Waterstones

1232 reviews

9-13 Garrick St, London WC2E 9BA, United Kingdom

www.waterstones.com

+442078366757

About

Waterstones is a Book store located at 9-13 Garrick St, London WC2E 9BA, United Kingdom. It has received 1232 reviews with an average rating of 4.6 stars.

Photos

Hours

Monday9AM-8PM
Tuesday9AM-8PM
Wednesday9AM-8PM
Thursday9AM-8PM
Friday11AM-5PM
Saturday9AM-8PM
Sunday9AM-8PM

F.A.Q

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The address of Waterstones: 9-13 Garrick St, London WC2E 9BA, United Kingdom

  • Waterstones has 4.6 stars from 1232 reviews

  • Book store

  • "This place contains all the books you could ever wish for"

    "This branch of Waterstones is great"

    "Sorry, but don't know why this place is rated so high I agree with others the staff are helpful and friendly but the place needs more lights as it is such a dark wee book shop, some up to date books are in great need here and the ones that are up to date there are all stuck in a cluster on one shelf right at the back no help to the customer at all plus no reccomendations on any books round the shop to help encourage the customer to buy any this place needs some fresh ideas and more passion put into the place"

    "a very charming bookstore in a great location, with such a wide range of books! too bad that my experience was marred by an unwelcoming and seemingly racist staff member at the counter (morning of monday 28/08) who after making sure we waited for a significant amount of time after she spent time complimenting and chatting with the customer ahead of us, made no eye contact and served us rudely"

    "Lovely group of Booksellers who allowed me to browse at length-- I found a number of interesting books, prints, cards, and little presents for my family"

Reviews

  • thirza

This place contains all the books you could ever wish for. There are books for millions with books to spare! The people behind the desk have the knowledge and skill to find you whatever you desire. It is split into easily navigational sections designed to help you find what you are looking for. It is nestled in the heart of London and has the perfect place near all the busy shops. Waterstones provides the perfect place to relax while you are gently browsing row upon row of books. I couldn't recommend this place more highly. It is a must visit on any of your trips to London!☺☺

  • kevin fagan

This branch of Waterstones is great. Really central and staffed by friendly guys who know their stuff. BUT, and this is not unique to this bookseller, ALL bookstores are in big trouble! The last time I was in Foyles in Charing Cross road, I was walking to the till with a book costing£19. Just for the hell of it I looked in Amazon. The same book was £9 cheaper! AND because I'm in Amazon Prime, it's delivered free next day!! I'm not making excuses. I'm not rich either. I took the deal. This is the problem with all bookshop s in London. It's sad. But what can we do??

  • ROUSINGCORD15

Sorry, but don't know why this place is rated so high I agree with others the staff are helpful and friendly but the place needs more lights as it is such a dark wee book shop, some up to date books are in great need here and the ones that are up to date there are all stuck in a cluster on one shelf right at the back no help to the customer at all plus no reccomendations on any books round the shop to help encourage the customer to buy any this place needs some fresh ideas and more passion put into the place.

  • Bhavna Venkat

a very charming bookstore in a great location, with such a wide range of books! too bad that my experience was marred by an unwelcoming and seemingly racist staff member at the counter (morning of monday 28/08) who after making sure we waited for a significant amount of time after she spent time complimenting and chatting with the customer ahead of us, made no eye contact and served us rudely. might be time to organise some staff training for better customer service :)

  • R McNally

Lovely group of Booksellers who allowed me to browse at length-- I found a number of interesting books, prints, cards, and little presents for my family. I especially want to recognize the Children's area booksellers, two young ladies who were very helpful with their recommendations, and clearly had a thankless task ahead of them with reshelving and alphabetizing all the out of place books. In the middle of an area loaded with restaurants and things to do!

  • The Bond

I was in London on business for 3 days and also to buy several books for my wife before returning to Moldova (she is an English teacher) . I didn't have very much time to do this, however the bookshop assistant was extremely helpful and spent so much time helping me choose quickly what I needed while communicating at the same time with my wife in Moldova, Thank you so much Waterstone staff here at this branch :)

  • Jennifer Meyer

So happy to have found this here! This is the Waterstones that used to be on Bedford street, now moved up the road. It's not the biggest Waterstones, but it is still a good size with a good range of books (not just tourist stuff). The staff are helpful and it's a nice place to pop into when you need a quick break from the Covent Garden crowds and can't quite face going up to Foyles.

  • allan claydon

Perfectly fine Waterstones unfortunately they did not have what I was after and I found their philosophy section markedly lacking, especially considering how in depth their selection of arts and fashion was (genuinely really well stocked and curated) It is nonetheless in a great location and the staff are friendly welcoming and helpful so it cannot be faulted in this regard

  • Elsje van Es

Lovely book store with friendly staff. Lots of nooks to gently rummage through potential purchases. I actually manage to leave my wallet on a pile of books by the counter after paying because I struck up a conversation with a staff member on till. Suffice it to say they kept it safe for me until I came back for it a few days later.

