Porto has several libraries and bookstores so I broke the answer to this question in three posts: the best English bookstores in Porto, the only children bookshop with books in languages rather than Portuguese and the best second hand bookshops.
I checked all of them to make sure they have books in languages other than Portuguese: English, Spanish, French, Italian and German, but also some Asian languages and Russian. Are you ready? Let’s go!
The best English bookshops in Porto are:
Livraria Lello
Rua das Carmelitas, 144 | Porto
I already told you the story behind the most beautiful bookstore in the world, that recently celebrated its 110th anniversary 🙂 Lello has a good selection of books in English, French, Italian, Spanish and German, as well as Guides to Portugal in Russian, Chinese and Japanese and hence it is one of the best English bookstores in Porto.
In order to get inside the Lello bookstore you have to buy a ticket (I explain everything about how to get the ticket and avoid the queues on the link above), but you can redeem the value of the ticket when you buy a book.
However, I must warn you that Lello bookstore is very touristy, so it is always – always – full of people. It is impossible to analyse a book with some peace and quiet. Moreover, because it is so touristy, a lot of the books are unrelated to Portuguese culture – for instance, you can find a very big Harry Potter section and loads of books by Jane Austin. Nonetheless, if you are a patient person you will certainly find really good books there.
How to get there: the subway stations Aliados and São Bento are both a 10 minutes walking distance.
Livraria Leitura
Rua José Falcão, 78 | Porto
Leitura is another well-guarded retreat, with a privileged location, that calls for a quick visit before we go for a coffee at the best éclairs’ shop in Porto. It has both novels and technical books available in English, French and Spanish.
How to get there: the subway stations Aliados and São Bento are both a 10 minutes walking distance.
Poetria
Rua das Oliveiras, 70 r/c, loja 12 | Porto
Poetria is, as you can deduce from its name, the House of Poetry in Porto. Within Galerias Lumière, in a sheltered corner, you will find bilingual poetry books – Portuguese & English, French, German or Spanish. It has poetry books of Fernando Pessoa exclusively written in English.
How to get there: the subway stations Aliados and São Bento are both a 10 minutes walking distance.
Livraria José Alves
Rua da Fábrica, 74 | Porto
Students from FEUP – Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto – already know this technical bookstore. It is specialised in technical books from various fields, and it has books in English.
How to get there: the subway stations Aliado is a 5 minutes walking distance.
Fnac
Rua Santa Catarina, 73 | Porto
Fnac is a world, not exactly an English bookstore in Porto. From electronics to books, house appliances, CDs, games… you can easily get lost yourself in there without really find what you need, and for that reason it’s not one of my favorite places to buy books. But given its size and variety, it is impossible to exclude it from this list.
How to get there: the subway station São Bento is a 10 minutes walking distance.
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