I’ve lived in North London for the last few years, and I love to go and read at Rustique in Tufnell Park. The owner is the friendliest guy, always willing to chat books with you. All the food is homemade and the coffee is great. Even if you’ve forgotten your book that day, they have plenty on the shelves inside, and the owner will always have one to recommend.
I live in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and there are many nice places to take a book and read! A really nice place is Koffie Leute. You have all these different kinds of seats (chairs, couches, lounge places). Here you can enjoy a really nice coffee and read for a while!
I am currently bouncing around living temporarily between homes, deciding where I belong, and perfectly happy for the time being not knowing. In NYC, I like to read in Elizabeth Street Gardens in Nolita and at Abraco Cafe on 7th St in the East Village. In Southern California, I am happiest with a book at the beach or at any Zinc Cafe. In Portland Oregon, it is nice to take a book and a packed lunch to the Washington Park Rose Garden, or to the serenity of the Japanese Garden. But most of all, anywhere in front of a crackling fireplace, with a glass of wine or whiskey.
I’m from Sydney, Australia and I often find myself nestled into a corner seat at Bills in Surry Hills (weekdays only to avoid the surge of breakfast goers on the weekend). It has beautiful interiors, soft lighting and a quiet bustle of background noise. The perfect place to read a good book, especially on rainy days that are often few and far between!
I live in Lisbon, Portugal. But i’m a flight attendant traveling all over the world so this post is very much needed and appreciated! When I’m at home i tend to read at home, however some of my favorite cafes are: Despensa no 6 during the afternoon drinking a glass of house made kombucha or Acento coffee drinking their matcha. As the weather is mostly sunny parks are a great option: Fernando Pessa and Gulbenkian are my favorites!
Hello from Rome! There's a very nice place called Ex Circus in the very city centre where I like to go in winter to stay in, is cozy and calm, but also to enjoy my book under the sun in the summertime.
I’m in South Australia (anyone else??) and I really like Cielo in Adelaide Arcade and Lucia’s in the central market (good for people watching). When I’m in Melbourne for work I like Ombra for pasta and a quiet reading corner.
I’m based in London but a city that I really enjoy reading in is Athens. It’s truly a city for readers. Somewhere I like to read is Galaxy bar. Get there before 5pm to sit at the bar and have the best of the free bar snacks. Between chapters watch them pour wine, make cocktails and randomly allocate who gets which bar snack. It truly is a joy.
Thank you! ❤️ I love Athens a lot but have always been so busy when I am there, I would love to go back this autumn - thank you so much for this recommendation!
If you decide to visit again, I will be very happy to recommend a few places since have settled back in Athens after living in Leeds and Manchester! :) 💜
I live in Northampton but work in London. One of my favourite spots to read (and work, drink, socialise) is The Standard between Euston and Kings Cross. They have a few different bars with slightly different vibes but the Library Lounge is my fave. Previously it was Camden Council Library and they have retained the 70s aesthetic along with open fires, plants, comfy sofas and books lining the walls. You can order a coffee, a cocktail or a wine, maybe some nibbles, and feel relaxed in the knowledge that you won’t be pressured to ordered more if you don’t want to, or that you are on any sort of time crunch. Lots of remote profesh people until laptop curfew at 6pm but the overall vibe is laid back and cosy.
I'm based in NYC and I love to bring a book to Terroir, in Tribeca—it's a wine bar and there are plenty of two-tops for solo reading dates, it's never chaotically loud, and it's well-lit enough that you're never straining your eyes to see your book. (Also, the wine list here is basically a giant 80-page binder—I'd just tell the waiter what you like and your price range and they'll bring you something great.)
Outside of NYC, I love the backyard at Wild Detectives bookstore/coffee shop in Dallas. There are big picnic tables and on a sunny day, there's tons of people working, reading, and gossiping. In NOLA, I love Bacchanal, also for its fab backyard, wine list, and live music that offers the perfect background vibe for reading. And in LA, the sideyard at Cafecito Organico (the Silver Lake one) is also lovely. (I am learning in this moment I like reading outside...)
Ahh I haven't been to Terroir and it's been on my google list for agesss, I will be heading there as soon as I get back to NYC (even just to read the wine list).
Frankfurt, Germany: "Lesecafé" in Sachsenhausen. Wonderfully quiet in the backyard, with a café and a small bookshop. The name actually translates as “Readingcafé”. You often sit among older people reading the newspaper. It's lovely! Not far away is the "Café im Liebighaus", located in a palatial villa with a park, which today houses a sculpture museum. "Café 48" is located in another part of the city and is always surrounded by hustle and bustle. Lots of families, dogs, young people. The perfect place to look up from your book from time to time and watch people.
Sing: love reading outdoors at the Tiong Bahru bakery in Joo Chiat, and also at Gather in the CBD. Both have great coffee and sweet treats and good people watching.
