Ten reasons why Berkelouw, Oxford Street, Paddington is Sydney’s best rare/old/vintage bookshop.
1. You can pull up a chair at the window, order a drink from the licensed cafe, and watch fashionable Oxford Street walk past you. This bookshop is so vast that you can do all this, and still only be on the first floor.
2. Berkelouw is so crammed with secondhand and (in glass cases) rare books that they provide old-fashioned wooden foot-stools and ladders so you can reach the top shelf.
3. Lonely Planet loves it too. ‘Expecting the dank aroma of secondhand books? Forget it! Follow your nose up to the cafe, then browse through three floors of preloved tomes, new releases, antique maps and Australia’s largest collection of rare books.’
4. It’s not just about old books. Downstairs you’ll find a huge selection of brand new releases and some bookish gifts, like tote bags with illustrations of old Jane Austen classics and some lovely candles for your hotel room or Air BnB apartment.
5. There are bargains ahoy in the secondhand book section on the top floor. Expect change from a $20 note.
6. This part of Oxford Street is also home to Ariel (directly across the road) which has a stunning selection of magazines, journals, brand-new bestsellers, cards, notebooks, diaries and a big hipster art/fashion/music section.
7. If you need to buy a one-off present for your hosts, or for people at home, Berkelouw has a great Australiana range.
8. It’s so easy to get to. If you’re staying in Sydney CBD just find the bottom of Oxford Street near Hyde Park and walk straight up. Berkelouw is about 15-20 minutes away, on the right-hand side of the street.
9. Berkelouw is open late.
10. If you’re in town for a week or two, check out their visiting author events and book launches on the website.
You can buy The Holiday Goddess Handbag Guide to Paris, London, New York and Rome (Jessica Adams and Anna Johnson, HarperCollins) at Booktopia now.
