Sappho Books, Cafe & Bar

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Hidden Gem in Glebe! Sappho Cafe is an absolute delight! The environment is fantastic—especially the charming outdoor seating area at the back, which feels like a hidden paradise tucked away from the main street. It’s the perfect spot to relax and enjoy a meal. The food was excellent and arrived quickly. My wife chose the Mouse and Men ($14), while I opted for the Lamb Kofta Bowl ($24). Both dishes were not only delicious but also served in ample portions, making them great value for money. The coffee was simply awesome—smooth, rich, and expertly brewed. It’s clear that Safo Cafe takes pride in its coffee as much as its food. Overall, a wonderful experience. If you’re in Glebe and looking for a spot with tasty food, great coffee, and a relaxing atmosphere, I highly recommend Sappho Cafe! Let me know if you’d like to make any adjustments!

Beautiful bookstore with a unique atmosphere and collection. There are multiple levels with books including classics, contemporary, science fiction, and non fiction. It has a notable sheet music collection here as well. Did not get an opportunity to try the cafe, but did meet the resident cat who was very friendly.

Well worth going on a treasure hunt to find this fantastic cafe in the back of the coolest book shop. The food is on point and comes out quickly and served by the friendly staff. The drinks were all top notch. Go and find this place!

Really love the vibe, lots to discover. Will try the cafe in next visit. Glad to find this wonderful place nearby the neighbourhood.

I believe I’ve have found my favourite bookstore in all of Australia, in what surely must be the quirkiest neighbourhood in Sydney. 3 floors of second hand books and second hand furnishings, rickety stairs and weathered floorboards, and you couldn’t go wrong with a name like Sappho. They have antiquated, hard bound copies in various translations of Saphos poems near the counter; spines that crack with age as you open them. Which, considering how hard the Greeks tried to get rid of her works, seeing a shelf of translated works quietly and slowly turning to dust on a shelf in the year 2024 is a nice little middle finger to systems of oppression, and a sight that filled me with deep satisfaction. More tellingly, they have a bookstore cat, which really testifies to how seriously a bookstore takes itself. At 4pm the cafe closes and the wine bar opens, and yes you are encouraged to read and wine🍷. Bought 3 books, very happy.

Fantastic selection of books of all genres with a particularly impressive music collection. The shop was much larger than I thought and made for great browsing. Hardworking shop cat was the cherry on top of a pleasant visit.

Sorry but the food was very very very mid… we got the eggs Benedict and it was so incredibly dry even with the sauce. The toast was so hard to cut and they were plain skinny pieces of sourdough. Maybe it was because it was served deconstructed. Chai latte was ok. The atmosphere is cute though

Very good bookstore, although I wished it had more political/economic books. Prices are reasonable if also on the more expensive side. Would still recommend.

The book store is great but the cafe isn't. I never write bad reviews but I was so disappointed with my food. The field mushroom sandwich was almost cold, the toast was dry as in no butter, the mushrooms were tasty but as I said almost cold, the "bed of rocket" was wilted and dry - I would throw it out at that stage if it were in my fridge, and the over all portion was not generous. All that for $16, the coffee is fine but over all the cafe is over priced. Buy a book and go read it somewhere else, is my advice.

Lovely inner yard to have a quite breakfast. I had the bircher muesli, my friend had the pancakes and we both loved it. The bircher was nice and quity orangy, light and fruit were fresh! Also they have different varieties of tea and green tea including the sencha green tea.

The night time ambience at this place is pure magic, and love love love that they have a new vegan menu!! We would have had our engagement party here if they were a bit of a bigger venue (yes you can hire the venue). They've also always had live music when we've been there so that was super chill too.

Amazing used book collections, especially the top floor, music scores section. Wow. It worth a visit if you're music fun or play a music instruments.

