Elliot Bay Cafe

This is a very nice local bookstore that justifies not going to a large chain. Everyone who works there is helpful and pleasant, and they have a very nice selection of books. It’s definitely worth a visit if you’re in the Seattle area. Plus, they often have book signings by authors! more

escape from the rain and duck inside this beautiful historic building. ive no idea what year this building was built, but elliot bay books is housed in one of the coolest buildings in seattle. there are lots of spots to stop,and sit and read a poem, or two, or spend the whole afternoon randomly grabbing books from the shelves and opening your mind to whatever's inside! more

I’m never quite sure if it’s the world class selection of books, magazines and newspapers or the cozy little coffee shop located in the basement of this Pioneer Square book seller (later used as the model for the coffee shop featured in the television show Frasier) that keeps me coming back. Often the meeting place for literary groups and book clubs, If it is in print, you can be assured to find it here. From new and used books, music, food and fun, Elliot Bay Books has it. more

If you know exactly which book you want and want it in a hurry, this is not the right bookstore. However, if you want to browse the aisles for hours looking for inspiration and a book you didn't even know you wanted, this is the place. Aisle after aisle of books on every imaginable topic in a cozy setting that highlights just how cold and sterile the big chain stores really are. This place has become a Seattle institution and even a tourist destination but it should appeal to any book lover. more

Elliott Bay Book Co is a great bookstore for browsing and wasting away a rainy Seattle day. They offer a wide selection of books, both current bestsellers and some more random offerings. And when you get tired of browsing the books, head downstairs for some great eats. No sure what the cafe is called, but they have a yummy selection of vegan and vegetarian eats. more

One day a couple years ago I was working near Pioneer Square and having a less than stellar day. So I went for an early lunch, and walked to what then and still is my favourite lunch spot, the café under Elliot Bay Books. When I got there I decided to go get some books, so I could read over lunch. I'll get to my review of the café below. I had never really been into the bookstore at that point because I always just bought my books (a lot of books) on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. An hour later, I had an armful of books, some whimsical looks from the incredibly friendly staff and a seriously growling stomach. The first section you encounter on entering is my favourite part. The two top 10 seller shelves are interesting peaks into the collective unconscious of the people around me, and the new-releases/featured table in front of those shelves is where I end up doing a lot of my shopping. The biggest reason I have rendered a 5 star opinion is the whole package of the place. It feels like a real bookstore, not a cellophane wrapped, sanitized starbucksian experience like Barnes and Noble (I DO like B&N for raw selection btw), Elliot Bay Books is real, with real people who really like books. The café underneath is what tops it off. Amazing food, good coffee, nice ambiance and walls lined with totally random used books for dirt cheap. Just to finish my little story from above, I spent 2 hours reading over a Spinach Salad, a Brie and Cucumber sandwich and a soy latte - a combination i recommend for anyone going to the café - and I didn't go back to work that day. :) Whenever friends come to visit Seattle, this is one of the first places I take them. more

The Elliott Bay Book Company is the largest, oldest bookstore located in the heart of downtown Seattle, near Pioneer Square. It's so large, so could easily spend a few hours there and not realize it. And if you get hungry while perusing through their literary selections, you can pop on downstairs to their cafe for some refreshments. Kindly leave any unpaid for books upstairs, there are a few good books that live in the café if you feel the need to read and nosh. Another interesting fact about this bookstore is that you can have your wedding here! Many years ago I attended a wedding here and it was perfectly charming! more

Did you know that the coffeeshop in the TV show "Fraiser" was modeled after the basement-level coffee-shop at Elliott Bay!? Well it was! But don't go there for the pseudo-fame. Go there for the literal tons of books that they have. Go there for the dark, rustic basement coffeeshop. GO there for the wonderful smell that can only come from a bookstore. It's in Pioneer Square, so no parking. But who drives in Downtown Seattle? Tourists only. Locals take the bus. more

One of the best retail experiences in Seattle, bar none. Even if you don't like books, you can head down to the cafe in the basement and enjoy a Top Pot donut and cuppa joe to see what underground Seattle was all about (check out the old pull handle crapper in the Men's Room!). This is the place where the floors creak, where people thumb through the best available bindings, and where the line to work here goes almost as far as the one at the register. Got a favorite author that's on tour? Chances are (s)he will pass through the reading room downstairs (or if not here, then certainly at Third Place Books, the sister store up on Lake City Way). Great local section and staff picks. A must for any bookworm. more

