From long-established literary dens to fresh-faced feminist nooks, there’s plenty of bookworm fodder to be found across the city. Here’s our guide to the best English bookstores in Berlin.
Saint George’s
With 30,000 mostly used books, including many contemporary American and British titles, jam-packed into ceiling-high shelving and barely any seating save a dilapidated Chesterfield, Saint George’s is a bookstore’s bookstore, its old-world, no-fuss British vibe accentuated by charmingly dour owner Paul Gurner. It remains open, although you might have to queue before you browse.
- Saint George’s English Bookstore, Wörther Str. 27, Prenzlauer Berg, details.
Shakespeare and Sons
Roman and Laurel Kratochvila have been running Shakespeare and Sons on Warschauer Straße since 2011. Half café, half international bookshop, its dual identity means this go-to spot for English readers, curious browsers and eaters.
- Shakespeare and Sons, Warschauer Str. 74, Friedrichshain, details.
Berlin Book Nook
Tucked away on Kreuzkölln’s Pflügerstraße, you’ll find Berlin Book Nook. This cosy little spot boasts a collection of roughly 4,000 second-hand, English-language titles. From classic fiction, to travelogues, history, memoirs, cultural theory, philosophy, gardening, cookery and more.
- Berlin Book Nook, Pflügerstr. 63, Neukölln, details.
Another Country
This chaotic haven is both a shop and a cult, set up by dearly missed British expat and Berlin personality Sophie Raphaeline. In addition to a plethora of secondhand books – any of which can be brought back for a refund, minus €1.50 – they host concerts, readings, quiz nights and gluttonous €5.50 suppers.
- Another Country Bookshop, Riemannstr.7, Kreuzberg, details.
The Curious Fox
Formerly on Neukölln’s Flughafenstraße, you can now visit The Curious Fox at its new location in Kreuzberg. The shop established itself as a local institution, renowned for its cosy quiz nights and “if you can spell it, we can order it!” philosophy. Browse their lovingly curated kiddie corner, LGBTQ+ interest section and collection of books by Berlin-based authors, or strike up a chat with friendly Irish owners (and one-time Another Country acolytes) Dave Gordon and Orla Baumgarten.
- The Curious Fox, Lausitzer Platz 17, Kreuzberg, details.
Dussmann
For the chance to read through books in a comfy environment with relative anonymity, head to the grand superstore that is Dussmann das KulturKaufhaus. A constant stream of customers, cosy corners in its two-storey English section and late opening hours make this the perfect place to hide out on a grey winter evening.
- Dussmann das KulturKaufhaus, Friedrichstr. 90, Mitte, details.
Love Story of Berlin
This friendly nook on Kastanienallee offers fiction, non-fiction, crime stories, cookbooks and books about Berlin in-store, as well as 50,000 books to pre-order for next-day pickup. There’s also a sizeable section of English-language books for adults and children of all ages.
- Love Story of Berlin, Kastanienallee 88, Prenzlauer Berg, details.
Hundt Hammer Stein
Alte Schönhauser Straße’s cosy basement of German-language books boasts an extensive English collection ranging from translated German favourites to the latest prize-winning fiction. For the last 16 years, this bibliophile basement has been defying the competition of digital giants (a sign tells visitors “you’ll be leaving the amazone”). In recent years, it’s grappled with the ruthless gentrification that’s eaten up almost every other independent shop on Mitte fashionista’s Alte Schönhauser Straße – but Hundt Hammer Stein prevails.
- Hundt Hammer Stein, Alte Schönhauser Str. 23-24, Mitte, details.
Marga Schoeller Bücherstube
Marga Schoeller’s classic green façade has been a staple of Charlottenburg’s Knesebeckstraße for over 90 years. It’s faced plenty of adversity, from hiding forbidden books in Nazi times to finding its way in post-war Soviet and then British occupied territory. Throughout it all, the store has always nurtured a strong English-language department.
- Marga Schoeller Bücherstube, Knesebeckstr. 33, Charlottenburg, details.
Bücherbogen
Located in the brick viaduct under the S-Bahn tracks at Savignyplatz, Bücherbogen has been a home for all kinds of stories, memories and meetings over the past 30 years. In 1980, founder and owner Ruthild Spangenberg transformed two of the arches from a car repair shop into a bookstore and exhibition space specialising in art, photography and architecture. Nearly one-third of its stock is in English.
- Bücherbogen, Stadtbahnbogen 593, Charlottenburg, details.
Ocelot
First and foremost, Ocelot is an alluring space. Large, modern and dreamed up by local designer Martina Zeyen, the beautiful oak-panelled interior is hard not to appreciate. You have the possibility to bury yourself in great graphic novels, comics and books on urban culture while sipping a coffee. Although the selection of English literature is small, they do cover a reasonable spectrum from the likes of James Joyce to Haruki Murakami.
