Biggest Bookstore in Europe – Peek inside Waterstones Piccadilly!
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Calling all book lovers, did you know that the biggest bookstore in Europe is Waterstones Piccadilly?
You’ll find it in the heart of London, and it has over eight miles of bookshelves in its delightful Art Deco building.
There are over five floors to browse, and it’s like a labyrinth of tomes with volumes from every genre you can think of.
After your book shopping spree, you can enjoy a hot drink in their cosy Café W or sip a cocktail in their 5th View Bar.
Here is a complete guide for visiting Waterstones Piccadilly, the biggest bookstore in Europe.
What is the biggest bookstore in Europe?
The biggest bookstore in Europe is Waterstones Piccadilly in the heart of London.
This also happens to be the largest Waterstones in the world and London’s biggest bookshop.
It’s a must-visit if you’re a reading lover heading to the capital.
You could honestly spend hours wandering around this flagship bookstore. It’s so easy to lose track of time as there is so much to explore.
Step inside Waterstones Piccadilly – London’s Biggest Waterstones
It’s hard to miss the enormous Waterstones that dominates the main shopping street of Piccadilly.
This bookstore joins famous names like Hatchards, Hamley’s and Fortnum & Mason. But it will easily catch your eye due to the sheer size of it.
As you approach the Waterstones flagship, you’ll have to crane your neck to see the very top.
Step inside and you’ll find yourself on the ground floor, which usually has new releases, best sellers, board games, cards and gifts.
But their literary offerings are spread over five floors that you can browse at your leisure.
Explore five floors crammed full of books
The flagship Waterstones is mainly focused on Fiction, Travel, History and Art, but they have lots of genres on every floor.
Of course, I went straight to their fiction floor and fantasy sections.
I only ever read Romantasy and dark romance these days, and I was so happy that they had this in abundance.
Usually, fantasy books are shoved in with Sci-Fi, and it’s a teeny-tiny section of the bookstore. But I had hundreds to choose from here.
I then went to browse my next favourite genre, which is historical fiction and history. Plus, I found myself lost in their poetry section too.
I went quite late in the evening, but the time flew by and the next thing I knew they were calling for final purchases.
What I loved about each floor was that they had seating areas and displays that perfectly aligned with the theme on that floor.
They had Roman statues for history, an incredible display for anime and fiction, and floral displays for art and fashion. Every floor was unique.
Don’t skip a visit to the colourful children’s section either.
It has a vibrant circus theme (a nod to Piccadilly Circus), and there are always events and activities for kids.
Art Deco details
You may be surprised to know that this stunning building in Piccadilly wasn’t always a bookstore. It started as Simpsons of Piccadilly department store.
This was a large retail complex founded by Alexander Simpson and designed by the architect Joseph Emberton.
It opened in 1936 and became the largest menswear store in Britain.
The architectural design of the building was innovative for the era, and it became a Grade I listed building.
Eventually, it was purchased by Waterstones to become their flagship store in 1999.
But, thankfully, the bookshop retained the original Art Deco features.
You’ll notice this stunning vintage style in the elevator, light fittings, staircases and even the bathrooms. It’s a beautiful bookshop.
There are five book floors, a mezzanine floor with a café and a bar that takes up the 5th floor.
Waterstones Piccadilly Café W
Another reason to visit the Waterstones flagship is that you can enjoy coffee and cake in their Café W.
It’s located on the mezzanine floor, and you’ll find it has a typical bookshop café vibe. So, although the store can be packed, it’s very peaceful.
They sell hot food, lite-bites like sandwiches and paninis, and they have a great selection of homemade cakes too.
It’s a very popular café in London so you may have to wait for a seat. You’ll often find lots of people reading their new books here or working on laptops.
5th View Bar & Food
One of the best things about visiting Waterstones Piccadilly is the fact that they have a panoramic rooftop bar and restaurant on the 5th floor.
5th View Bar & Food is a contemporary cocktail lounge that serves up an all-day continental menu.
You can enjoy drinks, brunch or dinner whilst overlooking the high-rise buildings of London.
They serve up pastries and coffee for breakfast, or they can whip you up a Croque Madame or Eggs Benedict for brunch.
The main menu is filled with London-themed dishes like their Big Ben Burger or Traditional Fish & Chips.
You can even enjoy a quintessential English experience by indulging in their afternoon tea for two.
How to visit the flagship Waterstones in London
You can visit the biggest bookstore in Europe by heading over to Piccadilly Circus in London.
It’s best to use a mix of walking and the London Underground, nicknamed ‘the tube ’, to travel around the city.
You can alight at Piccadilly Circus on either the Piccadilly (dark blue) or Bakerloo lines (brown).
From there it’s a short walk to the bookstore. It’s on the same street as Hatchards, Hamleys, Fortnum and Mason and Piccadilly Arcade.
The flagship Waterstones is located on 203-206 Piccadilly, and it’s hard to miss on the high street. Click here for a Google Pin.
Opening hours
Waterstones Piccadilly is open:
- Mondays to Saturdays: 9 am – 9 pm
- Sundays: 12 pm to 6 pm
Make sure to leave at least an hour or two to explore as there are five floors of books, a café and a restaurant to visit.
Are you looking for more amazing London bookshops?
If you are on a literary tour of London, there are so many incredible bookshops you can visit.
Nearby, you can find the oldest bookshop in the United Kingdom, which is Hatchards. They were established in 1797.
Although Hatchards has many stores these days, such as St Pancras Station, Piccadilly is their flagship store and is a must for book lovers.
Daunt Books in Marylebone is a gorgeous bookstore that concentrates on travel books. This is one of the prettiest bookshops in the city.
Why not visit a floating bookshop? Word on the Water is the London bookbarge that is moored at the canal behind King’s Cross Station.
Just nearby, you can visit the British Library, which is the largest library in the UK.
It has 13.5 million printed books and e-books in its archive plus many more, and there are some free exhibitions you can enjoy.
Lastly, Cecil Court is an entire street in London that is dedicated to the written word.
Many people believe that this street inspired Dragon Alley in Harry Potter.
You can visit famous bookstores like Travis & Emery, Alice Through the Looking Glass and Bryers and Bryers.
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