10 Cozy Bookstore Bars in NYC

As New York braces for record-breaking cold this winter, there’s no better way to stay warm than by curling up with a good book and sipping on a perfectly crafted cocktail. Fortunately, the city’s newest trend—bookstore bars—brings these simple pleasures together. Blending the charm of a well-curated bookshop with the inviting spirit of a neighborhood bar, these cozy spots are the ultimate retreat from the chill. Explore our curated list of New York’s best book bars below and find your next favorite hideaway.

Bookstore Bars in Manhattan

Book Club Bar

197 East Third Street (Avenue B), New York, NY 10009

Located in the East Village, Book Club Bar is an independent general bookstore that doubles as a full-service cocktail and espresso bar. Large, comfy chairs invite you to cozy up with a book while sipping on handcrafted drinks (don’t miss their specialty cocktails).

Bibliotheque

54 Mercer Street, New York, NY 10013

Located in the heart of SoHo, Bibliotheque feels like an expansion of a grand home library. The wine bar bookstore features wooden bookshelves, leather upholstered chairs, and an extensive wine list. It also offers a full dinner menu in the evenings and pastries during the day. 

Whether you’re perched at the marble-topped bar for a solo date with a glass of wine or tucked into a corner with a new read, Bibliotheque offers a serene escape from the city’s hustle and bustle. Don’t miss their art collection, either: on top of beautiful interior design, the bookshop also houses a beautiful private collection featuring the work of artists such as Damien Hirst, Roy Lichtenstein, Rashid Johnson, and Henri Matisse.

Sullaluna

41 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014

Sullaluna is an independent children’s bookstore and bistro in the West Village. With a charming interior and a robust menu of hearty Italian food, it’s the perfect place to get comfy with a book and have some wine, soup, and pasta. Sullaluna boasts an aesthetically curated selection of children’s books, hand-picked by founders Francesca and Rodolfo Rizzi, though the space makes crowds of all ages feel welcome. The establishment’s natural soft lighting also allows for a great remote work environment during the day. 

Sullaluna hosts a handful of art- and design-focused programming, such as talks with picture book creators from Italy and the United States, Wine and Watercolor socials, and more.

McNally Jackson Seaport

4 Fulton St. New York, NY 10038

Manhattan’s independent bookstore staple, McNally Jackson has an outpost in the historic Schermerhorn Row building, a structure that dates back to 1811. This storefront in the South Street Seaport contains thoughtfully curated books across two floors. The café and wine bar serves coffee, snacks, beer, and wine, making it the perfect spot to linger while diving into your latest read. With a robust lineup of panels, book clubs, and other events, there’s always something happening here. Don’t forget to check out their exclusive merch and ask about upcoming programming while you’re browsing.

Bookstore Bars in Brooklyn

Liz’s Book Bar

315 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

This nook in Carroll Gardens is a bookstore, coffee shop, and wine bar all wrapped up in one. Liz’s Book Bar carries over 4,000 titles across genres: from literary fiction and philosophy to contemporary essays, you name it. Liz’s is proudly Black-owned, woman-owned, and author-owned. Everything at Liz’s is hand-picked, including wines sourced from France and Italy and beers from local breweries. The shop also serves a range of coffee, tea, and pastries from Bien Cuit to accompany your reading.

Liz’s offers a subscription program called Liz’s Insider’s Club, through which you can get a discounted hardcover and a free drink whenever you come in to pick out a monthly book. You can opt into a 3-month, 6-month, or 1-year subscription.

Anaïs Wine Bar

196 Bergen St, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Named after the renowned author Anaïs Nin—celebrated for her surrealist voice and groundbreaking work in feminist erotica—the eponymous Anaïs Wine Bar pays homage to Nin’s bold and exploratory spirit. Anaïs is a sister establishment to restaurants and wine bars June, Rhodora, and Rucola, all of which are managed by Oberon Hospitality Group.

Past its gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows is a large bookshelf that showcases the bar’s range of wines as well as its book selection inspired by Anaïs Nin’s influences (think Proust, Miller, and a broad range of psychology and feminist literature), curated by Jessica DuPont, the owner of Half Moon Books in Kingston, New York.

Molasses Books

770 Hart St, Brooklyn, NY 11237

Open until midnight 7 days a week, Molasses Books is a small used bookstore and bar in Bushwick that allows for late-night chatter, relaxed reads, and of course, drinks! Opened in 2012, Molassses was a pioneer in the hybrid bookstore and bar model that is trendy now. The independent bookstore is a homey one, with coffee served in mugs and folding chairs at one's disposal. If you come earlier in the day, sit at the small round tables by the window and people watch while basking in the natural light. Featuring an eclectic mix of used books, new and old, signed and unsigned, Molasses is a true gem, offering a small selection of beer, wine, tea, and coffee in a space that feels so cozy one can only be reminded of home. Molasses now also has a small printing press of its own, so make sure to snag a copy of their publications if you see one. They're few and far between!

Bookstore Bars in the Bronx

The Lit. Bar, 131 Alexander Avenue (134th Street)

131 Alexander Ave, Bronx, NY 10454

The Lit Bar is an independent bookstore and wine bar in Mott Haven, Bronx. Founded by Bronx native Noëlle Santos, this groundbreaking spot made history as the first brick-and-mortar wine bar bookstore in the neighborhood. Santos opened the store in 2019 after being inspired by the closure of the only Barnes & Noble in the Bronx and the lack of independent bookstores in the borough. With a mission to bring literature and community together, The Lit Bar boasts a large range of books, with everything from mystery to biography to horror. Their bar serves a variety of wine, charcuterie boards, and other snacks and beverages in a bright and lush plant-decorated interior. This inviting space in South Bronx where visitors connect over books, food platters, and drinks is sure to be worth the visit. 

Bookstore Bars in Queens

Topos Too

59-22 Myrtle Ave, Ridgewood, NY 11385

Topos Too, an extension of Ridgewood's long-established used bookstore Topos, opened in 2023 as a cafe and events space. You'll find the bookstore marked by a neon Cheshire Cat sign in its window between the words TOPOS TOO. Topos Too, unlike Topos, sells only new books. They offer a full menu of coffee, wine, pastries, and beer alongside beautiful modernist interiors and pops of color in a light-filled space that also allows for remote work. Plus, if you'd like to take some old books off your hands, you can walk a couple blocks to Topos, their original location, where they buy secondhand and used copies of all varieties. If you'd like an afternoon to yourself browsing through beautifully curated publications further away from the bustle of Manhattan, this is the place to be.

Bonus: The Fountain Bookshop

803 W 187th St, New York, NY 10033

Though not a bookstore bar per se, The Fountain Bookshop is a vibrant community-centered bookstore in Washington Heights that doubles as an ice cream and soda shop. Established by longtime pastry chef Karah Rempe Pinto, who owns Dutch Baby Bakery just a few doors down the street, the Fountain Bookshop boasts an old-fashioned soda fountain as well as a large selection of ice creams, drinks, and desserts. (Pinto plans on expanding the menu to include a larger range of treats soon.) Pinto's background as an English teacher, combined with her experience as a pastry chef and dedication to creating a "third space" within the neighborhood, led to the conception of the Fountain Bookstore. This indie bookshop has corners you can cozy up in, shelves full of every genre you can possibly think of, and even hot chocolate during the holiday season. While no alcohol is served, we think the sweet treats here are just as much fun.