Booksmith

Great local bookshop! I live across town and since our local booksellers are disappearing, I never mind a trip to booksmith. Mel and the team have always been gracious and helpful. Not only is the selection and staff recommendations section fabulous - if something isn’t in stock, the team is great about ordering it. And items arrive quickly. Support local bookshops!! 💖📕📗📘

This is a wonderful bookstore!! You can really feel the love for books and I wish I wasn’t just visiting the area, but lived nearby and that this was my bookstore ❤️ Large selection, well organized and lovingly displayed. Lots of fun treasures for book lovers, including wrapped books with a single sentence written on the wrapper. The young woman at the register was friendly and welcoming. Loved everything about Booksmith. Accessible, with items both high and low within reach.

I loved this bookstore! Small but mighty!! Such a well curated selection of books- it was literally so hard to decide on what books were coming home with me. This is why i shop at local bookstores. I love stumbling on books i wouldn’t otherwise find. I love Libby but it can really be hard to stumble on something cool. Absolutely recommend!!

Wow, what an amazing book,store and community — and an amazing event that I went to. They can hold up to hundred people in the back room and a few more for standing room only. It’s a really eclectic fun mix of books with a lot of art books.

Love this bookshop - cozy, special, friendly, well-stacked. They hand-write these beautiful department-signs and the staff sticks notes with book-reviews next to the books. Awesome. Drop in when you are near. Absolutely worth it!

One of the most well-curated bookstores in the city. Always a nice time to browse through their collection. Shop local!

Loved the selection, layout, and overall vibe of this bookstore! Could stay for hours just browsing through 🥹

Just loooved this place such an amazing vibe and collection

Super cute book store. I came here for a Liz Climo event and I loved the set up. The space was cute and intimate, and it really does bring that old school feeling of being able to peruse at a bookstore and just read and indulge. The staff was super friendly and helpful with attendees buying other books including the Liz Climo series, and overall one of the last remaining actual book stores in SF that I can recall.

Cool bookshop on the Haight that hosts events. I checked out a silent reading party and got there early to check out the books. They have a nice cocktail selection as well. They're next to a bar so it's a nice combination if you want to check out books and hang out.

Located on the historic streets of Haight-Ashbury, The Booksmith is a beautiful bookstore with tons of options from every genre imaginable. I love the variety and abundance of books as well as the layout of the place. They also have cute merch such as totes, buttons, and journals.

I've come here a couple of times and love the selection. Just off the busy road, it's a great place to escape to and find an interesting read. Customer service is interesting... I can't say I've had an outwardly bad experience ever but the vibes they give certainly aren't very friendly.

Came in to find a children's book in Spanish. They have a smaller shelf with a variety of books in other languages. Happy I stopped by. They still require a mask to enter store. Gladly they provided me a free reusable one.

I went to this bookstore on a Thursday at 6:30 pm, walking a long ways from my apartment just to end my day on a lovely note by buying Shadow and Bone. The place closed at 7:00, but at 6:30, they were all set up for an event, with bookshelves pushed to the sides. I wanted my book from those shelves so I asked for it, and was told they could not give it to me or let me back there. If you're open until 7 pm customers should be able to access all books until 7.

Books, glorious books. As with all beloved indie bookstores that manage to sustain themselves in the age of Bezos, this quality literary spot genuinely reflects its unique Haight-Ashbury neighborhood vibe with frequent author readings and other non-profit events that showcase the local counter-cultural community. That's because owner Christin Evans knows that forging a distinct identity for a bookstore is the key for economic survival. Otherwise, on a quiet weekday afternoon, it struck me as a well-stocked store with plenty of thoughtful staff recommendations scattered about. Travel tomes and international magazines are particularly well represented here, and let's face it, e-Readers are greatly overrated. RELATED - Looking for a good book? Here's a collection of places I've visited, patronized, and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2Hteupo

We've been going to the Booksmith for awhile now. It's a decent sized bookshop with books and random swag like art supplies, gifts, cards, notebooks, etc. While most of what's available for books are the best sellers and newest releases, I found there was a pretty good range of more obscure topics and books. There was a lot that grabbed my attention! I love that there's still a handful of book stores in the city where you can go in and browse and touch actual books. Here's to hoping it stays around.