  • Christopher Haines

A huge bookshop that spans over two floors. You can find books for all sorts of things here, fiction and non fiction, travel books, recipe books, kindles and ebooks too! Anything book related to be honest. Also, the staff here are incredibly friendly and helpful in making sure you find the kind of book that you're looking for.

  • Lea S

PROS: - on two levels (ground and one below), - large selection of all genres, - friendly staff, - quiet and seats scattered around so you can read, - I always get everything I am looking for and sometimes more (but leave with an empty wallet). CONS: - a bit too dark, due to a small number of windows, - pricey (as usual). :)

  • naomi stuart

A large bookshop with huge amounts of choice. The kids department looks well stocked, and the non fiction is very large upstairs. There are a few places to pay which reduces queues at the main till. In general the sales are pretty rubbish, but that's not specific to this store. Staff are helpful and efficient

  • Darren O'Byrne

Deceptively big once you get inside, over two floors of the best selection of books you'll ever need. London is a book lover's dream and Waterstones is a great place to while away some time away from the busy streets. Prices are surprisingly good considering the premium you'd expect with such a location.

  • Anindita Hridita

Yum food and reasonable too. The crowd would tell you how popular the place is. The quality and quantity of food is worth waiting for, I must say! You can also see them prepare your food in front of you which shows efficiency, hygiene practices, and also connect the foodies with the process instantly.

  • Andrea Landi

As a book fan, even though I am mostly converted to e readers, I love Waterstones and in particular the amount of browsing you can do there. In this one there is also a good amount of board games that are priced quite competitively. Well worth a visit if you around (it's on two floors)

  • Michael Williams

Friendly staff and a great range of books. We visited the kids section only but found it really full of great engaging things. Good location with an exit on both sides of the store. It's not as big as the Leeds Waterstones but worth a visit still. Good coffee shops nearby aswell

  • tweylin

i really love this bookstore. so much to browse and just seems to have an amazing selection that you likely can find whatever you need in English that is. i do not have any pictures of the places but visited the one at piccadilly circus and the other around bond street. super!

  • Chloe Smith

I visited this Waterstones on the 8th July at around 2:30pm and the worker who helped me (who I don’t have the name of unfortunately) was so helpful and kind. I really appreciated his help and would recommend this bookstore if you in the area. Lovely staff and store

  • Rebecca

Amazing place. Every Waterstones is just so enjoyable to be in. I stopped by to take a quick look and spent half an hour here. The way they set up their book displays just makes the whole place very inviting and really piques your curiosity about all these books.

  • david shelton

Waterstones as ever offers an organised bookshop whatever your taste in books . Poor stocks of travel books was noted due to seasonal demand but there is a good selection of academic books and novels and non fiction . Staff are especially helpful.

  • Emily

Nice little Waterstones with multiple levels and a good selection of books. I liked that their curation seemed a little more thought out than other Waterstones I have visited. I bought 2 books that I do not think I would have come across normally.

  • Karen Brace

The best bookseller in London in my opinion. The vibe of their stores is beaut. Plenty of quiet nooks to sit and chill whilst choosing books. I've been known to sit on the floor. Great selection and they will always order in if it's not in stock.

  • Robert Crawford

Great bookshop, loads of excellent options and helpful staff Always a joy to visit a nice bookshop, and this one is no different. They have a second till downstairs which enabled us to avoid queuing for 15 mins to pay - worth a look if it's busy

  • Eleonora Ferrero

On of the biggest book shop you can find in central London. They also have a large section dedicated to kids' books. They only miss some chairs and reading space. Other than that, is really a good place where to go and look for your next book!!

  • N Wren

Waterstones is a really high quality book shop, in my opinion a lot nicer than any others i have been to. Though the location has limited the amount of space available on this premises, the quality of the literature remains second to none

  • Sherise G

Came here to pick up a book and gift voucher for my daughter. Was lovely to find a bookstore in thr middle of the city and it was so nice and quiet. Helpful staff, as I couldn't find a particular new book. Would definitely ce back here.

  • Martin Hills

This is a small Waterstones and I didn't find the layout of the books that easy to follow. The staff weren't that interested or helpful when I asked for help which is the complete opposite from other Waterstones I've shopped at.

  • helen abdul

Helpful staff - they were able to answer all the enquiries and provide suggestions based upon the customer's favourite book genre. Although, I feel like it'd be nice to offer some extra points deals for the Waterstone Plus card

  • Martin Best

I have a broken arm at the moment. The staff member who said hello when I entered the shop was unobtrusively helpful, and extremely interesting to chat to. He alone earns the 5 stars. Plus it's a lovely and well stocked shop.

