The world’s best indie bookstores have been named – and one European capital is home to four

There’s something magical about bookshops. Maybe it’s the anticipation of being on the verge of your next great read. The knowledge that you’re surrounded by thousands of lives and stories. Or sometimes, it’s simply about the pleasure of spending your time in a cosy, welcoming space. 

Recommended: The world’s most beautiful bookstores

As with everything, the best stores are the little independent ones. You know the sort; run by a properly nerdy book-lover, filled from top to bottom with towering piles of manuscripts you’ve never heard of, and inevitably home to your new fave. Those are the places that have just been recognised in Cultured Magazine’s list of the 11 best indie bookshops in the world.

The main takeaway from Cultured’s list is that if you’re a real bookworm, you need to start planning a pilgrimage to Paris. Four of the shops that made the cut can be found in the City of Light, each chosen by bookstore owners across the globe.

The first is Librairie des Femmes, founded in the 1970s by women’s rights advocate Antoinette Fouque, which specialises in books by women. Cultured describes the store as ‘a beacon for feminist literature’, with an ‘unwavering commitment to centering women’s voices’.

A Balzac A Rodin is made special by the ‘zero-bullshit’ father and son who own it together. Head here if you’re looking for a book on art or architecture, or if you just want to check out the sort of place you usually only see in films; Cultured describes it as ‘an incomparable setting’ only accessible via a spiral staircase.

Yvon Lambert also offers a range of art books, exploring mediums from photography to contemporary art to sculpture. The fourth shop, After8Books, publishes its own books and hosts regular ‘intimate events’ with authors and publishers. As Cultured puts it, ‘there’s a close relation between author and audience’.

Two other stores in Europe were in Cultured’s rundown: Burning House Books in Glasgow and Donlon Books in London. The rest can be found in LA, New York, Portland and Baghdad – have a look at the full list here.

Did you see that these are the best new things to do in Europe in 2026 – from immersive art to festivals, food and nature trails?

Plus: This city officially has the best hot chocolate in Europe, according to a new ranking.