- Ocelot, Brunnenstr. 181, Mitte, details.
Pro qm
This central bookstore is a light, bright mecca for those with time to browse, offering a thematic approach across art and theory, design, architecture, politics and economic critique – with many of the coffee table gems in English. They also stock a selection of lifestyles magazines from around the world.
- Pro qm, Almstadtstr. 48, Mitte, details.
do you read me?!
The slick and spacious store on Auguststraße boasts a glossy spread of contemporary international magazines, themed journals and books from more than 20 countries with a focus on art, fashion, photography, design and architecture, as well as literature, music and contemporary culture.
- do you read me?!, Auguststr. 28, Mitte, details.
Pequod Books
A multilingual treasure: Pequod in Neukölln’s Schillerkiez stocks used books in English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Turkish, Italian, Spanish, German, Polish, Danish and Norwegian, among other languages. The calm, well-organised shop has two rooms stacked high with over 12,000 books.
- Pequod, Selchower Str. 33, Neukölln, details.
Ivallan’s Second-Hand and Exceptional Books
On Schönleinsstraße, Ilya Evdakov offers secondhand books mostly in English. Evdakov wants to reimagine the book-buying experience. Instead of arranging volumes by genre or author, they have organised their shelves by personalised themes, acting as your “literary matchmaker”.
- Ivallan’s Second-Hand and Exceptional Books, Schönleinstr. 32, Kreuzberg, details.
Hopscotch Reading Room
Hidden away in a courtyard off Kurfürstenstraße, Hopscotch Reading Room is a place to discover non-western & diasporic perspectives. The shelves are crowded with novels, poetry, theory and history of all kinds, but there is a clear emphasis on anti-colonial struggle. Check out their website or subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with events, readings and book recommendations.
- Hopscotch Reading Room, Kurfürstenstr. 14/Haus B, Schöneberg, details.
She Said
It’s time to put down the Jack Kerouac and pick up the Audre Lorde with a little help from She Said, the queer feminist bookshop and café that opened on Kottbusser Damm in late 2021. Founder Emilia Von Senger dedicates an entire shop to the world’s unsung lit heroines, with 1300 hand-picked works to educate and inspire. Pop inside this safe space for a good book, some ethical tea and a timeout from the heteropatriarchy.
- She Said, Kottbusser Damm 79, Neukölln, details.
Modern Graphics
A shop almost as old as a united Germany, Modern Graphics has its origin story based in the Wild West days of reunified Berlin in 1991. This cramped shop in Kreuzberg is its own special universe – cramped not for lack of space, but because of the sheer volume of nerdy wares. The three adjoining rooms are packed to the gills with current issues of comic books, graphic novels, knick-knacks and assorted paraphernalia to suit whatever your quest may be. Of course, they carry plenty of comics in both English and German.
- Modern Graphic, Oranienstr. 22, Kreuzberg, details.
a.p.
Right down Lindower Straße, squashed between a friendly backyard mosque and a local coffee shop, a.p. peeks out on the street from behind its huge glass wall. From the outside it looks more like an art lounge (complete with couch and design lamps) than your usual commercial bookstore. Step inside, and you’ll find stylish long decks of beautiful, discerningly curated tomes and intriguing art books – an unsurprising sight for a shop that came into being in autumn 2020 as a commercial sidekick to non-profit Callie’s, the lush artists residency house in the same building complex.
In addition to its art focus, a.p. features themed sections such as ‘cookery’ or ‘sex and intimacy’. Elsewhere the contemporary queer-cum-social autofiction of Didier Eribon rubs shoulders with German greats such as Rilke. There’s poetry in French and some Italian and German in addition to predominantly English-language books. Sadly, a.p. announced that they’ll be closing their doors in mid-December 2023, with plans to re-conceptualise the store. Make sure you stop by soon!
- a.p, Lindower Str. 20, Wedding, details.
Belle-et-Triste
Lumpy the poodle (named after Winnie-the-Pooh’s Heffalump) greets customers at Wedding’s oldest independent bookstore Belle-et-Triste. The shop – whose name is a wordplay combining the French for ‘beautiful’ and ‘sad’ with German Belletristik – was opened in 1982 by Friederike Reinhold and Winfried Kellman. Forty years later, the same German couple are still handpicking the books – alternative political literature and philosophical tomes as well as classics and new releases in both German and English.
Meanwhile, the shop boasts an impressive selection of youth literature, which is a bit of a social mission for Belle-et-Triste. According to Reinhold, children in Wedding don’t always have ready access to books, so they have collaborated with local schools and even organised a toy drive to attract tomorrow’s readers. If you need a break from noisy Müllerstraße or the ultra hip expat spaces, this little Belletristik oasis is the perfect hideout.
- Belle-et-Triste, Amsterdamer Str. 27, Wedding, details.
