Five Of Our Favorite Literature Themed Coffee Shops

Posted by Simona DeDominicis

Nothing goes together like coffee and books. Reading in coffee shops is a favorite pastime of book lovers around the world, so what could be better than a book themed cafe?

These five literary coffee shops will feed both your mind and your body, so be sure to check them out.

Bennu (Pictured Above): A 24 hour coffee house in Austin, Texas, Bennu’s known for its gourmet mochas that are named after books. A quick glance at the menu and you’ll see classics like The Scarlet Letter, Oliver Twist and The Great Gatsby. Each drink is created with a book in mind, and they all sound delicious. The one the sounds the best to me is the Don Quixote, which is described as “Azteca D’oro Spiced Chocolate Mocha topped with home-made whipped cream and dusted with Mexican spiced powder.” Yum!

McNally Jackson Cafe: A bookstore in NYC, and its cafe is really something special. Books hang suspended from the ceiling and pages line the walls, giving the space a whimsical feel. The lights above the counter hold stacks of books, which is appropriate for its place in a bookstore. They even have a literary experience section on the menu where you can eat and drink the same things as a character from your favorite book.

Literati Cafe: Located in Los Angeles, Literati Cafe does not disappoint. The walls feature black and white photographs of various literary figures as well as posters of famous book covers. The atmosphere has been described as “bookish”, with little nooks and crannies for customers to sip a latte and crack open a novel.

D’Espresso: This coffee shop in Manhattan has been transformed to look like you’re sitting on the wall of a library. The wallpaper is printed with bookshelves holding hundreds of books tilted sideways, and one wall has been fitted with hardwood flooring. Even the lights are fashioned so coffee drinkers can feel like they’re hanging out in a room that has been flipped on its side. The sepia tone of the books give this lit-themed cafe an old fashioned feel.

Quills Coffee: What started out as a reference to the owners’ last name, Nathan and Gabe Quillo’s coffee shop Quills now has adopted a literary theme. With three locations in Kentucky and Indiana, Quills has become known for more than its coffee; bookshelves line the walls and a vintage typewriter holds a menu displaying the specials for the day.

Simona DeDominicis is a current English major who takes breaks from schoolwork to hang out in bookstores. Interests include: scrolling through Tumblr, drinking coffee, and exploring. To find her other places around the internet, check out @booklettes on twitter.