The BookCellar Review

Local bookstore and cafe. Lots of character. Staff recommendations. Fun to enjoy the fine art of browsing.

Wonderful place to submerge yourself into books and emerge back to surface for a great cup of coffee

Interesting book selection and excellent snacks and drinks

Very nice book store in Lincoln square with a cafe. It was a little difficult to find help while searching (I need the assistance due to vision issues) but once found they were helpful and kind.

I loved this little bookstore. A dad reading to his daughter, an author reading to a group, children reading while parents browsed. It was encouraging to see. The selection was large and varied. I plan to visit again.

Love this little bookshop. They also serve alcohol and small plates like hummus and veggies.

Wish there were more places like this in the city. The bookstore/cafe serves up the best atmosphere for exploring/reading books, sipping coffee or just kicking off an evening with some local brews. They also host literary events and workshops throughout the year, so check out the event board.

Had a pleasant experience doing a storytelling show there. The bookstore is intimate, quaint and has a good local feel . The cafe is nice and staff were friendly

Interesting place...one of the last privately owned book stores you will find...good selection of book, I think they even do book readings.an I t.d has a coffee / sandwich place inside.

Great book store with coffee avaliable and outside sitting.

Always love shopping here... Good selection and atmosphere, and if you're looking for something that they don't have, they will gladly order it for you!

Great little book store, we went for a book signing for one of our favorite people, Kevin fitmencook Curry! Great atmosphere!

Love to buy books for my granddaughters here. Good selection! The cafe has great sandwiches and coffees and a wonderful staff. I could hang out in there for hours! A neighborhood treasure!

Great little book store with a wonderful csfe. Go support them!!!

Good selection, helpful workers with good suggestions.

I really like the environment here. It s very much a general interest bookstore, which is fine as a neighborhood staple. I won t advocate for the food, though. Really I ve only gotten their soups and I don t tend to like them much. But I like working there in the corner in all the books. Definitely worth a return visit!

Comfy, the staff is helpful. Love their staff picks and suggestions.

Very nice place. You can have a seat while reading a book that you are contemplating on buying, friendly & knowledgeable help. Only drawback is the lighting is a bit dim, maybe it's supposed to have a "cellar" feel.

A cute place with lots of great picks! Loved that they had an LGBTQ+ YA section

This place is a hidden treasure of Lincoln Square. It's such a small and intimate bookstore. And what I mean by 'small' is that it's not overly crowded and generic like other chain bookstores. There's a cafe inside where you can find a great selection of drinks (caffeine, water, and the likes). They offer free WIFI throughout the entire bookstore. The staff are also very friendly and helpful.

Lovely neighborhood bookstore, gift shop, and cafe.

Really easy to keep patronizing the Book Cellar in these coronapocalypse times!! You can order off their website, and they'll be in touch with you by email about your order. When it arrives, they email again (mine was early!), and then you go to their lobby to pick up your books. Easy to keep buying local, and they have a really extensive selection!

I got so happy that I found a small cafe with a bookstore inside! There's also a small area to sit down to eat or work on something.

Fantastic bookstore! Support your independent bookstores. Plus, they have a rad art bookstore right next door. Fantastic!

This place alway has new and interesting books. They have recommendation cards scattered around so you may be able to find something new to read. The cafe is cute and a nice place to sit and read your new book.

Nice selection of books with recommendations throughout the store.

A lovely bookstore with a great coffee/sandwich shop. Good staff picks and very large fiction selection. A nice place to hunker down and read with a coffee of have a meeting. I ve had good experiences with ordering books through them, and staff have been very communicative through the process.

A hip place for book enthusiasts to chill out and indulge. The Book Cellar appeals to a wide audience. From the uber hip book people, to people who are looking for a place to escape from the weather and have a spot of tea.

I have to give top marks to the Book Cellar for creating an atmosphere that is cosy, elegant and soothing. It has such a strong appeal, for people who are looking for a quiet place to read, people watch and just soak up the feeling of a lazy, relaxing afternoon.

I can't say too much about the quality of the selection of books, as I am not that into books, but I guess it does stock a wide variety of books that should appeal to most audiences. The shelves are spaced rather close to each other so if you're claustrophobic, it might not be a good idea to venture too far into the store. Just hang out at the lovely cafe area out in the front, soak in the atmosphere and enjoy!

Super cute bookstore and cafe! Everyone was very friendly and I will definitely be back.

Cute independent book store! They have a great selection. I also like the recommendations near the front of the store written by their employees.

What a charming little bookstore. The staff give their summaries of their favorites books which hang out from the books themselves. Mini coffee shop inside and a few sitting areas. Right in the middle of the square. Love it!

I was looking for a book on Basketball. The clerk was super helpful and I ended up talking basketball with him for a while. It was so fun. I love this place and the coffee is amazing. I love going back.