I had a negative customer experience here at The Booksmith and when I went to write about it on Yelp--the owner reported my comments to have them removed. Not only is this in violation of Yelp's standards--that reviews are supposed to not be doctored or filtered or removed if they are honest--but this is a store in San Francisco, a city that prides itself on free speech and expression. I made a point of visiting this store because I'm a book nerd and love book stores and love supporting them. But the whole experience here at this establishment--and the way they kept maneuvering to have my reviews removed--has left a really bad impression on me. If this establishment is so wonderful then why are they manipulating reviews? This undermines the whole point of coming to Yelp to get input about whether or not to patronize a business.

We love The Booksmith. Great place to grab a book for ourselves or our kids. A nice place for our daughter to tuck in and read a bit before deciding which book she'd like to take home. I do not understand why people feel the need to leave negative reviews unless the service/experience is atrocious. Keep it moving, people. Would you like no stores like this to exist because poor reviews will get us there quickly. If you're unhappy, don't return. Let others decide on their own vs your miserable review.

Haight St. is lucky to have such an exemplary new bookstore. I kind of fulfills my ideal of what an excellent neighborhood bookstore should be. I work at Bound Together Books sometimes (the anarcho/lefty store at the other end of the Haight Ashbury) and I recommend this place to people all day long.

I've never been to the Booksmith. However, there was a coffee table book that I wanted. Of course, I could have gotten it at Amazon for a discount. However, I wanted an author signed copy and this was the only place that had it. The author is related to the owner so I wouldn't have been able to find a signed copy anywhere else. I sent an email asking about the availability of a signed copy. Someone responded right away and confirmed they had one. I placed an order last week. It came today. That's pretty good for media mail. Book came in excellent condition. For the extra service, it pays to pay a little bit more. Support your local bookstore!

Booksmith is a gem to have in the Haight Ashbury area. We all need stuff to do during these lockdown times, so having a good bookstore nearby is vital. My partner and I have stopped by Booksmith several times over the past few months and have been well served. First, you can check and purchase from their inventory on their website, meaning your transaction is nice and simple when you get to their door. This also saves you (and them) time trying to search for something on the spot. Note that there in-store shopping hours are fairly short (only until 2pm) with the rest of their hours being pick-up only. Second, and perhaps more importantly, they always seem to have everything we are looking for. Even when it wasn't available in the store they were able to order it and have it arrive very quickly. So glad they in the neighborhood and I highly encourage everyone to keep them in mind for gifts (both for yourself and others.)

Well organized local shop. I stopped by on a Saturday afternoon. There was plenty of people, but not too crowded. With book isles full of excellent reviews from the staff. Honestly, those reviews were very helpful in choosing a few books. There is a surprise section near the check out. It's books that are covered with only a brief line describing the book. The book cost about $7. I purchased one on a lark and it was a perfect selection. I thought it was a fun idea. They have a Bay Area section near the check out too. It's nice to buy from local authors. I saw comments on "rude" staff. The cashier was very helpful when I approached for specific books. I didn't realize that there was other staff until I saw the sorting cart. I don't think the staff it rude, just busy. They are keeping the place clean and very well organized. If you ask for help, they provide good service. Prices are standard. To the best of my knowledge all the books are new, and no sale section is there. I would go again because It's so well maintained and organized. I'd love to spend more time checking out the reviews.

A cozy bookstore with a wide and nice organized range of books. From biographies, sociology, sustainability, design, cooking and many more subjects, The Booksmith is a great place to find something new to dive into

The Booksmith is a great bookstore in the Haight. An eclectic array of titles are on the shelves here yet by far the highlight of the bookstore is the staff recommendations where selected titles have a 3 by 5 card underneath them w/ hand written personal recommendations from staff who work here who are obviously bibliophiles. I love the personal touch. There is also an active reading series by various authors who read & sign their books. Smart selection of titles & nicely curated. Worth a stop if you are in the Haight & a bibliophile or are a lover of books like me.

I happened upon The Booksmith when I first heard they would be hosting Catana of Catana Comics! I've always been a fan of her so I knew I had to jump at the opportunity to meet her! But enough of the backstory. This is a beautiful independent bookstore. The staff is extremely friendly and they offer a huge collection of books. I can already see myself finding my next page-turner among these shelves. If you love books, I'd highly recommend checking out this place, I'm sure you'll fall in love with the atmosphere alone!