Ahh, another one of those bookshop cafes that I so wish Melbourne had. Well, maybe it does, but I couldn't find one. Maybe they got the idea off Shakespeare and Co in Paris, which is also a bookshop cafe, though you can't actually sit down inside Shakespeare and Co - well, maybe you can, but I can't remember seeing any seats. Anything, this place did remind me of its Parisian sister in the way that it was dark, musty, and full of some really good books. In fact I ended up walking out of here with more books that I originally planned on doing, namely because I couldn't stop seeing books that I wanted. If I had more time, and lived around the corner, I would probably, like the one on the other side of the city, be spending an inordinate amount of time in here.

Really great energy and ambience, totally unique but also totally crowded. It was an anxiety nightmare trying to get a seat, don't come at peak hour/

Sappho is great on every single level. As a bookstore, the price on the books is absolutely right. They also have a very, very deep selection. Just walking through the different sections would turn you on to books that you probably won't consider otherwise. As a little used record shop, they have some hidden gems in their upstairs room that are worth checking out. As a cafe/restaurant, they have a very cool open area in the back where you could have a full lunch or just hang out working with a cup of coffee. The staff who work there are fun, helpful and make you feel at home. This place is a gem.

Sappho is my one constant staple in Glebe. It has the perfect amount of cool (set in a second hand book shop with a graffiti clad courtyard), but none of the hipster attitude. It's perfect. The coffee and tea are consistently good and this is probably why I am still a regular customer after all these years (5 and counting). The menu is brief but rewarding. The fruit salad and banana bread both rate a mention and there is a selection of cakes and pastries in the front cabinet. Sappho is always crazy busy on Saturdays so come mid-week to experience its laid back charm properly. Shockingly I haven't been here for wine and tapas yet but I plan on changing that soon. Let's hope Sappho is as good by night as it is by day.

Having not been to Sapphos in a while, I headed there unsure as to what I was in for. Previously my favourite cafe in Sydney, it had somehow slipped form my consciousness when I moved suburbs. After a while, I convinced myself that there had to have been a reason that I hadn't gone back and without even realising, I'd erased it from my memory. So, after a trip to Glebe Markets, I walked past Sapphos and something sparked inside of me. A hidden, stifled desire whispered to me and before I knew what my feet were doing I was following them inside my forgotten friend. Making my way through the shelves of second hand books, I passed the busy counter and walked down the grafittied open-air corridor to the leafy courtyard were tables stood surrounded by people, shadowed in the dappled sunlight, an easy breeze floating through the air. Familiarity crept across my chest in a warm tingle and as I moved towards an empty table on the terrace, giant grafittied faces smiled down at me from the walls and I smiled back at them, happy to be home. Sappho is famed for its fantastic coffee (Toby's Estate beans) and hosts its own Coffee School run by Steve: manager, barista and all round good guy. Their little kitchen churns out a limited but delicious breakfast menu (avo toast and bircher museli both worth a try), as well as offering Black Star pastries and Whisk and Pin biscuits. Come nightfall, the back courtyard is lit up with fairy lights and as tapas and wine pop up on your table, it's like a rooftop Secret Life of Us shindig, surrounded by good company, chilled (and occasionally live) music, and that sweet air of summertime. So, whether it's for breakfast under the ferns, a rainy day coffee with a pre-loved book, monthly poetry readings, or beers, wine and tapas, Sapphos is a reinstated favourite.

The Seattleite me was feeling right at home here, getting cozy with books and coffee on their hip, urban, covered patio. I swear I'd died and gone to heaven. We'd just eaten right across the street at the Glebe Market so didn't sample Sappho's food wares. The coffee, however, was perfect. I did glance at their menu and saw a lot of tantalizing options. Happy to see they cater to vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and wino diets. The bookstore has a great (and obviously rotating) selection. Make sure you check out the upstairs rooms, too. I did think it funny that their "French Literature" section contained mostly how-to and self-help books, at least at the time I was there. Perhaps better labeled "French Language" instead. Anyway, I could hole up in here for a long time.

