12 alternative Brussels bookshops

Librebook brings together a unique selection of contemporary fiction from over thirty European countries, in twenty languages. In this bookshop you can set off on a cultural discovery tour of Europe, based on a multilingual selection of essays, graphic novels, novels and travel guides. Their offer also includes cookery and lifestyle books.

For more than twenty years, Martin Margiela House has been THE meeting place for fashion lovers visiting Brussels and the Dansaert neighbourhood. This famous white house, now home to the Saint-Martin Bookshop, is a unique bookshop for art collectors that has managed to preserve Margiela's original spirit.

With the opening of Grafik, Schaerbeek inherited a discovery space focused on illustration and graphic art. Meet a generation of passionate artists, take part in workshops and start experimenting yourself. Grafik offers you the key to a whole universe of committed artists and craftsmen.

Het Ivoren Aapje, named after the Brussels-based novel by Herman Teirlinck, was founded in 1999 by historian Frederik Deflo. This antiquarian bookshop offers literary and historical works in various languages (Dutch, French, German, English, Italian, Spanish and Russian), but always has room for philosophy and other human sciences. This cosy, literary gold mine is definitely worth a visit!

Right in the centre of Brussels you'll find Lagrange Points Brussels, a place of cultural exchange. This initiative was created by a group of friends who wanted to create a dialogue between Arabic and Western culture. Discover classics from the Arab and Western worlds, in various languages.

Fancy some English literature and vintage objects? Tulibris has just what you need! Aalst artist Peter De Meersman opened his rue de la Tulipe shop in 2015. This Ixelles book shop offers a careful selection of second-hand English books, both fiction and non-fiction, at democratic prices. The vintage look of the shop is also worth the detour!

This bookshop specialises primarily in non-fiction. More specifically, it deals with themes such as European politics, Belgian and international law, language study and academic textbooks. Here you'll find an extensive and multilingual offer.

Piola Libri is a bookshop, an Italian cultural centre, a wine bar, a music bar hosting concerts and a restaurant with delicious antipasti all rolled into one! Italian expats keep up with the news and the latest trends from their own country here and curious Brussels 'world citizens' appreciate the richness and beauty of the Italian culture that's on offer.

Travel is one of our favourite pastimes and we're now exploring far beyond our national borders. Anticyclone des Açores is a beautiful, specialised travel bookstore a stone's throw from rue Neuve. With their multilingual offer, the whole world is at your feet, and you can look forward to crossing the next dream destination off your bucket list!

Everyone speaks the language of music, but can you also play and read it? This speciality bookshop on rue Saint-Christophe has been around for more than fifty years and is a gold mine of scores, music books and other musical study material. This bookshop is a stunning musical gem, in the heart of the Saint-Géry neighbourhood!

Previously known as Het B-Gevaar, Expo 59 is Brussels' only Dutch-language comic book store. For almost thirty years now, owner Erik Deneyer has been helping comic book fanatics find their ideal comic strips. And he's good at it, as you can see from the reviews on the website. Expo 59 Magazine recently saw the light of day, following in the footsteps of the major literary magazines. Through this collaboration, Expo 59 and non-profit organisation Bakelitte & Formika shed light on a creative and cultural avant-garde.

Pépite Blues is a French-language bookshop in Ixelles that shines the spotlight on African world literature, stocking African, Afro-European, Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean works. Feel like broadening your horizons?