Learn more about Mexico’s rich literary culture through some of its capital city’s best bookstores.
While this little fact might not be well-known in the English-speaking world, Mexico City has a vibrant literary culture, partly evidenced by its many and varied bookstores.
Librería Ático
For secondhand bookstores in Mexico City’s Roma Norte neighborhood, you can’t go wrong with Librería Ático. It’s an older building, and with its off-white tiled floors and fluorescent lighting, it can be oddly reminiscent of a school hallway—just packed with bookshelves instead of lockers.
However, what sets it apart is the attentive staff and care put into maintaining the store. Most of its stock is in Spanish, but it has a few volumes here and there in English and French. They also have a nice selection of coffee table books.
La Murciélaga Librería
Over in the Narvarte neighborhood, La Murciélaga Librería is a true hidden gem. While some might call it cluttered or disorganized, it’s a treasure trove of rare and hard-to-find books, including first editions and signed copies. It has both new and used books on sale in a variety of languages, including English.
As Murciélaga Librería has a keen eye for rare volumes, it’s the go-to place for many residents looking to sell books, in part because they always pay a fair price for good finds.
Cafebrería El Péndulo Roma
Back in the Roma Norte, Cafebrería El Péndulo Roma combines a bookstore with a restaurant/café, spanning across three stories (the third being the rooftop terrace). On one floor, bookshelves line the walls around a spacious dining area, just a few steps away from a nook filled with stationary, mugs, games, and other fascinating knick-knacks.
Each floor offers something different, like the live music performances often hosted on the second story, promising an escape both enriching and relaxing. Though most books are in Spanish, you can also find a small English section inside.
Cafebrería El Péndulo Condesa
That’s far from the only Cafebrería El Péndulo in the city, though. La Condesa neighborhood holds another bookstore/restaurant/bar with a similar theme of downstairs, upstairs, and terrace with outdoor seating (though not quite a “rooftop terrace” as before).
Its interior is bright and colorful, with a fun, creative layout displaying its book collection and various other sundries. Its English section is a bit broader than its counterpart in Roma Norte, set alongside plenty of Spanish-language books.
Librerías Gandhi
Librerías Gandhi is a prominent bookstore chain in Mexico, and one of their biggest stores is right in Coyoacán. It has a blunt, concrete-faced building and concrete floor that’s 100%, all about putting the focus on books.
And boy, does it do a good job of that. There’s a decent supply of foreign language material in French and English (mostly popular and young adult titles), but the Spanish collection does not discriminate in terms of subject matter. Anything from academia to fiction, from religions and politics to hard sciences, or Mexican history, drama, and science fiction—you can find it here.
Centro Cultural Elena Garro Bookstore
Centro Cultural Elena Garro is a cultural center with beautiful architecture: open and airy, with floor-to-ceiling windows that invite in plenty of natural light. Its origins as a colonial-era mansion can be seen in some more traditional elements, but the old blends in well with the new, reinvented design.
Its bookstore offers a curated selection of classic and contemporary Mexican and Latin American literature and hosts regular literary events. It also has English and French volumes in its collection.
Under the Volcano Books
While previous stores on this list might have had foreign language sections, Under the Volcano Books is an honest-to-God English-language used bookstore located in the heart of Mexico City’s Condesa neighborhood.
It touts itself as an embassy for English speakers in Mexico, showcasing high-quality English-language books across all genres. Contemporary fiction is especially highlighted, but staff are happy to make recommendations to help you navigate the dream-like lighting in the maze of shelves.
Librería Rosario Castellanos
This bookstore resides in a building that used to be a historic movie theater, the Bella Época. While much of it has been modernized into a bookstore and café, it kept the movie theater part (or at least a part), where it screens non-commercial films.
The collection at this cinema-cum-bookshop has a wide variety of titles, but it’s not clear if there are any non-Spanish-language books. Librería Rosario Castellanos hosts plenty of cultural events like poetry readings and book discussions, plus regular weekend activities.
Casa Bosques
While it might seem a bit counter-intuitive to get your art and architecture fixed in a building that’s ever so slightly crooked (as in, Pisa Tower leaning), Casa Bosques is the best place to find art books and zines in Mexico City. The unique design of the bookshelves is the most notable feature, like a wooden version of a rock climbing wall.
Note: the books are Spanish only and the store can be a bit hard to find. However, it has a unique design well worth seeing if you’re in the area.
U-Tópicas
Sitting pretty just a few minutes away from the Frida Kahlo Museum, U-Tópicas is an alternative bookshop specializing in feminist literature. Expect to find novels, poetry, and essays written by women from Latin America and around the world. Most of the selection is in Spanish, but there is a small English-language section as well.
U-Tópicas hosts exhibitions, workshops, book presentations, and readings, among other events. It is also one of the few (and possibly only) feminist-focused bookstores in Mexico City.
Casa Tomada Bookstore
If you’re a fan of independent publishing or indie editorials, Casa Tomada is where you need to go. More than a bookstore, this is a cultural center that is always hosting workshops, presentations, author meets, and so much more. It’s the best place to go if you want to support local Latin American writers or simply learn more about the cultural landscape of Mexico City.
Since Casa Tomada’s focus is on local, independent publications, there are no English offerings. However, they do a lot of amazing work in enriching Mexico’s literary community.
El Hallazgo
El Hallazgo is probably one of the best places to find secondhand foreign books in Mexico City. In addition to Spanish, they have a fantastic selection of volumes in English, German, French, and even Japanese. Even better if you’re tight on a budget, as the store has some amazing deals and discounts they dole out very generously.
The staff at El Hallazgo is friendly and helpful, and a big draw in what keeps customers coming back.
El Sótano Bookstore Branch Juarez
Located just across the street from the beautiful Palacio de Bellas Artes, the Juarez branch of the El Sótano Bookstore chain might seem rather plain by comparison. But don’t worry, because here, it’s all about the books. This store just so happens to be practically bursting at the seams with all sorts: academic texts, novels, comic books, history, commerce, imports—the variety is incredible.
El Sótano offers a number of English-language books on its online site. And if you have trouble finding anything, many visitors have noted that the staff is always willing to offer a hand to help you find what you need.
La Aventura de Leer
Packed to the rafters with volumes old, new, and used, La Aventura de Leer is a veritable treasure trove of rare books and bargain buys. The people who run this store are genuine book lovers, and they’ve created a perfect, dimly-lit maze of shelves that’s all too easy for fellow bibliophiles to get lost in.
Librería Porrúa (Bosque de Chapultepec)
Librería Porrúa is a popular chain in Mexico; and its branch in Bosque de Chapultepec—i.e., Chapultepec Park—is one of the most beautiful bookstores in the city. Overlooking the park’s serene lake, this book café is designed to meld with nature. The floor is built around trees growing out of the ground, and the building is surrounded by lush greenery clearly viewable through the glass walls—or, if you’re in the café side of the store, through no walls at all.
The ambiance is breathtaking, and while there aren’t a lot of English books on the shelves, it carries an impressive selection, nevertheless.
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Migz
K Lou
K. Lou is a writer born in the U.S. who found her way to Japan through a spiritual calling—or, more precisely, better access to tea. She writes about travel, culture, and the occasional creative piece, inspired by her enduring love of books. This love began in high school when K. Lou carried books around to avoid seeming odd while lost in thought. Once she started reading, she never stopped. With zero regrets, she continues to explore the written word and invites others to join her in celebrating its varied forms.
