This is such a lovely, well-curated space! Firstly, the building which houses House of Books & Friends is absolutely stunning! Myself and my friend visited on a Tuesday morning for a drink, followed by a browse of the books, and we were blown away by how gorgeous it was. We sampled the café first, barely able to contain ourselves from constantly looking around at the books on display while we had our drinks. I was glad to see the café had a steady stream of customers - it's always nice to see an independent business doing well! We managed to resist the cakes on offer, but only for so long as I grabbed a couple of chocolate orange brownies to go (and they were delicious!) The book selection was excellent. There was a nice number of recent fiction hardback releases, along with recent fiction paperbacks and lovely special editions of classics. It was clear that the booksellers were able to put their own personalities and passions into the books on offer, with some more obscure titles. As more of a fiction reader, I didn't spend so long looking at the non-fiction categories, but each looked like it had been assembled with similar care and variety. We spoke to a couple of the booksellers while we were at House of Books & Friends, and they were unsurprisingly delightful. There's so much passion amongst booksellers, and that was plain to see here as one of the staff ran up to tell me how much they'd loved a book I'd picked up! Book people are truly the best people. I'll certainly look forward to revisiting next time I'm in Manchester!

Really nice place. The coffee shop is a nice quiet place to read or write (or do any work really). The fiction is all bundled together, which at first I thought would be annoying, but now realise is a masterstroke - it's helped expand my tastes. Similarly books that might not be immediately obvious elsewhere are often given a little more premium space, so you find stuff you might be interested in but possibly wouldn't find otherwise. A fantastic book shop by all accounts. The vegan cake options can be a little sporadic I've found, so four stars to gently nudge for some more vegan treats (although to be fair they have great vegan sandwich options)...otherwise a lovely gem that's well worth a visit.

Staff have an incredible wealth of knowledge and are so helpful. The woman serving in the cafe yesterday went out of her way to recommend and write down a whole list of authors who wrote in a similar style/voice to the examples I gave (R Cusk, Jenny Offil, etc) I spent a couple of hours reading in an easy chair, came away with 4 books, and have a long list of other titles to read next. Thanks so much for saving me so much time and giving me so many wonderful leads to explore. ♥️

My first time visiting today and they have a wonderful selection of books from the newest releases and classics to non fiction books on astrology and philosophy as well as everything in between. Not to mention the amazing, friendly staff. Just a wonderful place to browse, shop or just hang out with friends with a cup of coffee and a good book. What more could anyone want. Great place and will definitely be visiting again!

We went here two times during our holidays and it was amazing! The atmosphere is very relaxing and the staff is super friendly and welcoming. The tea is reasonably priced and you find lots of books to read or buy. They offer even decaf options for tea and coffee. We enjoyed our stays a lot and we can just recommend everyone with the opportunity to spend some hours reading and drinking tea in this place!

Gorgeous shop with a great selection of books to browse. Staff are knowledgeable and friendly, and happy to order books in if they're not in stock. The cafe is a great addition - a lovely cosy option after having a browse - set in an interesting part of the building. The ethos of uniting bookworms is a lovely one, and the staff are working to create the perfect environment for this :)

Not just a wonderful bookstore, a wonderful bookstore with a wonderful purpose. Created and owned by the as a benefit company (B-company), all profits go to charitable initiatives to combat loneliness, and encourage community interaction. The space itself lends itself to browsing, and there is also a reservable community room and routine space to just sit and read and enjoy.

This was a new find for us,which is great when you think you know a city,and then have a lovely surprise of a new place. I can’t think of many things I like more than books and coffee,so that was a good start! Add friendly staff and a really relaxed vibe. Will definitely visit again,and would highly recommend this hidden gem.

The loveliest of atmospheres and warmest of welcomes. Great selection of books, excellent coffee. Friendly, knowledgeable and engaging staff. A great way to while away some time on a wet day whilst waiting for family in my case. Comfortable environment and a great shopping experience. Bought gifts for family and self!

very cool little bookshop and cafe. the staff were lovely and the cakes looked amazing (though i only bought a book and green tea). good selection of books too with varied seating areas. the shop was pleasantly busy when i went - it had a good buzz but was quiet enough for a peaceful read and wind down.

