Book Nook #1: Spell & Bound Bookshop & Cafe, New Delhi
10 years ago Shaili Desai 9
“In omnibus requiem quaesivi, et nusquam inveni nisi in angulo cum libro.”
(Everywhere I have sought peace and not found it, except in a corner with a book.)
There are always places that make you feel comfortable and cozy, enough to encourage a person to read and quietly reflect upon myriad things in life. On a chance, it may lead to something special, with the person writing a line or two of verse, in honor of life and it’s various machinations.
One such place is the Spell & Bound Bookshop & Cafe in New Delhi. I stumbled on to this place when I was visiting the IIT Delhi Campus for work, last week. It’s a small book store and cafe in the market opposite the IIT Campus Main Gate.
Here are some pictures:
The store has books of every genre and recommendations on every shelf. Many recommendations were the same as ones I have read (or reviewed on this website) and liked. The food and beverages are also not very expensive. The beverages are served in very cute bottles and the food tastes quite nice. On the whole, it’s a quiet place where one can go and sit in a corner, check out a lot of books, read some and leave with a nice, satisfied feeling in the stomach.
Check it out sometime, if you are somewhere near the IIT campus. Or if you’ve gone there sometime, do leave a comment with your experience. 🙂
Also, I am starting a new feature called ‘Book Nook’, where I feature a particularly nice book store or book cafe, periodically. If you’re a regular visitor at some really cool places, do send in your recommendations and they shall get featured on this website. 🙂
9 comments
Ashna Jul 03, 2013 at 5:42 pm
Oh nice! I heard about this one just yesterday! It’s quite far from where I live or go to college, but I’ve added this to my places-to-visit list! 🙂 Thanks for the pictures and descriptions of the food!
admin Jul 20, 2013 at 4:22 pm
Thanks to you for checking out my blog. Do let me know your experience if and when you go here. 🙂
Spider42 Jul 05, 2013 at 6:55 am
Very nice!
Didn’t know about this place but will be checking it out when life permits soon.
Cheers.
admin Jul 20, 2013 at 4:23 pm
Sure! Thanks for dropping by. 🙂
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SRS Jul 29, 2013 at 5:45 am
Such a lovely place! Wish we had places like this in Chennai – I haven’t really been able to spot any god book cafes here – there is landmark, odyssey and crossword….not more to my knowledge! BTW, first time here – lovely blog!
Abhiroop Aug 15, 2013 at 7:10 pm
I feel awkward about taking down brand new books from a shop shelf and reading them unless I want to buy them. What if I age the book? Isn’t it cheap not to buy? Are they looking, noticing, thinking, “Here’s another one, trying to read everything without buying anything”?
The other problem I have is that these bookshop cum cafe places almost never seem to have a table for one. I don’t know about other people, but I have almost never gone book shopping with company. It is odd occupying a table/couch meant for a small group all by myself, especially since these places are nearly always rather small and there might be people waiting to be seated. I can neither eat nor read under such appalling social pressures!
Do, do find some places like this in the wastelands of West Delhi, if only to help me overcome my neuroses 🙂 Take the metro, come.
admin Aug 16, 2013 at 2:47 pm
You’re right. I realize that I also rarely go book shopping with somebody else, unless it’s a gift I am buying. It guess it doesn’t make sense economically for them to have a table with just one chair. Maybe they ought to place a big fat comfy couch (size just enough to seat one person) at a corner for somebody who wants to just come and read.
And I don’t think you ought to care about what they think, whether you are going to buy or not.
I don’t know of any places yet in W Delhi, although there are places in S Delhi. Friends have told me of a place called Kumzum Cafe at Hauz Khaz Village, where there are often discussions of books happening. I have never been there but maybe one day, I shall check it out.
Abhiroop Aug 25, 2013 at 10:21 pm
I’ve heard nice things about the Kunzum Travel Cafe too. You know what I wish for? I wish BAALM would have a forever growing directory of aaalll the bookshops in Delhi. Bigshop littleshop patrishop they all count. Coupled with a customized Google map, a book lovers’ treasure map, dotted with all the bookshops you find. And and another section with advance info about all the booksy events in the city like book launches and readings and lectures and stuff. With another page exclusively for the libraries of the city. And a feature where you interview city based authors. And a post with savvy haggling tips to help poor hungry struggling bachelors like me buy books from Darya Ganj without feeling paranoid about being ripped off. And a fond hope that the author of this blog never becomes too busy to write it, no matter how busy and big and successful she becomes in her profession.