Sydney: can't go past Dear Saint Eloise in Potts Point. Sit on the little outside tables with a glass of wine & some anchovy toasts - perfection.
I almost did not post a comment because all of the other commenters appear to live in actual dream locations, but decided my city is worth sharing. I live in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. My favorite coffee shops are MoKaBe's Coffeehouse and Hartford Coffee Company. Both unpretentious, local, affordable and welcoming. While I was in undergrad and grad school, I lived on MoKaBe's "Sarah"bucks, which is a deliciously sweet caramel latte, best iced. These days I prefer fewer sweet drinks, and Hartford Coffee has the best roasts. If you bring in your own mug, a drip coffee is $1. Can't be beat. Both coffeeshops are essentially across the street from Tower Grove Park, an excellent place to read.
I’m from Montreal, with the warmer weather making a come back, I’m excited to take my books back out in parks. Montreal has so many great outdoor places to just take a blanket, laydown and enjoy your book.
Some of my favorites:
-parc Maisonneuve
-parc Jarry
Love sitting in squares awswell.
If we are talking about cafés and bars, one of my favorites are:
-Café Oui mais Non on Jarry street.
-Depaneur Café on Bernard street wich is across the street from one of the best bookshops in the city Drawn & Quarterly.
I live in Los Angeles and love this city with all of my heart 🩵 Here are some places I often find myself reading a book:
- Village Well — this is a community bookshop in Culver City. there’s a cafe inside and you sit on community tables with your book. it’s glorious. I love their matcha.
- Lulu Restaurant @ the Hammer Museum — this is my secret. there’s a beautiful restaurant at the Hammer’s courtyard. it’s such a beautiful place to sit with a book. you can either order a matcha or a pisco sour.
- The gardens at the Getty Center — to sit with a book on the grass in the sun is so magical. I like to bring a big towel.
- The beach — Driftwood Street in venice beach / Marina Del Rey or Topanga Beach are my go to to sit with a book
I live in Utrecht, NL, and can highly recommend the Village, Koffie Leute and het Muzieklokaal! Also the public library in the city centre is a nice place to go to. 💕
I’ve lived in North London for the last few years, and I love to go and read at Rustique in Tufnell Park. The owner is the friendliest guy, always willing to chat books with you. All the food is homemade and the coffee is great. Even if you’ve forgotten your book that day, they have plenty on the shelves inside, and the owner will always have one to recommend.
This sounds amazing! I love a place filled with books - generally always encourages me to read more xxx
Went to rustique today because of your suggestion! And it was a reaallly nice place. Can’t wait to spend more time reading there 😊
That’s great! So glad you liked it. Also such a nice garden area to read in if it’s sunny ☀️
I live in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and there are many nice places to take a book and read! A really nice place is Koffie Leute. You have all these different kinds of seats (chairs, couches, lounge places). Here you can enjoy a really nice coffee and read for a while!
I am currently bouncing around living temporarily between homes, deciding where I belong, and perfectly happy for the time being not knowing. In NYC, I like to read in Elizabeth Street Gardens in Nolita and at Abraco Cafe on 7th St in the East Village. In Southern California, I am happiest with a book at the beach or at any Zinc Cafe. In Portland Oregon, it is nice to take a book and a packed lunch to the Washington Park Rose Garden, or to the serenity of the Japanese Garden. But most of all, anywhere in front of a crackling fireplace, with a glass of wine or whiskey.
Two of my favourite spots to read in in New York too ❤️
I’m from Sydney, Australia and I often find myself nestled into a corner seat at Bills in Surry Hills (weekdays only to avoid the surge of breakfast goers on the weekend). It has beautiful interiors, soft lighting and a quiet bustle of background noise. The perfect place to read a good book, especially on rainy days that are often few and far between!
🥞☕️📙
hotcakes + reading / dream
I live in Lisbon, Portugal. But i’m a flight attendant traveling all over the world so this post is very much needed and appreciated! When I’m at home i tend to read at home, however some of my favorite cafes are: Despensa no 6 during the afternoon drinking a glass of house made kombucha or Acento coffee drinking their matcha. As the weather is mostly sunny parks are a great option: Fernando Pessa and Gulbenkian are my favorites!
Hello from Rome! There's a very nice place called Ex Circus in the very city centre where I like to go in winter to stay in, is cozy and calm, but also to enjoy my book under the sun in the summertime.
I’m in South Australia (anyone else??) and I really like Cielo in Adelaide Arcade and Lucia’s in the central market (good for people watching). When I’m in Melbourne for work I like Ombra for pasta and a quiet reading corner.
Thank you! ❤️
I’m based in London but a city that I really enjoy reading in is Athens. It’s truly a city for readers. Somewhere I like to read is Galaxy bar. Get there before 5pm to sit at the bar and have the best of the free bar snacks. Between chapters watch them pour wine, make cocktails and randomly allocate who gets which bar snack. It truly is a joy.
