Daunt Books

I’d heard of Daunt Books before but can’t recall ever visiting previously. So I was expecting a fair few travel books — but I was blown away by the range — there were travel books here from publishers I didn’t even know did travel books!
I also really liked how they organised them, with both books about travelling in those countries collected together with the normal guides. As I’m going to New York later this year, I was particularly interested in books specific to that city but I quickly found myself like looking at guides to others on my bucket list. Mongolia anyone?
They also do quality selections of other types of books — I rather enjoyed their limited but intriguing collection of cookbooks. Daunt has quickly become one of my favourite London book shops.

Good bookshops are dangerous places, and Daunt Books is one of the most dangerous of all. You can lose yourself for hours, browsing through the recommendations temptingly laid out on tables. And while you’re queuing to pay, there are more temptations on your way to the till — for book junkies this is worse than the sweet counters in supermarkets!
Daunt Books is a small chain of independent booksellers with an emphasis on travel and literature. I like the way they curate their shops and always succeed to find a gift here — but not without buying one or two books to keep myself.

A trip to Holland Park is in order when I feel like I want to treat myself to a view of upscale homes, eat fancy deli foods, and, a recent discovery, peruse the Daunt bookshop outpost tucked into the main drag there. Compared to the Marylebone locale – the only other Daunt that I’ve visited – this shop is smaller, quainter, and, on my trip, super quiet. Ahh.
I found an interesting-​looking book, ‘Mendelssohn Is on the Roof’, quickly bought it and went on my merry way.

Impossible to leave without buying something. Excellent book shop.

I went here for the book launch of Catherine Hall’s ‘The Proof of Love’. Aside the books selling out in just under an hour this is a very fine bookshop. If you find yourself in the area do pop in, there is always something interesting to be found in here, staff are friendly and the selection of books is fantastic.

Daunt Books is my favourite bookshop in London. I know that there are several locations, however I’ve only been to this one. But I have had none but great experiences at this location and I love visiting frequently.
First of all, the overall feeling of this bookstore is just wonderful. All wooden and warm inside, I could spend hours just poking around. Not to mention the selection is fantastic. Whomever buys for this store really has wonderful taste in books. The cards are great too!
The people working there are always so friendly and willing to help. If they don’t have what you are looking for in store, they will go out of their way to find it. The customer service is always excellent here. Next I plan on visiting the Hampstead location, as the NW3 are my stomping grounds.
Also, be sure to ask for a (free) Daunt Books tote bag. It is really cute and great for carrying things and/​or more books you’ll be purchasing. :)

I fell in love with bookshops as a child. The new ones where everything is shiny and spines are uncracked. The secondhand ones where treasures can be found, inscriptions read and the complicit knowledge that someone has thumbed these pages, discovered this world before you.
But it’s an expensive love and I’ve cheated with unfufilling relationships with Amazon and Borders. They lure you with bargain prices and 2 for 1offers, but it’s empty, soulless.
Now Daunt Books on Holland Park Ave., what a treasure! You won’t find garish signs here, no chart countdown of ‘bestsellers’. These mean nothing to me! If I wanted to read what the general public thought was good, I’d just buy Dan Brown’s entire collection and then gouge my eyes out.
In Daunt you can tell the staff have carefully picked which fantastic authors and titles to pair with others. Old and new books rub shoulders, breathing in their natural habitat of a place that clearly loves books.
If you already live and breathe books, this is your mecca. If you need to convert a friend, child, partner to a love of books, take them here.
For me it is a great stop if you’re on a walking date around SW1, but then I am a total nerd!

Not to mention if they don’t have it they will find it for you. Moreover there canvas bags are brilliant. Love this place and although it will never replace Elgin Books it goes some way to filling the void…

A lovely bookshop to browse around. I like the way books are organised by country/​continent, mixing travel guides with history and fiction.
I went in to browse and ended up buying three books. I was given a great Daunt Books cloth bag, which I will make sure to take with me next time!

A lovely old fashioned bookshop. It has a great selection of specialist and unusual books, that you either wouldnt see elsewhere or might not notice.
The staff are very helpful and knowledgeable, and if your not sure whats best to get, but your going on holiday and want a guide, they will be able to suggest something ideal!

I finally stopped by this fantastic bookshop, having walked or driven past it for so many years. I did some of my Christmas shopping there and had a great time. I love bookshops, as I love books. Daunt Books in Holland Park is really a great library with lots of choice for recent books (novels and essays), travel, art and children. The atmosphere is relaxed, noone chasing you to sell you something or to make sure that you are putting the book back on the rigt shelf. There is a feeling of being in a nice library, maybe it is the wooden panels or the fact that the staff look all like litterature students but in any event it’s a great place to shop for books. Great window dressing too, in competition with the fabulous butcher next door.

I recently learned that this quaint Holland Park bookshop is one of a few Daunts, but you would never guess it upon entering.
It’s a calming place… the small, beautifully-​selected and wonderfully-​organized shelves and stacks of books is instantly refreshing. Due to its non-​Borders nature, you may not find exactly what you’re looking for, but you will certainly find something you’ll want to read, be inspired by or buy for a loved one (for their coffee table or child perhaps?). One exception is the predominant travel section which fills the entire left-​hand side of the store — there’s a book there for everywhere, and it’s pleasantly easy to locate your chosen destination.

A lovely independent (ish) book shop in Holland Park.
It feels like a treat coming to this bookshop. Really nicely laid out with a great selection of books — particularly travel books.
Downside — not many deals and not the cheapest.

An alternative book store conveniently located on Holland Park’s main thoroughfare. Its major specialities are all types of history and travel books with a large childrens section at the back. A nice place to find books that other major retailers don’t stock and where the staff are very knowledgeable and helpful