Reviews by macaonghus

Waterstone's (Bookshop)
21 January 2005

Great choice, nice bar with views at the top, a bit soul-less but you can't beat it for the number of books. Proud to have this store in London.

Foyles (Bookshop)
21 January 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.

Hatchard's (Bookshop)
21 January 2005

Hatchard's is THE nice bookshop in London, set next to Fortnum & Mason, opposite the Royal Academy. The shop feels luxurious and they have a great range of books (although they could do with more children's books), in nice editions.

They have been around since the 18th century. As a true independent (i.e. only one store), they are always struggling financially and it's worth giving your money to them. Not half as big as Waterstone's of course, but a better experience.

KJ West One (Shop)
21 January 2005

I bought my hi-fi system here earlier this year. For a start, the shop looks great, built into an arched pillar entrance, and stocking beautiful items. Don't confuse this level of product with what you get at mock-good stores like Bang and Olufsen or Sevenoaks.

The staff are very knowlegeable, and themselves use at home the stuff that they sell you. They are also very helpful; they came round to install it (bringing 200kg of hifi up five flights of stairs) and when we needed a special type of scredwriver, we spent an hour walking round the neighbourhood looking for a shop that sold them.

I also went to nearby Robert Taussig when purchasing this system (listed on this site) and while they are also helpful, the range and quality is nowhere near the same level.