10 Great Bookshops You Must Visit in Madrid

Heading our list is of the best bookshops in Madrid is Ocho y Medio, a bookshop that specializes in cinema, not only selling books, but also DVDs, posters and a lot of cinematic merchandise. It has a vast catalogue and the staff are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. Visitors can order any book and expect it to arrive within a reasonable time frame, making it the perfect spot to source that special gift. Ocho y Medio stock books in English, Spanish, Italian and French.

For tourists looking for a bookshop with books specifically on Madrid, La Librería is the best option. It is the point of reference for any books on Madrid: on travel in the capital, on its famous inhabitants, on its history, on its culture – anything related to Madrid is in abundance in this unique bookshop. It also has literary contests and cultural events every once in a while, so travelers who have some spare time can head to this bookshop and get more familiar with the Spanish capital.

Next on our list of the best bookshops in Madrid is Tipos Infames. This store creates the perfect marriage of books and wine, creating a new concept of what it means to be a bookshop. Come here and browse through their excellent selection of books with a glass of wine in your hand, check out their gallery, or have a snack in their café. They also put on cultural events every now and then, so check their website for more information.

La Central is in the center of Madrid and is definitely one of the city’s best bookshops. Not only does it have a great collection of books, but it also houses one of the best restaurants and cocktail bars in the area. Tourists and locals alike come here to enjoy its different events, such as conferences and concerts. For those travelers who want to read a book and go for a meal in one of Madrid’s top ten bookshops, this is the place to be.

Panta Rhei is one of the most attractive bookshops in Madrid. Specializing in the visual arts in general, it is better known, however, for its collection of graphic design books. They also have sections on photography, fashion, children’s books, drawing and much more. It is a fairly new bookshop, inaugurated in 2000, so its focus is primarily on contemporary society, which it showcases through its beautiful collection of books and photography.

Travelers who are looking for a bookshop that specializes in feminist literature should look no further than Librería de Mujeres. They have books in every genre and written by women from all around the world, as well as a wonderful collection of children’s stories that are written from a refreshingly feminist point of view. Their motto is ‘Books don’t bite and feminism doesn’t either’, making it the perfect destination for both feminist scholars and novices.

For visitors who love languages, this bookshop in Madrid is well worth a visit: it was named one of the best five multilingual bookshops in the world by the Financial Times. Pasajes has a great catalogue of both fiction and non-fiction books in English, French, German and Spanish, amongst many other languages. Their collection of books for learning languages is the best in the city, but they do not stop at that, they also sell maps, audiobooks and DVDs. This is a great option for tourists and locals who wish to broaden their linguistic horizons, and maybe pick up a new language or two.

The Librería Desnivel is a unique bookshop specializing in books about sports, adventures, mountains and guidebooks. They also offer maps and videos. For visitors who want to do some sports, mountaineering or simply go for a hike in the nearby Sierra de Madrid (Madrid’s mountain range), this is the place to go: the attentive staff will help you decide what books to buy and which places to visit. Apart from that, this bookshop can also be visited for its carefully looked-after interior.

Naturally specializing in comics, this renowned bookshop Madrid Comics won a prize in 2011 for the Best Specialized Bookshop. It is located in the Malasaña neighborhood of Madrid, which is a great, trendy area of the capital with an alternative scene, so this bookshop fits in perfectly. Madrid Comics is worth a visit whether you are a comic fan or not for its atmosphere, its collection and its surroundings.

The last bookshop on our list is Librería Bardón. 60 years old, this bookshop was founded during the post-war period and is known as the must-visit antique bookshop in Spain. Resembling something out of a film, with beautiful rows of carefully placed books, tourists interested in buying an antique book or just browsing through their collection and enjoying the beauty of the place will enjoy visiting Librería Bardón.