5 bookshops for bookworms in San Francisco

This isn’t your average book shop. The selections are more minimal and mostly focused on current topics, subjects and local interests, so there is a continuous rotation. They also stock some of the latest fiction and non-fiction books, too. The back has a great wooden play and reading area for kids.

One of the best independent bookstores selling new and used books, magazines, and other nifty items. Enjoy the sound of the creaky wooden floorboards as you browse the ceiling-high stacks, then hide out in one of the nooks and dive into the pile of books you’ve gathered.

This dear little bookshop is solely dedicated to cooking, growing, and just loving food. They carry a vast selection of new and vintage recipe books and magazines. Many chefs and authors make guest appearances and sign their books here, so be sure to check the calendar to see who might be popping in next.

Head here for the books and the history. Founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, it is a landmark independent bookstore and publisher specializing in world literature, arts, and progressive politics. It also happens to be the bookshop that put famous beatnik writers like Jack Kerouac in the spotlight.

As a practicing architect, Bill Stout frequented Europe bringing back hard-to-find architectural books plus extra copies for friends. That became the start of his bookshop, and thirty years later he continues to carry titles dedicated to architecture, art, urban planning, graphic and industrial design, furniture, interiors and landscapes. You’ll find his shop in Jackson Square.