This is old fashioned REAL bookstore, they are very knowledgeable also. So many books of highest quality. Ask them about anything. Just don't ask anyone here to help you change a car tire though! Ha! Just kidding. I am a "nerd" too, as they say, for other things. Like food and the cinema. One time my cousin was doing what is call a "reading" here. She is famous writer. I am sitting there in the back of store, and nice nerd girl ask me how I am. I smile and tell her that I have a girlfriend. She start to laugh. Every now and then, I have a good line to the ladies.

It was my first time here. I Loved it. I can't recommend it enough. Even if you don't need anything, please go and have a visit. Especially for those who are new in the city

I could spend my entire day here.. One of my favorite bookstores like ever. Although City Lights is bigger. I feel like each place isn't comparable to one another. It's definitely got its own charm. It's more intimate. I love the little post-its (recommendations) next to the books. If you're not into books, but knows someone else who is.. you could bring them here while you look at the other cool stuff they have. [: The also have all sorts of magazines, some of which are harder to come across if you're into that sort of thing.

This bookstore is super super cool! The book selection was well curated, with a wide range of genres with enticing plots and covers. They sold unique sticker, patch, and tote bag designs. My only complaint was that everything was on the pricey side, with most books priced around $18. It's a good place to browse and skim books, but more of an experience than a place to splurge on books. Overall worth the visit, but didn't end up buying anything!

First purchase here was in 1987, I bought a book on spreadsheets. I've also bought other books over the years here. I don't know what happened but the customer service is sort of a public flogging. I don't know, could be bad timing, right near closing. Retail is tough work to do well if the employees don't want to be there and/or are tired. That aside, I was not happy to be admonished. After complying with their commands on entry I made an abrupt comment-"No, No, thank you!" without obscenities. They looked knowingly at eachother and one said "...don't take it personally, its policy!" I was reminded it was ten minutes to closing. Severe looks the whole time from the employee. I watched a friend buy a book. She was given the same during the transaction. I wanted one book and would have purchased it. But I purchased it elsewhere, knowing not to fund this treatment. Ya, this is the neighborhood shop but I'll ride a bike a long, long way to avoid purchases here. What happened since 1987? I got old and sensitive maybe.

Hot off of visiting Powell's in Portland the day before, I thought I would continue my dreamy I-want-to-live-in-a-bookstore adventure and go to The Booksmith. So, maybe my expectations were a little high, but The Booksmith only partially delivered. I can spend hours in bookstores and really did not feel that kind of nestling-in feeling I usually get surrounded by that many books, however their selection was very good. One of my favorite games to play in any bookstore is "how many books on this table/shelf/credenza have I read" and I had a very high percentage here. However, the staff was not warm and the store itself is small (however clean). Although having no nooks or tables to sit at, I was trying to momentarily use the internet (because of the neighborhood's terrible cell reception) to check into yelp (obviously) and when I asked for the password while checking out they didn't give it to me even with my total purchase being $150 and with me giving them obvious clues that I was walking out the door immediately after my check out. I found it a distasteful ending to what could have been a very nice few minutes selecting great books. Too bad they can't do better with their service. It could be a magical place.

Booksmith is a long-established bookstore in the Haight. When I attend the Word Tasting Tour event yesterday evening the store was packed. Mostly young people who were literary inclined, the crowd was strewn on the worn tile floor cheek to cheek. The event had a touring group including the Minimalists from the Midwest, a musician and a handful of authors. Standing there listening to the entertainers, I thought this must be like how Berkeley in its heyday must have been. Community gatherings to enjoy the spoken & written word. Fabulous!

I like to browse this bookstore. I very rarely decide to spend money at this bookstore. Maybe they could have a bigger sale selection. I like buying discounted books. The space is medium. They have a substantial children's selection. But I really like going to their author events. Tonight I saw Daniel Handler(Lemony Snicket) with his wife Lisa Brown. They just published Goldfish Ghost. And now I am reminded that I want to write children's books myself...I just haven't gotten around to it.

San Francisco. Every time I go I promise myself that I won't load up on books, I'll only buy 1 or 2, but the bookstores are too damn good to pass up. With a few free hours to spend my wife and I stopped by here to just to "check it out." 40 minutes later we told ourselves we had to leave because we'd already chosen 11 AWESOME books to purchase, and knew if we'd stayed longer, we'd buy even more. Their fiction section is great. Books by everyone from Agatha Christie to Margret Atwood to the Welcome to Nigh Vele podcast. Nonfiction is excellent! I love philosophy. Many bookstores I've visited fill their philosophy section with pseudo science and self-help books. This philosophy section was real philosophy from Plato to Marcus Aurelius to Kant to Hegel. And in contemporary they had a whole section on current events and modern cultural movements such as #blacklivesmatter. Long story short this is a bookstore for people who want to read entertaining books with engaging themes.