A wonderful independent bookshop on King Street in a beautiful building. I love coming in here on my lunch, they offer packaged sandwiches and baked goods along with a nice selection of hot and cold drinks. Today I had an iced oat Latte that was perfect and a tasty lotus cookie cup.

A wonderful warm environment with friendly staff. Situated in a beautiful historic building. Book shop and cafe with nice food. A lovely place to sit, meet friends and chat, even got designated tables to encourage conversation. Back room has lots of history. Well worth a visit.

Loved the place and the atmosphere, their scones are exceptional!! It's one of the best scones I ever had. The workers are really nice and welcoming. My only comment is when they prepare the espresso they hit so hard and it's noisy. Other than that it's 10/10 loved everything.

Little gem of a place, gorgeous books, great coffee and very comfy leather sofas. What’s not to love?! The staff are super friendly and knowledgable too There’s an incredible event space with dark panelled walls in the back. Very happy to have found it and will be back.

Fabulous place, a great way to spend some time unplugged in town. Great eclectic mix of books, lovely cafe and relaxed vibe. Can't sing enough praises for the staff, really friendly and interesting people! Can't wait to see what comes out of this place in future.

Absolutely love this bookshop, friendly, great coffee & cake. The events are well organised, relaxed and enjoyable. The only drawback is accessibility at the moment the ramp is not as user friendly or confidence inspiring for electric wheelchair user

Nice to have another book store in the city centre. There is a cafe too, so good for a lunchtime meet up with friends. They also have scheduled activities for children. The store is on the ground floor on a beautiful Victorian building.

I enjoyed this space, the open settings at the main entrance, while the rest has this intimate, quiet, relaxing setting undisturbed. It's worth a visit. The staff are welcoming also, which makes your experience more meaningful ✨️

A really welcoming book shop & café, the staff were really friendly and were able to tell me about the books i’ve chosen. They also have a beautiful events space in the back which will be so nice for author events.

This independent cafe and book shop is exactly what Manchester needs. Gorgeous Gothic architecture. A lovely cafe with spaces to read and relax. Friendly staff and a calm, peaceful atmosphere. This place is a gem.

Wonderful independent bookshop with a great cafe and comfy seating interspersed around the place, the staff do a great job too. Return visits required, a must-visit for anyone looking for coffee, cake or books.

visited back in their opening week :) it was so nice! good selection of books with notes/comments from Leah on some of them. very friendly people running this bookstore/cafe! cosy place to get lost in reading

Lovely small bookshop with plenty of comfy seating to sit and read and/or eat or drink, as it has a good café. It is easy to walk by as it doesn't have a strong street presence, but well worth going in!

Charming independent bookshop that I could easily spend all day - and my money - in. Helpful staff, gorgeous location, great atmosphere, and a lovely coffee shop; what more could you possibly want?!

Friendly staff, good collection of books and tasty cakes! Good spot if you just want to go and read your book. I went with my dog and they treated him like a king. Definitely will come back,

This is the best bookshop café I have ever been to, and I am here in Manchester on international study. I have no doubt I will miss this place when it comes time for me to leave the city.

Little bookshop with a huge heart and lovely purpose. Very cool. They have "chatty tables" where you can sit if you wanna have a conversation. I adore this shop. Friendly service.

Beautiful book and coffee shop with wide variety of books, nice desserts and very helpful girls working there. I loved your creative Christmas tree made by books, it's stunning.

A great curation of books and a fantastic environment from which to browse and buy. The initiatives to bring people together is just what Manchester needs, long may it continue.

We had a lovely time here, hanging out, exploring the shop and drinking lovely beverages. It's quiet and thoughtfully put together and somewhere I would happily visit again.

It is nice and well designed, however, it is cold, limited options of snacks and not breakfast or sandwiches options, no internet installed yet. Clean and staff is nice

Small event space to host creative workshops at the back, good but small selection of books. The space is taken up by tables and chairs for the coffee/cake shop.

