose, and I have on more than one occasion.
More info here.
4. The Last Bookshop
Location: Camden Street
The Last Bookshop is an ideal location to browse for books if your reading habits are wide and varied. A second-hand bookshop, the shelves are filled with every kind of book, fiction, essay collections, biographies, anthologies – the beauty is in the rummage, and discovering books that might not be new
Plus, if you walk all the way through The Last Bookshop, you arrive at the Cake Café on Pleasants Street, the perfect location to settle yourself into a new story. The worst-kept secret in Dublin, the café is full to the brim with readers, their haul of dog-eared paperbacks sitting in a pile at their feet.
5. Books Upstairs
Location: D’Olier Street
Sitting bright blue and stark on D’Olier Street is the stunning Books Upstairs, that boasts a wide selection of fiction, both old and new.
There is nothing cold about Books Upstairs – everything is highly personalised if you lean in, with the option to order a book bundle based on your reading habits, or to go on a “blind date” with a book, where you get a snippet about the protagonist, but the cover and book title is completely concealed from you. It adds the fun back into reading, particularly if you’ve been stuck in a slump (there’s no shame in that, every avid reader has been there).
While book browsing, it’s important to stay caffeinated – bookworms and coffee go hand-in-hand – and upstairs at Books Upstairs, you will find a sweetest little café, to ensure your bright eyed and bushy tailed while you read blurb after blurb in search of your next read. Or, you know, buy every one that tickles your fancy like myself.
Best of all, Books Upstairs is the closest of these Dublin independent bookshops to EPIC – just a 15 minute walk.
More info here.