I came here this evening to see the poet and photographer Rupi Kair who is the author of Milk & Honey. (Which was amazing by the way, 100+ showed up and the signing had to be split in two different readings/signings because there was so many people. It was so great meeting her and hope she comes back again soon.) Prior to this event, I have never been to this book store. It is rather on the small side but it is very well laid out and each section in the book store is very well organized and labeled with the type of genre the books are, which can sometimes be a hassle to find. From what I could see, they had a large variety of books and the staff seemed to very helpful and kind (even in the late hours). Overall a great little bookstore on Haight street. Parking can be rather tricky but street parking isn't impossible to find if you look hard enough. Special thanks for Rupi Kaur tonight, I really enjoyed her readings tonight & meeting her. She is truly a beautiful person and out and hope the city of San Francisco will see her again soon!

Cute and friendly indie bookstore. Lots of interesting illustrated novels and unique cards and gifts in addition to the kinds of books you would expect. The staff was very polite. I have a soft spot in my heart for this kind of shop.

I never miss going into a bookstore, and this is really great! The atmosphere was bright and laid-back, perfect for perusing. I came in on a Monday afternoon and only a few other customers were in. They have plenty of staff recommendations, and each section of the store is clearly labeled. They also have out-of-print tote bags and t-shirts! I actually came looking for a standard tarot card deck that wasn't going to cost me upwards of $25; they only had 2 copies of the Rider-Waite deck for $21.95 each on their small but intriguing metaphysical section. I ended up spending more than $50 on the deck, a small tote bag, and a book from the fiction section, which was a bit on the high side for me. Other than that, be sure to stop in if you're looking for some good reads on Haight Street!

A really nice local bookstore with a great vibe, random events, and a good selection. Support your local booksellers! They also have what quite a few posters and moleskines and the like.

I'm pretty sure it must be a prerequisite for everyone who works there to look really cool, and the atmosphere is VERY 'Haight' on a Saturday. The hours are great, and they've got a great selection of children's books for such a small place. I love that the people working there have their own posted recommendations, and everyone I talked to was very knowledgeable and kind.

Super cute bookstore in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood! I enjoyed browsing here and reading the shelf-talkers for various staff recommendations. Great shop to browse in a vibrant neighborhood.

Love this bookstore! It's got that San Francisco charm and a great staff. When I couldn't find what I was looking for, they let me know that they would give me a call when the book arrived. I received that call in a couple of days. So glad this store lives up to the hype.

Hurray for compassionate service! Found a gift certificate form my old boss (after marie kondo-ing my apartment) from years ago and they still honored it. They didn't have record of it (so old, i think it was from 2011), but they keep a card system of more recent gift cards. Book selection is current with classics and great recommendations from staff. No books on sale though, so just one star off for that. (like green apple books has lots of sale books which I like) Purchases: ee cummings poem collection, books on color theory in art section, graphic novel

My feelings about the Booksmith have only gotten better as I keep going there. The staff is still wonderful and friendly, the recommendations are always great and the display windows make my trip home from work amazing. PLEASE KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!

Customer service is seriously on point at The Booksmith. I am always impressed with how personable and genuinely helpful the staff are here. Though there are a plethora of bookstores in the city - if I'm looking for a particular book - I usually always try Booksmith first. They have a formidable selection of books and they actually get excited about helping you find what you're looking for. And once they do find said book (which is pretty much always) they then make sure to put it aside for you. I love the hours here, I love the set-up, I love the relaxed vibe, I love the guest-speakers and events they host here. I love the Booksmith. The Haight couldn't have asked for a nicer bookstore. Trust.

Once upon a time, an 18 y/o girl was dragged by her family to the infamous street of Haight to shop for various items of vintage clothing. She thought her day was doomed to be spent trying on various outfits, but alas a gleaming bookstore was found and she was saved. Four hours later she was found, hair a mess and a crazed look in her eye, carrying only six books and an empty credit card whilst repeating "I have found heaven." (But seriously it's a great bookstore.... everyone's friendly, they have a great selection, and the little reviews on the shelves are really helpful.)

