Foyles Book Shop London (Soho)

One of London's most famous stores, Foyles on-going re-development has ensured it stays relevant. Still great for out-of-print books.

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Foyles reviews

We love Foyles! My dad went often in the 1950s, and now my husband and I have been going since the 1990s. Every time we are in London, Foyles is a must. A very unique bookshopping experience. I agree that the messed up look is part of the charm, especially on the upper floors - it gives you a feel for 'book treasure hunting'!

by SNBD, 19 May 2008

Haven't been there for 20 years but it was a browser's paradise. Untidy? Not what I would say. Instead: many a treasure waiting to be found. I was stunned by the lack of sales terminals (everything was done by hand on little slips of paper) and having my purchase hand wrapped in brown paper and tied up with string.

by colonial, 27 Aug 2007

I have 'hovered' over many a book in Foyles, it used to be a great place back in the 50's and 60's. It was said that if you couldn't find it in Foyles you wouldn't find it anywhere else - very true! I think some of your 'visitors' miss the point when comparing Foyles against other shops or complain about the untidy state of the floors - THAT was Foyles, it was part of their charm - too many places are the same - they weren't, THANK GOD!

by Speedy, 16 Nov 2005

I used to visit Foyles very often when I was attending Faraday House Engineering college in the late 60s in Southampton Row. Then Foyles for me and all my friends was the place to go and spend some of our spare time checking out old engineering books and books on Maths and electrical engineering.

I am now looking for another old book called "A shilling arithmetic" and I will contact Foyles today (15/08/05) as none of the other book stores could help. Foyles was and still for me a London icon.

by Satyanand, 15 Aug 2005

I like their collection of Chet Baker CDs and books on mathematics.

As for the girl who got dumped (see below), too bad. I think Foyles would be a cool place to fall in love in. He must be a complete idiot. If that guy ever reads this, let's hope he gets hit by a truck, hey?

by Ted Ripley, 02 Aug 2005

I met the love of my life in Foyles and then he dumped me two months later, so Foyles is the worst place in the world for me. It had good coffee though.

by Anonymous, 02 Mar 2005

It used to be the best book shop in London for a certain type of book worm. You could spend many happy hours lost in different sections scanning books you simply couldn't find anywhere else before the days of Amazon. The staff were always a little surly, which often meant you learnt a thing or two about medicine, warfare or nuclear science while tracing down the latest Frederick Forsythe yourself! It's still a great place for finding that elusive book, but since it's been modernised I think some of the old magic's been lost. It didn't suit everybody, as the previous review attests to, but it's lost that individuality and has become another of the big commercial bookshops in the centre of London now. And the staff are now quite helpful; it's not the place I was used to!

by Anonymous, 02 Feb 2005

I've never understood the attraction of Foyles. It's always been a mess, but it is a large commercial venture, not some tiny shop like the ones lower down Charing Cross Road. So it lacks the right appeal to be a messy place. It feels uncared for and unkempt, and only a step away in atmosphere and quality from those bookshops where everything is one pound. I don't see the virtue in just being lacklustre.

by macaonghus (4 reviews), 21 Jan 2005

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