Daunt Books — Local services in London

A normally refreshing experience at a bookstore which I consider a cultural refuge in The City was ruined by the laziness and condescension of the staff member called Cat or Nat (sorry don’t quite remember).

Abdulrazak Gurnah’s latest novel was on the counter, and I asked where we could find his other books. After looking it up on the computer, Cat/Nat replied, to our utter dismay “downstairs between Tanzania and Zanzibar”. We were confused so asked for further explanation to which Cat/Nat replied “that’s the answer the computer gave, because the plots of the novels are set between Tanzania and Zanzibar”. To which I said “OK so we go downstairs and look for East Africa then”. She answered “the computer says between Tanzania and Zanzibar, I don’t know about East Africa”. We went downstairs and guess what, the books were under East Africa. When we came back up to pay, I pointed out to Cat/Nat where we had found the books. She could not have cared less! By then, of course, I had a total sense of humor failure and asked for her name. So out came the passive-aggressive condescending over-friendliness; high-pitched tone, fake smile and feigned interest from someone who could barely hide her previous annoyance when we tried to understand the “between Tanzania and Zanzibar” statement

I will never begrudge someone for not having the answer; Abdulrazak Gurnah happens to be a Literature Nobel laureate, his latest book is on the counter, you work for a bookstore…. It’s ok if you’ve never heard of him…. but try or at least pretend to be helpful.

So fellow bibliophiles, brace yourselves if you go to Daunt Books Cheapside and Cat/Nat is behind the counter: 0 customer service skills, but she is a...

Daunt Books in the City of London has quickly become one of my favorite bookstores, both for its collection and its customer service. I first discovered them while looking for the Harry Potter pop-up editions by MinaLima. I was able to order most of the series from them and have the books shipped directly to the U.S., which was a smooth and easy process. For the third volume, I had the opportunity to pick it up in person. Wanting to make sure it was in stock, I called ahead, and the staff kindly held a copy aside for me. That extra effort gave me peace of mind and showed how attentive and thoughtful they are with their customers.

When I arrived, the team was just as friendly and genuine in person as they had been over the phone. There was no rushed or transactional feeling—just a true love of books and a willingness to help. Beyond my specific order, I was impressed by the overall collection in the shop. The shelves were filled with carefully curated titles across genres, and the atmosphere made me want to linger and browse longer.

Overall, Daunt Books offers not only a wonderful selection but also a customer experience that feels personal...

I am a big admirer of London’s Daunt Bookshops. But discovered this small bookshop only recently. And was pleasantly surprised. This is an excellent small bookshop, really well stocked, as is the case of all other Daunt Bookshops. What struck me most is the layout of the display of books: books are very well organised and it is evident that some really professional book lovers work in this shop. This bookshop seems to have all the new editions and really highly reviewed recent books on display so that they could be easily accessible. The shop looks smaller on the outside but in fact it’s not that tiny. It even has a section of children’s books. And all other sections, including travel, cookbooks, recent editions and new titles, poetry, history, reference books and sections according to continents and countries. In short, it is an outstanding small bookshop done in the traditional Daunt Books style - with green lampshades characteristic to all Daunt Bookshops and very well stocked and well organised. And a must see for not only book lovers but London lovers! Since Daunt Bookshops are an integral part of...