Thank you! ❤️ I love Athens a lot but have always been so busy when I am there, I would love to go back this autumn - thank you so much for this recommendation!
If you decide to visit again, I will be very happy to recommend a few places since have settled back in Athens after living in Leeds and Manchester! :) 💜
I live in Northampton but work in London. One of my favourite spots to read (and work, drink, socialise) is The Standard between Euston and Kings Cross. They have a few different bars with slightly different vibes but the Library Lounge is my fave. Previously it was Camden Council Library and they have retained the 70s aesthetic along with open fires, plants, comfy sofas and books lining the walls. You can order a coffee, a cocktail or a wine, maybe some nibbles, and feel relaxed in the knowledge that you won’t be pressured to ordered more if you don’t want to, or that you are on any sort of time crunch. Lots of remote profesh people until laptop curfew at 6pm but the overall vibe is laid back and cosy.
7 years living in London and I have SOMEHOW never been to the Standard!! This has sold it to me more than ever
I'm based in NYC and I love to bring a book to Terroir, in Tribeca—it's a wine bar and there are plenty of two-tops for solo reading dates, it's never chaotically loud, and it's well-lit enough that you're never straining your eyes to see your book. (Also, the wine list here is basically a giant 80-page binder—I'd just tell the waiter what you like and your price range and they'll bring you something great.)
Outside of NYC, I love the backyard at Wild Detectives bookstore/coffee shop in Dallas. There are big picnic tables and on a sunny day, there's tons of people working, reading, and gossiping. In NOLA, I love Bacchanal, also for its fab backyard, wine list, and live music that offers the perfect background vibe for reading. And in LA, the sideyard at Cafecito Organico (the Silver Lake one) is also lovely. (I am learning in this moment I like reading outside...)
Ahh I haven't been to Terroir and it's been on my google list for agesss, I will be heading there as soon as I get back to NYC (even just to read the wine list).
Thank you so much for sharing xxx
Frankfurt, Germany: "Lesecafé" in Sachsenhausen. Wonderfully quiet in the backyard, with a café and a small bookshop. The name actually translates as “Readingcafé”. You often sit among older people reading the newspaper. It's lovely! Not far away is the "Café im Liebighaus", located in a palatial villa with a park, which today houses a sculpture museum. "Café 48" is located in another part of the city and is always surrounded by hustle and bustle. Lots of families, dogs, young people. The perfect place to look up from your book from time to time and watch people.
Living in Singapore, but originally from Sydney!
Sing: love reading outdoors at the Tiong Bahru bakery in Joo Chiat, and also at Gather in the CBD. Both have great coffee and sweet treats and good people watching.
Sydney: can't go past Dear Saint Eloise in Potts Point. Sit on the little outside tables with a glass of wine & some anchovy toasts - perfection.
I almost did not post a comment because all of the other commenters appear to live in actual dream locations, but decided my city is worth sharing. I live in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. My favorite coffee shops are MoKaBe's Coffeehouse and Hartford Coffee Company. Both unpretentious, local, affordable and welcoming. While I was in undergrad and grad school, I lived on MoKaBe's "Sarah"bucks, which is a deliciously sweet caramel latte, best iced. These days I prefer fewer sweet drinks, and Hartford Coffee has the best roasts. If you bring in your own mug, a drip coffee is $1. Can't be beat. Both coffeeshops are essentially across the street from Tower Grove Park, an excellent place to read.
I’m from Montreal, with the warmer weather making a come back, I’m excited to take my books back out in parks. Montreal has so many great outdoor places to just take a blanket, laydown and enjoy your book.
Some of my favorites:
-parc Maisonneuve
-parc Jarry
Love sitting in squares awswell.
If we are talking about cafés and bars, one of my favorites are:
-Café Oui mais Non on Jarry street.
-Depaneur Café on Bernard street wich is across the street from one of the best bookshops in the city Drawn & Quarterly.
I live in Los Angeles and love this city with all of my heart 🩵 Here are some places I often find myself reading a book:
- Village Well — this is a community bookshop in Culver City. there’s a cafe inside and you sit on community tables with your book. it’s glorious. I love their matcha.
- Lulu Restaurant @ the Hammer Museum — this is my secret. there’s a beautiful restaurant at the Hammer’s courtyard. it’s such a beautiful place to sit with a book. you can either order a matcha or a pisco sour.
- The gardens at the Getty Center — to sit with a book on the grass in the sun is so magical. I like to bring a big towel.
- The beach — Driftwood Street in venice beach / Marina Del Rey or Topanga Beach are my go to to sit with a book
📚☀️🏖️
I live in Utrecht, NL, and can highly recommend the Village, Koffie Leute and het Muzieklokaal! Also the public library in the city centre is a nice place to go to. 💕
You’re the second Utrechter on this thread, so random!!