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There’s nothing quite like a good bookshop. That delicious new book smell, shelves stacked with endless beautiful covers and spines, and the lingering possibility that you just might bump into a bumbling Hugh Grant (we can dream). And even better if it’s a pretty location. So, we have some good news for bibliophiles and hopeful romantics – a new book shop and café has opened right next to Hampstead Heath, and it looks ever so charming.
Funny Weather, a bookshop and café, has opened its doors at 31 Grove Terrace in NW5. The yellow-painted store opened just before Christmas on December 22 2025. Inside, it’s stocked with a range of fiction, non-fiction, contemporary and classic books. There are also reading nooks and places to sit with a coffee, or to work. Funny Weather also serves barista coffee and pastries, making it the perfect place to spend a few hours with your nose in a novel.
In other London literary news, one London bookshop was named one of the best in the world in December 2025. The independent seller Donlon Books in London fields was crowned as one of Cultured magazine’s top bookshops on the planet. Founded in 2008, the Broadway Market store is known for its idiosyncratic selection of books and magazines covering counterculture, art, photography, music and fashion, many of which are rare and sourced directly from indie publishers and individual creators.
And if that isn’t enough inspiration to get you to pick up a book in 2026, here’s Time Out’s pick of London’s best bookshops. Happy reading!
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