Delhi has the most magical cafés and Delhi winter perks everything up. We found book cafés hidden inside book stores and book stores hidden inside cafés. You’re in for one hell of a Delhi winter because we have found the perfect places to cuddle up with a book. Find the copies you were looking for and borrow or buy at these special libraries and book stores that serve the warmest air and yummiest food in the city!
1. Blue Tokai inside Bahrisons Booksellers
This is a visual paradise run by a family since 1953. Rows and columns of books and books create a maze of knowledge inside a glass façade. In the corner rests Blue Tokai and it’s amazing food menu. The smell of coffee mixed with blue blood binds does not relegate any section of literature to the lesser. There are books for ever genre and every budget. People there buy a copy and finish the book in the best vibe they could ask for, ready for a new day and a new book. Just grab one of their famous croissants and camp out!
Where: R 1, Ground Floor, Unit 1 & 2, Rectangle Building 1, Saket back entrance of DLF Mall
Also read: Have You Tried These Unique Coffees In Delhi NCR Yet?
2. Cha Bar inside Oxford Bookstore
Oxford Bookstore is a city gem in its centre. It has been the door to teleportation since 1919. It shifted base in 2004 and is now home to Delhi’s most unique tea bar, Cha Bar. They serve over 150 varieties of tea from flowering to fruit. Their Gulabjamun Cheesecake, Bun Tikki and Bubble Tea were trend setters. You will never tire of this place. The book cafe’s architecture is fascinating, and the book store is huge with an interesting crowd always occupying space.
Where: N 81, Barakhamba Road, Block N, Connaught Place
3. Bookshelves inside Ivy & Bean
This is a winter hotspot in Delhi. Those who can traverse the lanes of Shahpurjat go straight to this beautiful insta-worthy café which constantly plays the all-time best playlist. The music induces the book café vibe instantly. A tall and proud wall of books welcome guests with love and care into a world where music, reading and being yourself is the norm. While you’re there, try pancakes for soul food!
Where: 119, 1st Floor, Sishan House, Shahpur Jat
4. Bookshelf inside Book Talk The Book Café
From old classics to newest editions, their collection will keep you there for days. Book Talk is a cute and cozy library café. You can borrow, read, eat and return. Their policy encourages reading habits for those of us who can’t go a day without a snack outside the house. The best part is that it’s in Dwarka, so locals don’t have to travel far for a taste of the trend.
Where: Plot 24, Opposite Bal Bharti Public School, Sector 12, Dwarka
5. Books at Café Green
Having a place to read in Chittaranjan Park is a gift of god. People are always hustling here. Noise, traffic and food define this place. It’s surely a cultural hub and that comes with a lot of visitors. In the middle of all this, Café Green created a safe space for us. They serve all the C R Park favourites like momos and street Chinese but with a change of air we so desperately needed.
Where: Shop 145, 1st Floor, Market 2, Chittaranjan Park
6. The Reader’s Café
We don’t know if there’s a library inside the café of a café inside a library. We’re just grateful for its existence. This place goes all out on bookworms with a book-themed menu! It’s got a foreword, prologue, chapters and finally, conclusion. They have the creamiest mocha frappe for reading into the night!
Where: 208-212, Indirapuram Habitat Centre, Ahinsa Khand I, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad
7. The Nerdy Indian Cafe
What if someone rewarded you for eating yummy food? Eat for ₹500 and get 1 free book; eat food worth ₹500-₹999 and get 2 free books; eat food worth ₹999-₹1,499 and get 3 free books; you get the drill. The Nerdy Indian Cafe in South Delhi is India’s first cafe that came up with the concept of giving customers a free book with every order they place. Visit this turquoise themed book café alone, more than 1000 books will keep you company. Splurge on some of their quirky named dishes like Mar-Gayi-Rita Pizza, Mango Rasgulla & Potato Tikki Mili Bhagat, Butter Chicken Momos, Nutella Parantha and loads more, you’ll be rewarded! Café Illiterati In McLeod Ganj Offers Free Meals For Books! Carry A Book You Think They’d Want And Dine At This Cliffside Mountain Cafe For Free!
Where: 634, Lane Number 3, Said-ul-Ajaib, Sainik Farm
8. Bookshelf inside Another Fine Day – Cafe & Reading Room
Mezze platters and fiction is a great combination! Travel to the middle east with hummus in your hands for just another fine day at this book café. This is a great place to enjoy your me time and when you need a break from yourself, grab a scrabble board and dare anyone to play. It’s a great way to bond with strangers, share stories and gasp at literary plots!
Where: Cafe & Reading Room – MPD Towers, DLF Golf Course Road, Gurgaon
9. Turtle Café in the middle of books, books and more books
Walls covered in books from floor to ceiling with not an inch to spare are home to a book café in the centre. People visit this place not for the food, but for the books. It’s a great place to placebo yourself into believing you’re an avid reader until you become one. The vibe is unique and infectious. People who plug in here and wish to work are sometimes victims of snare from the administration but, readers are welcome to grab a bite along with a short read!
Where: 8, Nizamuddin East Market, Nizamuddin
These book cafés in Delhi are sacred treasures for people who find solace here every day. Away from the city that never stops, these places provide peace and quiet. We miss the days when reading used to be compulsory so we’re bringing back the old days. Make reading your new year resolution at these amazing cafés!