Elliot Bay Book Company is a great locally owned book store. They have both used and new books, a huge selection, a great staff, and a location right in the heart of downtown. The prices are just as good as the national chains and you can help support local booksellers. A first rate store. more

Before the dawn of Barnes & Noble, this was considered a book superstore. It continues to thrive by concentrating on great service and by offering excellent author events. Elliot Bay has a fantastic program of author visits, public lectures, and discussions. It is clear that the store staff actually read books, and are a great resource for a recommendation and buying advice. They might not always be the cheapest, but this is still a great place to shop! more

Located in an historic building dating back to 1890, Elliot Bay books, located in the middle of a revitalized Pioneer Square, is the area's preeminent independent book seller. Known for the attractive cedar shelving along brick walls in several different rooms, the store contains some 150,000 different titles. New, used, and antique. more

At Elliott Bay you'll find great selection and knowledgeable sales people who area eager to help. I've gone in there searching for a book with the wrong title and only the author's first name and they have managed to find it for me. Plus, free gift wrapping and a generous free rewards program. Great magazine selection as well and there is a yummy cafe downstairs. Street parking is usually easy to find. more

the selection tends towards the pedestrian and the partisan, this book store contains a decent collection of books. I always run across something new and interesting and I think it has to do with the obvious care the staff takes in its work. All of the prime advertising spots in the bookstore are not overflowing with the Oprah book of the week or the newest Stephen King novel. This makes for an interesting visit for the casual browser whose main goal is usually just to glance at the tables by the door for ideas on new reading material. Elliott Bay Book Company also contains a café in the basement, a used book section, and has many author readings. Good over all more

They have a huge selection of good quality books and periodicals, including a bargain section upstairs and a used section in the back. They also have a lot of author events downstairs in the basement near a coffee shop. If you love books and are visiting Seattle, you can't miss this bookstore. more

Elliot Bay needs no introduction to locals. But if you are visiting or new to town, it's a special place for book lovers. This Pioneer Square store carries a huge selection of books, especially real fiction for literate types. They have continuous readings and author appearances, with an emphasis on quirky individuals and local writers. There is a cozy cafe in the basement. And the whole place is a thinking person's bookstore while feeling like genuine unpretentious old Seattle. more

This is a large bookstore in Pioneer Square that has a disappointingly small assortment of used books. They do have some, but most of the store is dedicated to new books. It is still a nice store though – big and roomy with a nice old wooden interior. It is a good place to browse before heading to a baseball game. They have magazines too. Overall, I do not think it is as great of place as I have heard people say. I wouldn’t say it’s worth a special trip, but if you are in the area, might as well stop by. more

Located in historic Pioneer Square near downtown Seattle, Elliot Bay Book Co. is arguably the best bookstore in town. Tens of thousands of new titles along with a sizeable used book section are set atop pleasantly worn hardwood floors. The staff is as knowledge as one would hope for them to be: there's almost always someone on hand who can intelligently distinguish between different translations and editions of books. Plus, the staff is very friendly. The basement of the bookstore is an exposed brick (and pipe) cafe that serves good coffee, pastries, and sandwiches. Also downstairs is the reading room in which, about once a week, an author will give a reading. The bookstore attracts nationally-renounded, award-winning authors as well as local specialty authors. It's all one could hope for in a bookstore. more

Elliot Bay has a great selection of books - one of the best in the city. Located in Pioneer Square, it has a cafe downstairs with some tasty snacks. The selection of books is diverse - both new and used - and the staff is quite helpful when trying to locate books. There is a good selelction of childrens books, too. Parking can be a pain in this area, though. more

Elliott Bay Bookstore is the best bookstore in Seattle, and one of the top 5 bookstores I've seen anywhere. Located in Pioneer Square, the big old brick building has creaky wooden floors, a cozy coffee shop downstairs, and a thoughtful selection of books that makes browsing there a delightful, all-afternoon affair. The outdoor book section (up in a loft) and the staff picks are especially impressive, as is the selection of national and local magazines. Used books are available as well as new ones, and there are often treasures to be found in the discount section, in another loft. The atmosphere is comfortable and invites browsing and reading, and there are author readings several times a week. more