10 Best Bookshops in Singapore

The best bookshops in Singapore span far more than the big chains: island-wide multilingual megastores sit alongside tiny independents devoted to picture books, art and design, Islamic scholarship, Chinese literature, homegrown SingLit and pre-loved finds. This guide rounds up ten shops worth a special trip, each checked against its own website or store listing. Treat it as a browsing shortlist rather than a strict ranking.

Books Kinokuniya is one of Singapore's largest and best-known bookstores, stocking what it describes as over 500,000 titles in English, Japanese, Chinese and French, plus manga, stationery and gifts. Its main store sits within Takashimaya on Orchard Road, with further branches at Bugis Junction and Raffles City. The multilingual range and deep specialist sections make it a default stop for both mainstream releases and harder-to-find imports.

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Popular is a homegrown bookstore chain that has long been a mainstay for students and families, best known for its assessment books, textbooks and stationery alongside English and Chinese general titles. It runs a network of outlets across shopping malls and campuses, and publishes a store locator on its website as branches open and close. Practical rather than boutique, it is a go-to for school-season supplies and everyday reads.

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Wardah Books is an independent bookshop in a Kampong Glam conservation shophouse specialising in Islamic scholarship, Sufism, history and philosophy, with sidelines in literature and children's titles. It says it was established in 2002 and sits on Bussorah Street near the Sultan Mosque, at the heart of the area's Malay-Muslim literary heritage. The curation leans thoughtful and academic, making it a distinctive stop for titles rarely shelved elsewhere in Singapore.

Kampong Glam
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Basheer Graphic Books is a long-running specialist in art, design and visual-culture titles, covering architecture, graphic design, illustration, animation, fashion, photography and more. Tucked on an upper floor of Bras Basah Complex, it is a well-known haunt for design students and creative professionals hunting imported and hard-to-find reference books. Staff recommendations and a densely packed, browse-friendly layout are part of its appeal.

Bras Basah
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Woods in the Books is an independent bookshop specialising in picture books and other illustrated titles for children and adults, which it says it has done since 2009. It curates story collections, activity and non-fiction books and illustrated series, and now runs shops at Katong on East Coast Road, New Bahru on Kim Yam Road and The Forum on Orchard Road. The picture-book focus and hand-picked shelves make it a favourite for parents, illustrators and collectors.

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Book Bar is an independent bookshop-cafe on Duxton Road built around Singapore Literature (SingLit), stocking local adult fiction, children's books and poetry alongside a broader reading list. It pairs browsing with a cafe menu and wine list, positioning itself as a cosy spot for slow reading and conversation. The mix of homegrown titles and drinks makes it as much a hangout as a bookstore.

Duxton
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Littered With Books is an independent bookshop occupying a two-storey conservation shophouse on Duxton Road, with carefully curated shelves spanning literary and popular fiction, non-fiction, crime, science fiction, travel writing and award-winning children's books. It leans on knowledgeable, hands-on staff recommendations rather than sheer volume. The compact, characterful space has made it a well-loved fixture of the Tanjong Pagar area.

Duxton
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Grassroots Book Room is an independent, mainly Chinese-language bookshop on Bukit Pasoh Road, with a considered selection spanning literature, history, politics, philosophy and film, plus a smaller shelf of English titles. A small cafe sits at the back, and the shop regularly hosts talks, workshops and cultural events. It is one of Singapore's few remaining dedicated Chinese-language independents and a hub for the local Chinese literary community.

Bukit Pasoh
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The Moon is an independent bookstore and cafe set in a Chinatown shophouse on Mosque Street, with a collection that foregrounds literature by women and writers of colour across fiction, poetry and non-fiction. Opened in 2018, it doubles as a cafe and event space for readings and community gatherings. The socially-minded curation and hygge-style interior set it apart from Singapore's larger stores.

Chinatown
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Ana Book Store is a veteran secondhand bookshop tucked inside Far East Plaza off Orchard Road, often described as the last used-book store in the Orchard area. Its shelves are stacked floor to ceiling with pre-loved fiction and non-fiction, and it also turns up vintage ephemera such as old menus, labels and advertising cards. The stock is affordable and ever-changing, rewarding patient browsers hunting for out-of-print finds.

Orchard
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