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Categories: Bookshops, Coffee & Tea, Culinary Schools [Edit]
4 Blenheim CresentLondon W11 1NN
Neighbourhood: Notting Hill
020 7221 1992
- Nearest Transit:
-
Ladbroke Grove (Hammersmith & City)
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 10:00 - 18:00
- Price Range:
-
££
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
9 reviews for Books For Cooks
All Reviews
True bliss is being surrounded by thousands of cookbooks with the smell of pastries and spices in the air.
This store is my mecca.
If you are lonely for an American voice, go to Books for cooks because that is where every relocated American wife is hanging eating a dessert and reading the latest marie claire.
Having said that, I love this place for their lunches. I love talking the cooks about what they want to make and why they chose the recipes to try.
I wish the dining area was a bit removed from the store.
Perfect Friday would be get up, walk to Notting Hill from Portman Square (see Churchill Hyatt review), walk up to the Portobello Market, duck into a few shops and rough trade. Stop for a coffee and look at the pretty produce. Around noon have lunch and buy a cookbook or three and then wander towards Westbourne Grove to the market and then towards the twee shopping.
The walking is good -- gives you more reason to eat another pudding.
Books for Cooks is bad news.
And by 'bad news', I mean 'amazing'. But, you see, Books for Cooks is to home cooks as an enabler is to people with crack habits.
When I walked in the door, I was hit by a wave of delicious cooking smells emanating from the test kitchen at the back, which feeds hoards of West London ladies who lunch.
A quick glance around the sales floor confirmed that the shop was impossibly narrow and small. A number of the aforementioned ladies bumped and pushed me as they tried to navigate their way to the back kitchen (more often than not, not apologising - what's that about?). Nevertheless, despite the shop's small size, it seemed to contain every cookbook ever printed (in English, at least). As a vegetarian cook, I was delighted to find an entire bookshelf devoted to vegetarian cooking, many books of which were vegan. I wasn't planning on buying anything, but how could I turn down an entire book devoted to vegan baking? With PICTURES?! And without too-cool-for-school indie authors with their off-putting hipstery graphics and lingo (Sorry Post-Punk Kitchen. I love your recipes and all, but you make me feel as if I don't measure up to your impossibly hip vegan indie street cred sometimes)?!!
So I bought this book. And I came home. And I made vegan cupcakes.
The end.
If you're a devoted Yelper with an affinity for cooking as well as eating, you ought to check this place out.
The reason why Books for Cooks is fabulous is because the store divides cuisines up by region as well as specialty.
What a -huge- selection of Middle Eastern, African, European, etc cook books. I was so impressed and I wanted everything.
Prices were a bit much (I'd rather get them off of Amazon!) but they stock many hard to find titles that are rare on Amazon or other online order sites.
Ever scoured sites such as Amazon to find that perfect cookbook? Ever been disappointed when you can't find an out of stock cookbook that has the pumpkin pie recipe to end all pumpkin pie recipes?
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this store, it's a foodie's paradise. There are some 8,000 recipe books filling the shelves from floor to ceiling on all manner of topics related to food: history, nutrition, art, chemistry and so much more.
But here's the real attention grabber - at the back there is a reasonably priced cafe dishing up different treats from the 'test kitchen' which is devoted to trying out the recipes from the books themselves. Upstairs, too, they run cooking classes. So if you want to be the next kitchen big shot, look no further.
Books for Cooks is the best place in London, apart from maybe Divertimenti, to find the perfect present for anyone who loves food.
The shop stocks all types of cooking and food books in both new and second hand condition, from all across the world. If a book isn't enough, the shop also runs small cookery classes in the testing kitchen where you can try out wine tasting, literary lunches and cooking demonstrations in small groups with their resident chefs.
A new London favorite hotspot--this place rocks my socks for sure! The staff know their stuff and their store incredibly well, and are eager to help. They even offer cooking classes (though a little steep for the hands-on option). I agree with other reviewers: a perfect lazy day stroll delight.
I had never heard of this place, even when I lived in London. Leave it to dear Clarissa Wright (one of Two Fat Ladies) to mention it in her excellent and enjoyable book which prompted my visit recently. What a selection - and the staff sure know their business. And at the back of the store is food, glorious food, and cooking classes and all manner of wonder. Wish there was a store like this in San Francisco...
The best cookbook shop in London. Huge selection and very helpful and knowldegable staff. There is a cafe at the back of the shop. They also have cooking classes in the test kitchen above the shop. I've been to a number of them and they are always fun.
