Leakey's Bookshop Reviews Summary

Book Selection and Quality

Pros:

• "They have books of every genre, and all of their books are in pristine condition."
• "A huge amount of books that are properly organized."
• "A huge travel section, fantasy, sci-fi, gardening and classics- it's all here."
• "A vast collection of classic novels mixed in with an array of new aspiring authors and some rare first editions."
• "An absolutely beautiful bookshop with a huge range of books across diverse fields."
• "A huge amazing collection of old vintage and new books."
• "Great selection of books that you wouldn't be able to get anywhere else."

Cons:

• "very poor selection of children's books."
• "Also I found the collection pretty dull, music, art and biography sections were particularly poor."
• "The price of the books also appear to be high for my budget."
• "The prices aren’t that cheap for a secondhand library, so it’s more of a tourist stop."
• "It's incredibly expensive for secondhand books, there's very little organisation so difficult to find anything you might be after."
• "The books on sale are mainly collectors items and out of print non fiction."
• "The prices are pretty high and most books are more interesting in their material value than their textual content."

Shop Atmosphere and Layout

Pros:

• "As soon as you walk in, it smells of old books! I love that!"
• "A beautiful shop, well laid out and looked after books, friendly staff and a calm atmosphere."
• "The whole place smells gloriously of old books and it was very quiet and peaceful even when busy."
• "The wood burning fireplace in the center provides warmth and a dichotomy for the mind to ponder."
• "The log burner is a fantastic touch too, makes it feel so warm."
• "Feels just like Belle’s library in Beauty and The Beast."
• "The ambience and decor of the bookstore will give you pretty cozy feeling."

Cons:

• "Be aware before you visit, beautiful as this place is you may have difficulty with sloping floors, steps etc if you are not fully mobile or have wheels."
• "The place was a wee bit cold on the top floor (far from the fireplace)."
• "Very difficult to navigate with no letter labels."
• "impossible to find anything."
• "A little bit chaotic in regards of the organization of some of the topics."
• "I though found it hard to locate items."
• "Only negative was the damp foosty smell of some older books."

Customer Service

Pros:

• "The staff are helpful in locating the area where you are likely to find something in line with your interests or hobbies."
• "Staff friendly and helpful."
• "The gentleman behind the desk had amazing knowledge of the stock and can be relied on for advice and guidance."
• "The owners son was very helpful finding a first edition book not found out on the shelves but kept in the back."
• "Staff always know where to find stuff."
• "The two gentlemen were knowledgeable and friendly."
• "Not only is it a beautiful shop, the staff will go above and beyond to help anyone they can!"

Cons:

• "No sincere offer of help was forthcoming."
• "Unfriendly staff."
• "Experience slightly tainted by the surly, very unfriendly and unhelpful lady behind the counter."
• "We had come up from a wee bit away and didn't get a pleasant welcoming for some reason."
• "We knew from the frosty reception when we entered with our toddler that it wasn't going to be the enjoyable hour followed by an exit with armfuls of books that we were looking for."
• "was immediately rudely treated by the man working there telling me that don't give any recommendations."
• "was rudely told to not let him touch them again."

Facilities and Accessibility

Pros:

• "A former church stacked with books of every sort."
• "Fantastic space (old church) with huge range of secondhand books."
• "A gem of a bookstore which has preserved the quiet atmosphere of the former chapel in which it is housed."
• "A Bibliophile's Mecca."
• "An absolute gem."
• "Such a beautiful place to visit."
• "This bookshop is in such an incredible building and shocks you as soon as you work in just due to the sheer volume of books."

Cons:

• "Sadly no cafe anymore."
• "there is no cafe facilities anymore and nowhere to sit."
• "It's a shame they got rid of the café that we used to enjoy here."
• "Be warned it can get very busy and there is no place to sit and relax."
• "There is not a wheelchair accessible entrance."
• "This one had enough space to walk around and explore."
• "Access is limited due to COVID-19 but is being well managed and individual cubes for books make it a safe feeling atmosphere."