Why can't more Sydney cafés be like Sappho? It took me a while to notice this little gem, which is tucked behind a second hand bookstore (by the same name) off Glebe Point Road. When I finally discovered the amazing back patio and better, the delicious food, I became a customer for life. This is my no-brainer, go to spot on a rainy Sunday. Out back, the patio is covered by a plastic that creates the most magical rain-on-roof sound. It also makes you feel like you're living in a snow globe. Couple that with a cappuccino and their big breakfast and you might well be in heaven. They do some different and interesting things with their breakfast. The rosemary mushrooms are a favorite, as well as the avocado salsa that accompanies. Don't ask for scrambled eggs, though, because they only do poached... which is just fine by me.

If you thought Sappho Books was just a bookstore, like I did for so many years wandering past, then you'd be wrong, just like I was, for so many years as I wandered past. I thought, 'Oh yeah, book shop.' Then one day, a friend of mine said to me, 'Want to go to Sappho books and grab a coffee?' Did she mean, 'Do you want to grab a coffee and then head to the books?' or do the two simultaneously? Concurrently? What? As it turns out and as most people probably know, hidden out the back of the small shop front is a massive courtyard and cafe which serves coffee, food and various drinks. The ambience here is relaxing and the open roof allows for a nice dose of Vitamin D. A Vitamin, I absolutely love. I recall that during university terms there used to be a laminated piece of A4 paper on each of the metallic tables which stated, "It's okay to study here, but you have to buy a coffee every two hours." The need of such a sign signifying to me the popularity of the venue with students who found the courtyards atmosphere conducive to deep thought as I do.

Sappho is a second-hand bookstore, cafe, and a tapas and wine bar. It's a really cute little space on Glebe Point Road packed with a great collection of books and features a great courtyard out the back. Formerly a youth centre, the graffiti has been embraced and turned into art. A fair chunk of the menu is vegetarian, with many vegan dishes on offer too, and they only use free-range chicken and eggs. While the cafe is open 8.30am-6.30pm Monday to Tuesday, 8.30-11pm Wednesday to Saturday and 9am-6.30pm Sundays, the wine bar serves cocktails and tapas from 6pm-11pm Wednesday to Saturday. The fairylights are switched on, music plays and the atmosphere is great. Enjoy a selection of beers, wines or a sweet cocktail and admire your surroundings. Or, read a book.

My favorite place for a tea or a nice glass of wine! Take a book or come with some friends, you won't be disappointed. My only little regret is that there is no WIFI. But anyway, the staff is really nice and the terrace is really cozy!

Sappho *should* be a dream come true. A bookshop + cafe, with a great outdoor seating area. AND they're licenced. Books + Coffee + Wine = Bingo! What went wrong for me? Well, I really objected to the kind of rude signage suggesting that certain tables were NOT for reading and studying, or something along those lines. Clearly, Sappho don't want to encourage people to order one coffee and then stay all day reading and using their laptops, taking up table space, all for $3. I get that. But they're going about it the wrong way. This sort of signage makes people (well, me) self-conscious about drinking a coffee while reading a book. If I do that - god forbid - am I in trouble for "studying"? How often do I have to go up and order something else, just to make it clear that I'm not taking up a table that "good paying customers" should be getting? Unnecessary signage with house rules can be very problematic, and make people feel quite unwelcome.

If you love books and lattes this is the place to be. It is filled with mostly used books and great finds at that. For Australia the prices are rather cheap for a bookstore, there is a wide variety and the books are usually ranging from 7 AUD to as much as 11 AUD per book (this is how much I have paid anyways). I have bought a lot of travel books here used, also language books too, great place for these in particular because they tend to be very overpriced new. They also have a really cool music room upstairs with a piano and sheet music to buy if thats your interest. Their cafe is very cool, and outdoors but still connected in the back to the bookstore building. In general the staff is nice but don't expect much besides after you paying for your coffee they bring it to a table for you. They also have empty water pitchers you can take off of one table and also glasses to take for having water at your own table. Also beward bathroom is outside...so as you can imagine creepy crawling friends will be joining you for your after coffee pee break.