A excellent small independent bookstore and cafe that will surprise you how many books they carry and author and special events they have. The Book Cellar is a jewel of the Lincoln Square shops.

Books, WiFi, sandwiches, coffee and a wall with wine! It's a cozy place, perfect for studying.

Wonderful place. If I remember right this is in Lincoln Square too!

Kickass little book store and coffee shop. Adult spelling bees!

Books, coffee, and excellent recommendations all in the middle of Lincoln Square. The perfect readers nook. Great for locals or tourists.

It is a great pleace for books, read & light lunch.

Absolutely love this place! Cozy and cool... Staff is super friendly - will always help you find a book & also make recommendations. One staff member recently spent quite a bit of time with my 13 yr old daughter & her friends suggesting young adult book series they might like. They will always order a book for you if not in stock and they call immediately when it arrives. Frequent purchasers receive a discount. You can also enjoy food & drink on the cafe side of the store, or a glass of wine. They host several fun events every month. We're so lucky to have a book store like this in Lincoln Square!

A great place to drop in and get away from the hustle & bustle of daily life. It's cozy, inviting, and "cafe quiet" (as opposed to "library quiet"). There's nothing quite like grabbing a cup of tea and snuggling up with a good book in a comfy chair and this is exactly the right place to do just that!

This is the best neighborhood book store. They have lots of events.

OWNER PUBLICLY HUMILIATED ME FOR NO REASON. STAFF SO MEAN. FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED THIS IN OUR AWESOME CITY.

Great Bookstore, Amazing cafe with the best munchies and quality coffee...love this place.

Favorite bookstore in the city. I never escape without buying something.

Small and sometimes a little crowded, but their selection is great and the cafe makes a solid coffe beverage.

The coolest, most comfortable book store in Chicago.

The Book Cellar is a great local business in Lincoln Square. I do wish the selection of books was larger but they put on tons of events like author meet and greets or book readings and they actively promote important information impacting the community. They sell coffee inside too so it's a great place to relax with a book or annoy patrons as you and a buddy get into a Voltaire-esque coffee fueled debate.

Super communicative about the order process, they do a really good job making sure you know exactly what's going on even when a book is difficult to obtain (as with pre-orders, backordered books, &c.).

Cozy. Adorable. The staff suggestions that are throughout the store make me feel like I am finding little treasures as I browse.

What can be better than a bookstore where they serve coffee, tea and wine so you can really enjoy your reading. And the bookstore is really awesome too!

Held onto my book even after I ordered it 5 months ago before the stay at home order. Staff are so nice and helpful. Great selection of books and if you don't see it, just ask and they can order your needs! Love to support my local bookshop.

Could use new leather comfy chairs otherwise a quaint lil bookstore...

Great little local book shop with a nice cafe. Friendly staff and fun to browse. I always like seeing the staff picks.

Great independent bookstore. Comfortable place to sit down and relax. Serves food and beverages

A great local book store. It's so easy to order a book to the store if they are out of stock (at no additional cost). And there are tons of staff recommendations. A solid option for the low key coffee and chill or to find something new to read

Great independent bookstore. So many books! Love the staff reviews. Friendly staff.

Got everything I needed for Xmas! Clean abd busy but not too crowded. Good experience. Great customer service

Great staff with great book recommendations. Decent food available at the cafe there. Lots of cool events with local and national authors.

I love this place, it's a cozy book store/coffee shop and honestly what more could you want from a place

Nice quiet place to get some awesome books. I haven't tried the food, but the I noticed that the wine prices are reasonable

Awesome place to go book exploring or to grab a quick coffee.

Great independent book store where you can grab a glass of wine!

Cozy nook for book lovers. The books feel very curated in a good way and the cafe in the store makes this a great place to spend the afternoon. Really dig this book store. Keep supporting the independents!

Can't go wrong supporting a local bookstore. Tons of readings, events, and books. Hours are great too!

Coziest book store in Chicago. Really great cafe too.

Solid book selection, good coffee, and comfy seating.

This is a great local bookstore and cafe. The staff are great and will find any book you want, even if they have to order it.

This is the perfect combination of book lover and coffee lover hideout.

A favorite independent book store of mine in Lincoln Square! This small storefront book store not only has great books, but also great gifts. I find myself making a endless list of "wants" every time I step foot in the door.

They are very active in the events areas. From book readings to comedy shows, they know how to bring it! The cafe has coffee, sandwiches, desserts and best of all, booze. Grab a glass of wine and browse, read, and relax.

P.S. Gluten free cookies and cupcakes at the cafe!

Perfect for reading while drinking coffee or tea in a quiet location in Lincoln Square. On Friday morning, we can go with the children to listen to stories. Very nice place.