Alternative Brussels bookshops

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.

Rue de Flandre 114, 1000 Brussels

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.

Avenue Louis Bertrand 30, 1030 Schaerbeek

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!

Rue du Cyprès 14, 1000 Brussels

Located in the heart of Anderlecht's picturesque historic centre, Herbes folles is a true neighbourhood bookshop. It offers a high-quality selection of novels, comics, essays and children's literature, not to mention literary and cultural events. The shelves are also lined with plants and items crafted by local artisans. Here, you can sit down, have a coffee and make connections with others.

Rue Saint-Guidon 30, 1070 Anderlecht

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!

Rue de la Tulipe 25, 1050 Ixelles

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.

Rue de l'Orme 1, 1000 Brussels

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.

Rue Franklin 66-68, 1000 Brussels

SchaerBook is an ‘epicurean bookshop’. Its two founders want their shop to be a place dedicated to life's simple pleasures: a good book, a delicious coffee, a slice of cake, a comforting herbal tea... Just a stone's throw from place des Chasseurs Ardennais, you'll find a broad selection of books for adults and children, as well as stationery, illustrations and more. The bookshop, housed in a magnificent Art Deco building, also organises literary evenings, meetings with authors and other events that bring the neighbourhood to life.

Avenue Léon Mahillon 91, 1030 Schaerbeek

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!

Rue Saint-Christophe 30, 1000 Brussels 

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?

Rue Lesbroussart 31, 1050 Ixelles