Serendipity
Tucked away cosily in the lobby of Claridges Hotel is the bookstore Serendipity. You can saunter in and browse through their vast collection of books, ranging from fiction, non-fiction, self-help, religious, lifestyle, motivational, children’s books & more. We love their snug alcove, placed next to the hotel’s Ye Old Bakery, where you can pour into your chosen work of words while the bakery hands you some delish treats. Indulging everyone’s special ‘dessert stomach’, it is one of the oldest patisseries in Delhi, serving some moreish cookies, cakes, pastries & freshly baked breads. We believe it is a sin to come back without trying out their Corn Pudding & Bitter Chocolate Cake. And if a quiet reading corner with scrumptious bites was not enough good fortune, they also offer stationary, perfumes & aromatherapy candles. Extra chip in the cookie, they’re happy to deliver books and stationary to you!
Find Serendipity here: The Claridges, 12 Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Road, New Delhi
Full Circle Bookstore & Cafe Turtle
Spread across two individual floors in Khan Market are Full Circle Bookstore and Cafe Turtle. The cafe was an initiative by the bookstore to create a tranquil yet interactive space, that allows people to kick back with their world of words and delicious fare. They definitely hit the spot, especially with the quaint balcony, which deludes you into believing that you’re turning the page while sipping a cuppa in the hills & not a bustling market place in Delhi. The store stocks an expansive collection of books, its shelves lined with titles on any possible topic under the sun; along with this selection, Full Circle Bookstore also runs its own publishing project. They make their food with as much love as they curate books with, sourcing local ingredients & creating seasonal menus. In the summer you can delight in fresh juices & light bites, while winters come with hot chocolate mugs & cosy balcony fires, coupled with the year round serving of Indian, Italian and Lebanese courses. Giving the illusion of a treehouse, we find Cafe Turtle ace not just for some downtime, but catching up over a cuppa too! Spreading the love, they’ve also set up shop at two other locations, i.e., Greater Kailash & Nizamuddin.
Life comes a full circle here: a) Shop no. 23, 2nd Floor, Middle Lane, Khan Market, New Delhi
Sakleys
Sakleys The Mountain Cafe in Greater Kailash offers an intimate setting, and true to its name, transports you to the hills. It houses a selection of old & new books, which according to us, are best read on the two oversized chairs next to their fireplace-completing the mountain experience! The decor has been created with barks of real tree trunks, reminiscent of the cedars & oaks of Nainital, where the cafe was founded in 1944. Recreating the mountain magic in Delhi & Gurgaon, Sakleys makes for a peaceful mini-getaway within the city, whipping up some delectable Italian and continental cuisine to pick from while you bury that nose in novels. We love spending a peaceful Sunday at the hillside-hut style cafe, enjoying their brunch and ending it with a soulful performance by the musicians they entertain.
As Sakleys says, find the ‘little bit of mountain in you’ here: a) M-23, Greater Kailash (GK) 1, New Delhi
Ivy & Bean Cafe
Bringing together the holy match of books & coffee is Ivy & Bean in Shahpur Jat. The walls lined with books and a bistro-style seating makes for the perfect setting to grab a book & a bite. They have a line up of books across varied genres, with a focus on fiction novels. The cafe has both, indoor and outdoor seating & houses artful decor with fairy lights, bird cages and mason jars-seemingly popping right out of a dream! They offer a mix of Australian, English & Italian cuisines, with the Banoffee Pancakes and the Lasagnas making it to our regulars’ list; and we never leave the cafe without downing their Mocha Hazelnut coffee. This charming cafe is an incredible space not just for a read, but they also allow you to donate & rent books free of charge!
Find it here: 119, Sishan House, Shahpur Jat, New Delhi.
Another Fine Day
A cafe & reading room, the serene Another Fine Day is juxtaposed with the buzzing Golf Course Road in Gurgaon. They have a dedicated shelf of reading books, and the large windows, red brick walls & towering lampshades lend the place an ambience of a study that you’d never want to leave. They serve continental and Mediterranean fare, with their Eggs Benedict and Mezze Platters keeping us company as we leaf through books. Serving cuppa joes, books & tipples all under one roof-this cafe has made sure that us DSSC peeps never move base! They round off yet another fine day by letting guests borrow books, there’s no tag attached to it except the intention to return the book.
Have Another Fine Day here: Ground Floor, MPD Towers, DLF Golf Course Road, Golf Course Road, Gurgaon.
And with that, we’re headed to one of our fave book cafes with our reading glasses & books in tow. See you there-or will you?