For the most part, this is your run-of-the-mill independent bookstore. However, they do staff recommendations better than anywhere else I've ever seen. Not only are the recommendation cards numerous and ubiquitous, they are passionate and well written. You know, sometimes you see ones that say "You MUST read this book--it kept me up all night finishing it!" Well, that's not terribly descriptive or erudite. At Booksmith, all the recommendations have enough information or at least some kind of an emotional hook to catch your interest and plant a little seed in your mind. They also do aisle-end displays based on a theme; for example yesterday I saw "Ode to Melancholy" and "Vice." Cool idea, and excellently curated. So even though I only bought one book, I went home with plenty of ideas for a trip to the library. One other note: I saw two SFPD officers in here buying books. I realized that in all my travels (and especially not in my home city of Chicago) I have NEVER seen a police officer in a bookstore. I like the idea of book-reading cops.

I went to the Booksmith for a book signing and Q&A session for Sarah's Scribbles' author Sarah Andersen. Even though there were more than 100 people, the staff were friendly and accommodating. They tore down chairs, organized the unwieldy line, and made sure there were plenty of copies of the book in stock. I had a great time, and will definitely come back.

My favorite bookstore!! The staff is super helpful. And, they even have deals with many authors to get signed copies. I can't wait to visit again soon.

We landed in Booksmith to see what kind of True crime books is available and other books they have. Well, not much in the True Crime, but there are a ton of other discounted books, including cookbooks. Matt only bought one cookbook, that was "The Many Ways of Baking a Twinkie" Matt doesn't bake sweets, but it is a handy reference to have when Matt has time to bake a Twinkie. In fact a discount cookbook are very useful and will never age.

This is a bookshop made of dreams. They have the best window display ever - Game of Thrones and other fantasy related books on display with some awesome banners and dragon toys. My eye caught the "Game of Thrones Colouring Book" and I knew I must own it. I asked the shop assistant where I could find it and she helpfully pointed me to the area called "Books in the window" - embarrassing for me, but she wasn't even snarky about it. Great chat, good prices and fabulous displays. This is my kind of shop.

I always spend a lot of time in the travel section. I absolutely love this place. Its atmosphere, its staff, it's owner are fabulous. Always helpful, always compassionate, always Haight street.

Called from out of state to buy a gift card for my niece. They were helpful and mailed it for me directly from the store. Great service.

Great bookstore with an amazing kids section. Interesting gifts. The reason for my low rating? They were BLASTING music. In a bookstore, you want to be able to browse, which is impossible with ambient house chill acid jazz blaring in your ears. I am kind of a dickhead, so I have a decibel measuring app on my phone. Sorry - 80 decibels is too loud for a bookstore. Chill on the chill french ambient new wave and you might sell more books.

Nice book store The fresh paint inside and out is well done. Moving the cash register really opened up the store. The place is well lit, but keeps a cozy feel. They have a decent selection of cards. Great neighborhood book store. -Simon the Cat

This is an excellent book store in the Haight District and it's always crowded. I like to come by and check out all the best-sellers and stay for the nice atmosphere of the store itself. Definitely check it out if you're in the area as it's a solid location and it's good to support the local business here.

I'm a sucker for a good book store and this is definitely among the best! From the hand-drawn themed category listings on blackboards along the perimeter of the room, to the passages written out from some of the greatest books of all time, to the staff reviews of the vast majority of books in the room, this spot is a blast to find those books that you're looking for along with some unique gift items that you're definitely going to stumble upon. The incredible neighbourhood definitely gets you in the mood to find those little special somethings! Unfortunately I do have to agree with some of the other reviewers that the staff enthusiasm just doesn't measure up to the rest of the shop's experience. Between asking for a specific book, trying to get a laugh out of them, and getting rung in, I really just felt like an inconvenience that they couldn't wait to get out of the store. It didn't kill the experience for me, but it certainly took it down a couple of pegs.

Not your average bookstore with a selection everyone would love. As a matter of habit, I always walk into bookstores when I am on vacation because you will see books, not at your local bookstore. I likely spent nearly 30 minutes wandering through this place increasing the list of books I need to read and loved the vibe they have. If you are not in a rush stop by and enjoy the ambiance.