London's best bookshops

Despite the age of internet shopping, there's nothing quite like the simple pleasure of rummaging around a cosy bookshop. London's crammed with such emporiums — and we don't mean the high-street chain stores. We've selected five charming places in town in which to pick up your very own special folio.

FOYLES

There’s nowhere quite like Foyles, which has been resident on Charing Cross Road since 1906. Foyles used to be London's biggest bookshop before the monoliths of Borders and Waterstones began their inexorable rise. But it’s still impressive, with five floors crammed with books and millions of titles, as well as Ray's Jazz, Silver Moon (specialist women's books) and a delicious café.

119 Charing Cross Road, WC2. Tel: (020) 7437 5660. Tube: Leicester Square

CHILDREN'S BOOK CENTRE

This charming shop is perfect for finding the right tome for your little darlings. With 15,000 titles in stock for children aged 1-15, helpful and knowledgeable staff, plus toys, videos, audio books and multimedia, you’re sure to come out of there a little lighter in the pocket.

237 Kensington High Street, W8 6SA. Tel: (020) 7937 7497. Tube: High Street Kensington

DOVER BOOKSHOP

Tiny and cramped it may be, but the Dover is deemed 'essential' by booklovers. It specialises in copyright and royalty-free image books in graphic and fine art, as well as old woodcuts, prints and drawings. A wonderful collection, whether you’re an art aficionado or not.

18 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LG. Tel: (020) 7836 2111. Tube: Covent Garden

HATCHARDS

It's veeery posh and grand, is Hatchards, what with being the oldest bookshop in London and all. Open since 1797, with efficient staff and an extremely refined atmosphere (it boasts two Royal warrants), it’s the classiest place to browse and buy. Countless writers also choose Hatchards in which to do their book siginings.

187 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LE. Tel: (020) 7439 9921. Tube: Green Park

GRANT & CUTLER

Interested in learning a new language? Make Grant and Cutler your first stop. It's the UK's biggest foreign-language bookshop and a fantastic resource for all areas this encompasses. From language books to foreign films, medical dictionaries, grammatical references and popular fiction, G&C is a must-stop.

55-57 Great Marlborough Street, W1F 7AY. Tel: (020) 7734 2012. Tube: Oxford Circus