A lovely bookshop in the city centre with a cafe. Nice big, comfortable sofas and chairs to sit and read in while enjoying a cup of tea and a slice of cake!

So many genre of books to choose from.. Its such a cosy place where you can enjoy reading your book with a slice of cake and a cuppa!!Loved the interior.

It's a really nice place for coffee and a relax. Chess boards available to customers to play. And then there's books! What more could you ask for

Amazing bookstore/café. Everyone there is friendly, and the book recommendations are great! House Of Books & Friends is my favourite new place :)

Top quality coffee in a bookish environment, set in a beautiful historic building. Friendly and helpful staff. A place to regularly go to.

Friendly staff, buzzing atmosphere, and great space for talks, events etc. Meeting Peter Rabbit and the Gruffalo was a treat for our son.

Absolutely lovely staff. super welcoming from entry and super helpful with finding books for me. Absolutely cosy and lively environment.

Great little gem of a place for nice relaxing hot chocolate and a book browse. Lovely staff. Great victorian features nicely preserved

The staff are so friendly and welcoming. The purpose and message behind this place is very meaningful at a time when its most needed.

Fantastic bookshop with great book selection and a lovely café. Very welcoming atmosphere and lots of seats to read and relax.

What a great place to meet friends, find a book to buy, and have a tasty snack. Lovely staff who are so helpful and friendly.

What a lovely place! Cute little bookshop, friendly staff, nice coffee, and all in an AMAZING building! 10/10 would recommend

Great community run book shop with lovely friendly staff! Also, the pay it forward for books and coffee is an amazing idea.

I love a book shop but add a coffee stop - heaven. Cosy chairs, sit and read and enjoy. This is a brilliant space. Love it

Really welcoming and wholesome community space. Great to browse or to just go into read and you can grab a nice coffee!

Love this kind of independent bookshop where one can find off the beaten path books and the service is personalized.

Small selection of books, but quality rather than quantity. Coffee and snacks nice, and plenty of places to sit.

A very decent new Cafe and bookstore. Comfortable seating, friendly staff, nice warm ambiance. I’ll visit again.

My new favourite place to read, work and socialise. The venue is fantastic and the staff are always friendly!

Great shop, great coffee. Leah was very helpful and recommend me the perfect book for my friend’s birthday.

Great little bookshop with cafe, opeeninng up as a space for people to meet. Very good selection of books.

Beautiful bookshop and cafe, with very friendly staff and a gorgeous, historic event space at the back.

Really nice coffee, friendly staff and obviously loads and loads of book. What more could you ask for?

Interesting selection of books, good coffee, friendly staff. A nice place to while away and afternoon.

Fab café with such a great social atmosphere! I'll definitely recommend this place to my friends

Excellent bookshop with a cafe inside too. Great for browsing and/or a quick read with a coffee.

Nice coffee, lovely building and lots of books, with a great atmosphere. What more do you need?

Staff was lovely. Enjoyed some tea and coffee and picked up some books. Cool location.

Lovely cafe bookshop that is also a social enterprise. Nice place to spend some time

Amazing place and friendly service! The leather couches are ridiculously comfy ☺️

beautifull place qith books and snacks, lovely staff as well I had a great time.

Wonderful space - bookshop/social place/cafe. Thoroughly enjoyed the book club.

Great bookshop, lovely cafe and setting and a great purpose driven business

Great atmosphere, great books and brilliant cakes, would wholly recommend!

Very laid back and chilled book themed cafe with extremely friendly staff.

Great coffee and books to discover that chain shops don't stock.

Lovely bookshop and a good place to stop for coffee and a read

Historic setting and good selection of books. Also nice coffee

Lovely little place coffee and tea were good atmosphere great!

Best bookshop/coffee shop in Manchester. Love that place.

Beautiful bookshop with a small café and friendly staff.

Great place to sit and read your book. Good latte too

The nicest bookshop I have seen. Lovely stuff …

Nice calming vibes. Good coffee and book selection.

Beautiful building, great little coffee shop

Lovely service and great selection of books

Lovely friendly staff, relaxed atmosphere

Absolutely a dream for book lovers.