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The 10 cutest bookshops in Australia

Kassia ByrnesBy Kassia Byrnes
On the lookout for your next great read? Do it in style at these adorable Aussie bookshops.

The only thing more delightful than curling up for the weekend, uninterrupted, with a good book in hand, is hunting through a well-stocked bookshop to find yet another new gem to add to your ever-growing stack of unread novels (closely followed by exploring the country’s must-visit record stores).

If there happens to be a comfy couch – brown leather preferred – and, jackpot of all jackpots, a coffee shop? Well, that might just be Nirvana. For this reason, we’ve rounded up the cutest and best bookshops in Australia, that are a destination unto themselves.

1. Sappho Books & Cafe, Sydney

Two types of bookstores get my heart racing: clean-cut and usually centred around a large reading lounge, or whimsical and cosy – not in the way that none of the books are organised and unalphabetised piles lay everywhere, but in the way that inspires imagination and encourages exploration. Sappho Books & Cafe in Sydney‘s Glebe is absolutely the latter.

With a second-hand, humanities-focused collection of tomes shelved over six rooms and an adorable courtyard cafe, this inclusive bookshop is one you can easily spend hours wandering through. They even hold poetry nights and other events. Oh, and there’s a resident cat, so I’m sold.

Sappho Books & Cafe, Sydney, best bookshops in Australia
Sit in the courtyard cafe to enjoy your new book.

2. National Library of Australia Bookshop, Canberra

For those who believe there’s no such thing as too many books, what better place to load up your collection than the bookshop inside Canberra‘s stunning National Library of Australia , itself?

As you might expect, it’s also the best place to find Australian authors: from old favourites to the new and upcoming. Find a range of fiction, non-fiction and children’s literature titles by local and interstate writers and artists.

National Library of Australia Bookshop, Canberra
Find one of the best bookstores inside the National Library of Australia.

3. The Book Cellar, Campbell Town, Tasmania

I’m not sure why things in cellars are cuter, but The Book Cellar in Campbell Town certainly proves the theory. Although today it’s a quaint bookstore, the heritage building has a fascinating past: in the 1830s it was used as convict cellars to house prisoners who built the Red Bridge over the Elizabeth River.

The bookshop and cafe feature exposed brick walls and classic sandstone decor, while an eclectic range of new and used books housed within the walls focus on Australian heritage, nostalgia and Tasmania in particular.

The Book Cellar, Tasmania
Wander through history in The Book Cellar. (Image: Chris Crerar)

4. Kay Craddock Antiquarian Booksellers, Melbourne

Red carpet, neo-Gothic chandeliers and large archways make stepping into Kay Craddock Antiquarian Booksellers feel like a grand affair.

The shelves here cater for everyone from serious book collectors to casual book lovers, with a carefully curated selection of rare and old books.

Kay Craddock Antiquarian Booksellers, Melbourne
Enjoy the neo-Gothic decor at Kay Craddock Antiquarian Booksellers.

5. Hill of Content, Melbourne

Melbourne‘s oldest bookstore is also one of its cutest. Easily spotted thanks to its deep red paint job, the earthy colours continue inside.

Opened in 1922, Hill of Content has used that time to compile a broad range of quality stories from local and overseas authors. Staff here know a huge amount about their stock, so be sure to ask for their expertise.

6. Crow Books, Perth

The whitewashed brick walls of Crow Books in Perth serve to make the colourful books filling its wooden shelves really pop.

The real pièce de résistance? A classic brown leather couch that the bookshop centres around, inviting browsers to take their time to check out their book choices. Whether you’re looking for something hard-to-find or popular TikTok reads, you’ll find it here.

Crow Books perth
Spend time on brown leather couch to peruse your choices. (Image: Peter Dancewicz)

7. Orchard Bookshop, Adelaide

Nestled into Adelaide Arcade, this adorable gem is a must for bibliophiles. The pared-back shop floor of Orchard Bookshop brings on an almost beachy feel with cool whites and light wood furnishings.

None of this is by accident. In fact, the store is self-described as “an immersive, interactive art installation for lovers of literature". The owners hand-picked each title on the shelves: from new to vintage to collectible.

Orchard Bookshop, Adelaide
Discovering this gem is a must for bibliophiles. (Images: Aise Dillon Photography)

8. Page & Turner, Adelaide

This little bookstore has more allure than any store inside a shopping centre has the right to. Yet, Page & Turner makes itself a worthy stop inside Myer Centre in Adelaide. Wallpapered with book pages, fun statues strewn around and vintage-look wooden bookshelves: it’s a decor made in heaven.

9. Archives Fine Books, Brisbane

Archives Fine Books looks like the kind of bookstore Belle would swing through on a rolling ladder before she went off to meet her beast. In this Brisbane bookshop, discover rows and rows of shelves stacked floor-to-ceiling with over a million fine, used books from all genres and eras.

10. Red Kangaroo Books, Alice Springs

There are many charms to Red Kangaroo Books . It’s the only brick-and-mortar independent bookshop left standing between Port Augusta, Darwin, Broome, and Broken Hill. The iconic red door. The comfy couches invite you to stay a while. It’s an easy bookstore to love.

Red Kangaroo Books, Alice Springs
Stay for the charm of Red Kangaroo Books.
Kassia Byrnes
Kassia Byrnes is the Native Content Editor for Australian Traveller and International Traveller. She's come a long way since writing in her diary about family trips to Grandma's. After graduating a BA of Communication from University of Technology Sydney, she has been writing about her travels (and more) professionally for over 10 years for titles like AWOL, News.com.au, Pedestrian.TV, Body + Soul and Punkee. She's addicted to travel but has a terrible sense of direction, so you can usually find her getting lost somewhere new around the world. Luckily, she loves to explore and have new adventures – whether that’s exploring the backstreets, bungee jumping off a bridge or hiking for days. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @probably_kassia.
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This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

    Chloe CannBy Chloe Cann
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    Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington , like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

    We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

    A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

    inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes
    Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours . While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

    holding Portarlington mussels
    See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

    As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

    The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

    blue mussels off Portarlington
    Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

    Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

    Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli
    Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

    “Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

    a hand holding a Portarlington mussel
    Mussels are a sustainable food.

    Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

    But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

    guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard
    Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.