The Book Lounge

really cozy with a warm and welcoming staff. a friendly and nice place to hang out. felt safe for the LGBTQIA+ public as well :)

My girlfriend and I came by this afternoon - we’re both avid readers and having visited a few book stores around Cape Town we were excited to visit you. We’re from Stellenbosch and made the trip after class so unfortunately came near closing time, but we were excited nonetheless. We were not aware however that you were having a book launch event at closing time. When we got there the upper room was filled to the brim with a bunch of passionate readers attending the event. It’s an absolutely lovely store with gorgeous prints available. (See the photo for the most beautiful Meditations print I’ve ever seen). Well, as the launch event was starting and closing time came, my girlfriend paid for her book and we headed for the door. It was already quite awkward having to step over a bunch of people to get to the door while a respected author introduces himself - trust me, I didn’t want to have to step through the crowd either. What made it quite an appalling experience was what we were told on the way out: “She only came for the free wine and now she’s leaving” said to my girlfriend as a group of 40-something year old ladies made no effort to let us go past. Ironically, they all had full wine glasses in their hands; my girlfriend and I on the other hand don’t drink. We came there today because we have a love for reading, but because we are young we were scolded and labelled. The atmosphere was extremely pretentious and I was truly disappointed that such a lovely store attracts such a nasty community of snobs. I’ll gladly pay you another visit on a quiet day to buy that gorgeous copy of Meditations. I hope I won’t feel so out of place when I do.

I phoned The Book Lounge on a Saturday morning with a list of books, most of which had not been immediately available from two corporate booksellers. They had the books in stock. They arranged delivery and I received them in an outlying, rural KZN destination the following Thursday morning. What a pleasant experience, thank you!

Amazing independent book store in Cape Town. Wide selection of local authors. Thank you to the lady downstairs who recommended authors and showed me around the relevant sections. Loved the recommendations!

Some amazing books and ambience, i would just add for tourists that no, its not cheaper than in your home country. But you do find special shelfs with interesting curated topics.

Amazing spot and beautiful perfect venue for my friend Megan's book launch and conversation. Definitely worth popping in or making a frequent haunt if you live in the area.

I love this place and the idea of this place. They are supporting local authors and their book launches always something to look forward too. The best part is the Saturday morning Story Time for kids.

Amazing titles for every reading taste. From Joe Sacco to Max Porter to Patricia Highsmith ro Brenna Thummler, my entire whishlist seems to be on their shelves. But the prize has to go to the children's corner and lounge in the basement. Having stock of the complete Hat trilogy by Jon Klassen didn't hurt either.