Bookstor: get cosy with books and coffee
In the heart of the center, on the Noordeinde, you'll find an old building with large yellow and white canopies. On the street there is a Parisian-like terrace. But there’s one thing you’ll see everyone do: reading and drinking coffee. If you’re ever around that area, we’re pretty sure you arrived at the Bookstor. Come inside!
History in books and in store
Let’s take a walk down memory lane. This beautiful building has a long history of selling books. Nearly 100 years ago this was the only bookstore in the Netherlands where you could find law and judicial books. The entire first floor was packed with cupboards filled to the ceiling with all kinds of national and international legal works. Now, 99 years later, those cupboards are still filled. But with different kinds of books, Dutch and English and fiction and non-fiction. What hasn’t changed that much is parts of the interior. You’ll even find one of these old movable stairs to get to the top shelf.
A living room for book and coffee lovers
Nowadays the Bookstor is a bookshop and café in one. It's a perfect place to escape from the busy city centre. With a calm vibe, music on a nice and low volume and great coffee. The shop is exactly like a living room, except it’s packed with books (we dere you to find a empty spot). There’s a big table to read the newspaper on, Persian rugs, plants, wooden cupboards and the smell of fresh coffee and new books. Also, on the end of the shop is an old conservatory with stained glass and a huge window as a ceiling. Prefer to sit outside? There is room in front of the shop, but if you walk through the shop there are also places outside to sit. In their small greenhouse for example. Take a seat on the sofa surrounded by (ofcourse) more books.
The smell of fresh coffee and new books
The Bookstor likes to keep things natural. Everything is bought locally. The coffee is from a local roaster and fruit and veggies are bought around the area. They make great sweet treats, but ofcourse tea lovers are also more than welcome to get cosy in their historic shop.
In the Bookstor, history is not only told in the books, but also in the building itself. And if you’re not a book-and-coffee type of person, you can still have a look at their tours. Rent a bike and explore the city yourself or get in a boat and let you guide through the city.
