Home · The Reading Room

Upstairs · Open Tue–Sun

Nineteen chairs.

No wifi.

The room above the shop is open to anyone holding a book — bought here, borrowed, or carried in from the library across the road. Filter coffee is on the house before noon.

"You need a book. Not one of ours — any book, from anywhere."

1The only rule

"Filter coffee is free before noon. After that it's forty rupees and worth it."

2The coffee

"No laptops after 4 pm. Nobody has ever complained about this."

3The evenings

One year on

We assumed nobody would come.

Eleven people in the first month. By the third we were turning people away on Saturdays. By month nine somebody had proposed in the corner by the window, which we had not planned for and did not charge extra for.

Read the whole story

0seats
0visits last year
0events held
0proposal

What's on

Readings, translation nights, and one hour a month where nobody is allowed to introduce themselves.

Hold a seat

Events are free, but the room is small. Tell us which one and we'll keep a chair.