I was drawn to this bookstore due to an eccletic poetry reading night, free I wandered up the 2 flights of stairs to find an intimate group in a dimly lit room reading and listening to poetry. Much like you'd imagine or expect from 19th century Europe. The wooden floors and walls are lined with 2nd hand books in superb condition. You can lose yourself amidst the editions of science, self help music, philosophy - if only the information was infused through the air, no it does make you feel smart being in here, like you've done something right. There is an air of mystery to this shop a delicate balance of old and new past and present.

Really chill place to study and also eat.. service is good and iced mocha was a bit strong but yummy

'It's the two hundredth anniversary of Sense & Sensibility!" the owner exclaimed with almost personal pride. I remember when Sappho first opened further up Glebe Point Road, long before the present tres cool cafe and tapas bar incarnation. There was a chaise longue and the crime/horror section was called the 'Whip and Chain Room'. The same vibe continues in this gorgeous bookstore now, with handwritten signs delineating the sections, 'butchered book cards' and badges for sale, a dog behind the counter. The staff are lovely, the books well-organised and well-priced, and there's the lovely rickety stairs to climb. And I'm not even going to go into the cafe section with this review. On this visit I bought a forgotten classic by a couple of sisters who wrote themselves out of poverty about a hundred years ago. Can't get that on Kindle (spit). Time to throw a Jane Austen appreciation party, methinks. Sangria and hardbacks at Sappho's?

Beautiful location within the old bookshop. No communication from waitstaff - do they actually do table service? I don't know. Food is quite good but nothing out of this world. Great list of themed beers on the wall link to famous novels. Great atmosphere. Well done to the team there being open on New Year's Day and handling the rush of people well.

Two of my essential daily needs, books and coffee are fulfilled at this one Gleeb location. The store carries an abundance of used books where you can often find hard to find and out of print titles. The café is located in the unexpected courtyard in the back of the store. It's a café in the daytime and wine and tapas bar in the evening. I've only been here during the day, and their coffee and banana bread are the best in the area. There's even a six-week barista course if you are really serious about your coffee. The café gives me a good location to work since it hosts a large number of students and university staff. The food is really good and they serve a number of different sandwiches, wraps, breakfasts, salads and a number of tapas. I definitely recommend this place. I'm also interested in checking it out one night for wine and tapas and maybe even a little poetry.

i can't recommend this little book shop/cafe enough! when you walk in, you're surrounded by stacks of books, old and new, available for purchase or just for browsing while you sit. the cafe has a full vegan menu as well as nonvegan food, all of which looks delicious & made with cafe. i ordered the vegan iced coffee with ice cream and it was AMAZING. the seated section is in a covered outdoor area with heaps of plants, and even in the rain when i went it was dry & cool. there's an upstairs section filled with more books, sheet music, and even a little kitty that loves to be scratched behind the ears! can't wait to go back here.

Fabulous Venue, indoor and outdoor dining, drinking, relaxing. Delicious simple tapas, at reasonable prices. Service is always lovely- are you too cold, would you like a blanket?

One of the only places in the city where you can relax and enjoy a meal/coffee and feel like you've escaped the noise and busyness of the city! A true urban oasis, I love coming here and sitting amongst the courtyard garden with a book (purchased from their bookshop nonetheless!). Also one of the few places where you can draw/read for a prolonged amount of time and not get kicked out!

A cool little hidden away cafe, definetly full of quirk. My only complaints are that the banana smoothie tasted a lot like milk in a glass...a little honey would have made a lot of difference. Also when it rains the roof leaks onto the tables and that makes things a little tricky. Apart from that its a cute little place.

Love love love Sappho's, it's my little piece of heaven. Just wish less people knew about it :P great coffee, yummy food and pretty consistent service. Not too shabby!! :D