  • Rohit Yadav

Can someone please tell me the name of the staff(a lady) who was working here on New year's Eve? I really need to thank and share my experience with her as she was the one who really helped me gain an interest in reading.

  • Lydia Teebay

So many good books, as to be expected at a Waterstones! The staff were warm and offered insight into books that I had no clue about (buying as a gift). I even picked up a book myself upon the recommendation - loving it!

  • Ben Cliff

Always love a Waterstones. This one only had one member of staff on a busy Saturday in Covent Garden though - he worked fast but he definitely needed some help. Also, Asterix comics in the "Lego and Star Wars" section?

  • Axl

Awesome bookstore! Quiet and nice vibes with nicely calm music in the background. Lots of choice for everybodys liking, and cheap prices aswell, loved the friendly staff behind the counter, complementing me, aswell!

  • Zahra

Lovely as any Waterstones, very quiet and more books downstairs. Many new and old titles, well-organised so that it doesn't feel overwhelming. A delightfully quaint space to find your next read, or simply to escape.

  • Bryan Dourado Morais

The book store is really nice, lots of choices. But the staff... They did not even say Hi even though we said it twice, looking directly at them. Even to pay the book, it felt like they didn't want us in there.

  • Armin Grewe

Only visited once after being sent over from another Waterstones, as this store had the book in stock I was after. Found the book quickly, bought it (was served quickly) and left as I had a train to catch.

  • Emilio diCaprio

What's not to love about book stores? Waterstones is so densely packed with books, there's no chance you won't find anything you like. The staff are all bookworms themselves and are happy to help you out.

  • Steven P

It's got books, it's got coffee, it's my own personal slice of heaven! (Staff are really polite and helpful too, solved an issue with my rewards card with no fuss!) Seriously, if I could move in I would!

  • Fernanda Jimenez

I am a geek. Everytime I go there I always shop something. There is a great variety of books genres so if sci-fi, manga or romance are your favorite like me, you will definitely find a great book.

  • Rob Cursons

It’s a smaller branch of the known bookshop, but has a good selection, especially kids books, and even fits in some cards and gifts. The staff are friendly and helpful, and it’s well located.

  • Andrew Medhurst

Busy and full of bargains. Picked up a cookery book as a belated Christmas gift, a birthday card and beautiful halfprice calendar. Staff always friendly, efficient and very helpful.

  • Nancy Cariah

This water stone is absolutely wonderful. There's a downstairs area that is filled with more books. Of course, if you're looking for manga or comics then that's where you find them

  • David Jones

Excellent bookshop. Every town should have one. Fabulous books on display. This is a real Aladdins cave of a place if you love books. Prepare to spend ages in this fantastic shop

  • Alan Martin

Tardis like bookshop with more entrance doors than any shop has a right to possess. Large collection that can easily soak up your time if you're in a browsing frame of mind.

  • Dean Dawson

Wonderful bookstore with a great variety of sections to peruse. I nearly didn't notice the stairs down to further sections. It's one of the more unique waterstones layouts

  • Juliana Lôbo

Great customer services ! The lady who helped out was so friendly and patient. I am so upset for not having got her name. This is my favourite book shop in Central London.

  • Joe Mcandrew

Lovely 2 floor book shop in the heart of covent garden! Staff were very helpful and the range of products is brilliant. Would be 5* however the prices are quite steep.

  • Beep_Projects

While I think there are places with way cheaper books, I think this is very good as you can find everything you need In just one place and the staff is very nice too.

  • Nina Honey

Excellent book shop. Staff are awesome and i (and many others I’m sure) really appreciated the selection of LGBTQ literature on display specifically for pride month.

  • J Pignon

Love this bookshop. The staff are always friendly and they've got a good selection of books including good sections on art and design. Would definitely recommend.

  • Maarten Houben

Undoubtedly my favorite chain of bookstores. I wish we had something as cozy in Belgium. Wide selection of books, all you could ever wish to read. Truly love it.

  • itsme aagain

I loved the disposition of this Waterstones! Looked so much like a Harry Potters' kind of library, and it had so much variety of books. Definitely, I recommend!

  • Mark Dudley

Nice shop, Little smaller than the near by Trafalgar Sq shop and much smaller than the one on Piccadilly but if close by and feeling lazy then a good stop.

  • Hobbee Swe

Very nice selection and nice interior. Big selection of eg manga and friendly staff. Slightly above average price, I am guessing because of the location.

  • Sam Vincent

Very helpful staff, an author was browsing and found her own books and proceeded to sign a few at the counter, just because she happened to be there.

  • Muna Althani

I like to go there with my kids and let them choose books they like but it was so hot that day and there was only one fan next to the cashier desk .

  • Azeem Putra

One of the best book stores in the region, hands down. So many selections of books and very attentive staff. I could easily spend an afternoon here!

  • 서mirae

this place is really big, i’m so glad i have found the book i wanted. the employees are very friendly and it’s very calm. i’ll definitely come back

  • redcatdrama

So nice to wander around a bookstore with so many interesting books. Just had to buy a couple including a book I've been unable to get back home.

  • Jack Jones (1Travel.co Go Explore)

Great to visit an English bookshop with a wide variety of books. Centrally located and easy to get to. Not enough hands to carry out the books...

  • Benjamin Harvey

The only store in the area that opens at 11, unfortunately not a very large shop and a slight lack of recent paperback titles. Otherwise fine.

  • dave pelton

Always love browsing and occasionally buying in Waterstones. This one is very pleasant and the staff member was very helpful and friendly.

  • Josie Feltham

Great shop, really big. Everything you need from a book shop, with book accessories and games. Staff very friendly and knowledgeable.

  • Ray Foulkes

Good selection of books. Like the Tardis much bigger inside than it looks from the outside Press ‘like’ if review is of benefit.

  • Andrea Pennisi

Very nice and cozy place where you can get lost in the thousands of books they have. You can find books at special prices very often.

  • Louis Clarkson

They have a great range of books, I especially cared for the manga/visual novel/light novel section which I was very pleased with

  • Siobhan Lalor-McTague

Such a lovely book store it seems to always have something to take home. Super big store helpful staff definitely worth an hour

  • Carl Gayle

Excellent store. Friendly, helpful staff and the book selection is top notch. I am yet to encounter a bad Waterstones branch!

  • Alexis

Great book shop chain, the staff seemed helpful. They had a great table set up of the best crime/ mystery books of all time.

  • Cecilia Farias

All Waterstones book stores have well trained attentive staff. They help if you request. I found what I was looking for.

  • David L

This seems like a small shop but it has several levels and different alcoves. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

  • Valerie Giovanardi

Great choice and great help from the staff Looking for a concise book on English hystory. Walked out not with 1 but 4

  • Alex

Nice old building lots more variety of books than my local Waterstones. If you are close pop in have a look around

  • Robert Loates

Bought a ton of books! - Couldn't help myself, they have a great selection and it's very well organised.

  • Cassandra P

What a great store, while we were unable to find the book we were looking for we certainly found others.

  • Alan Maynard

Nicely layed out store, very easy to navigate around each specific section. Staff friendly and helpful.

  • ludmila tugues

Big bookshop with a great variety of genres to choose among. Nice People working there as well...

  • amelia

such a lovely selection of book! there was a man behind the till called kevin who was SO LOVELY!!

  • Tariq Khan

The big surprise of this place is the MASSIVE manga section they have. V v pleasantly surprised!

  • Gregory ANTOLINOS

Everything you can dream of in the world of books. Amazing members of staff very knowledgeable

  • Jessica Le

Had all the books I was looking for, however I wish there would be spots to sit down and read

  • Vic

Waterstones is always a chill place to go to. If you have time, it's good to wander around.

  • Barny Gazey

Lovely bookstore but they were remodelling when we went in. Staff were polite and helpful.

  • Simona A

Smaller than other Waterstones bookstores but still it has a lot of really good selection.

  • Kendell Kadesky

I love this book store they have great staff picked selections and it is well organized

  • Jon Whittington

Excellent bookshop with clear layout, helpful information desk and knowlegeable staff.

  • Elizabeth Honkanen

Great store, great selection and great staff. Just get ready to be upsold like a ....

  • Emma Chase

Very nicel staff as son was looking for a particular book and they kindly helped him

  • Ellie Palmer

Lovely little book shop and well organised. Could do with a larger horror section.

  • Phu La

Great location, helpful staffs and good opening hours and a decent sized bookshop.

  • chloe rose

staff were honestly so lovely! so clean, such a nice environment they have created

  • Olha Starolad

I absolutely love this book shop. Could stay there for ages …

  • Yazar Karga

Maybe there can be more notebook options, but like there so much.

  • Russel Taylor

I love this large bookshop, and has a great range of sci-fi

  • Charlotte Witney

Small store and not a lot of adult, romance books available

  • Toni Ivanov

Friendly colleagues and a large choice for every taste

  • Julien de Naurois

Love this book shop! So much choice and well laid out

  • Amelie Grant

Loved it People were nice and a beautiful book store

  • Jelte Thijmen van der Velde

Amazing service and very large collection of books.

  • Meenakshi Slathia

Amazing collection of books!! Beautiful environment

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