Where to Find English-Language Books in Lisbon

Finding books in English in Lisbon isn’t very difficult these days — and the number of stores selling English-language books, including only those in English, keeps growing.

Bivar Books (Rua de Ponta Delgada 34A) is an all-English secondhand bookstore in Estefânia with a penchant for Penguin editions and a bend toward science fiction titles, which are otherwise very hard to find in English in this town. It used to be run by the affable Leena Marjola, but since 2019 is helmed by the woman many around town would like to call “Mom,” Eduarda.

Salted Books (Calçada Marquês Abrantes 96) opened in 2023 in Santos thanks to Alex Holder, an English journalist and writer, hoping to bring a little London with her to Lisbon. After four years of living here, she pulled it off, and the shop has been busy not just stocking new English-language titles but holding a variety of talks and other events and being embraced both by the many native English speakers who’ve transplanted themselves to Lisbon and by the even larger numbers of Portuguese who love reading in English.

Livraria Martins (2nd floor of Time Out Market, Av. 24 de Julho) joined the floor that houses a co-working space and a bar, so we’re not sure what kind of business it’s turning from the neighbors, but the selection here is divine, in both Portuguese and English. They cover the classics, favoring the editions that would improve any library, they have the recent Booker Nobel winners, a plethora of the more interesting non-fictin, and they have plenty of stuff that will serve you well on the beach, too. It’s also a pleasure to browse thanks to its unique organization. This is not a budget spot — no used books when we visited in June 2025 — but it makes sense to support them.

Ler Devagar (1300, R. Rodrigues de Faria 103) in LX Factory in Alcântara is one of the most gorgeous bookstores around, with a cafe where you can drink wine (you used to be able to smoke too, and some do upstairs!) while you look all smarty-pants. The English selection (all new books) skews toward Portuguese authors and Portugal travel and history books, but there are occasionally titles by contemporary American and British masters and more mainstream books too. A great place for jazz records as well.

Snob (Tv. de Santa Quitéria 32A) is an independent book store mainly stocking Portuguese titles, but it has a sizable selection of English-language books as well — and the diversity of its offerings makes it stand apart from most book stores here and outside Lisbon. Think poetry, cutting-edge literature, academic texts on various arts, and more. It’s hard to walk away from here without a little treat. There’s a little cafe as well, and an outdoor patio that’s also used for readings. If you’re learning Portuguese, this is an excellent way to get more advanced, Atlas correspondents have found.

Related: An Alternative to Amazon for Online Book Buying in Portugal

Palavra de Viajante (R. de São Bento 34) is a paradise for book-loving travelers, real and arm-chair, with a wonderfully curated selection of guidebooks, travel journals, expensive photo books, and more. If you have a favorite travel writer, in our experience, they’ll stock them in Portuguese and English. The same goes for travel-inspired writing in general, including fiction and even poetry. This bookstore doesn’t sell online, but its website has a blog about books and an events calendar for talks held at the shop.

Bertrand Livreiros (Rua Garrett 73) in Chiado is the oldest bookstore in the world still in operation, but it keeps up with the times no problem. Bertrand has a rotating selection of English-language books, including a solid variety of travel guides, but also books by Portuguese authors in English and New York Times bestsellers. It’s got an online store too. Another location in Picoas Plaza (Rua Tomás Ribeiro and Rua Viriato) also offers a small but well-curated selection of English-language books, including major prize winners and best-sellers.

Kitty-corner from Bertrand’s oldest location is Livraria Sá da Costa in Chiado, an antique book store mostly featuring Portuguese titles — some of them quite ancient indeed — but it has a very impressive selection of English-language volumes to meet the growing demand from tourists and locals. It’s a great place to find a little treasure, including not just books but maps, illustrations, paintings, records, and even the occasional piece of furniture. The prices, despite what you may glance on some of the more “collectible” items at the front of the store, are actually very fair.

With locations all over Portugal, including several in Lisbon, FNAC may seem like it’s a chain electronics store, but most, if not all, of its locations stock a respectable selection of classic literature and new releases, both mainstream and of the more literary variety — including in English and French. The selection is similar to Bertrand, although FNAC is more likely to stock far more copies of the hottest new releases. The online store works well, and deliveries are fast. Tip: to make sure you find the English version of the book, try searching with the term “ingles” added to the tile or author name, and then look for this in the description of the item: “Edição em Inglês.”

Livraria Britânica (Rua Luis Fernandes, 14), in Principe Real, is geared toward English language learners and teachers, its tag line being “Serving the English Language Teaching in Portugal [sic] Since 1981.” As such, it has a peculiar selection: they don’t have books by Hemingway, just about Hemingway, for example, but they did have a Martin Amis novel recently. Nonetheless, you’ll find your Harry Potter here, and it’s perfect for children’s books and classics like Charles Dickens and D.H. Lawrence. You can order online, too.

Lisbon markets can also be great for finding good deals on English-language book, as well as books in French and German. Feira da Ladra (Campo de Santa Clara, Tuesdays and Saturdays) in Alfama has a ton of used book sellers. Some of them know what they have, others just found it on the street somewhere, so there are bargains galore. Belém Flea Market (Jardim Vasco de Gama, Rua Vieira, first and third Sunday of the month) also usually has English-language books.

And if you find yourself in Cascais, there’s an excellent and extensive collection of English-language classics and mainstream pulp, most of them for under 4€, as well as books in French and German and, of course, Portuguese, at Livraria Galileu (Av. Valbom 24-A).

Finally, if you can’t find something but really want it, there are a number of online retailers selling books new and old who deliver to Portugal – and we don’t mean Amazon. There’s the German-based online store medimops, which means no customs fees, and then wob.com, BetterWorldBooks.com, and ThriftBooks.com, which deliver from the U.K. and the U.S. (technically with customs duty).

Know of any other stores or markets that carry English-language books in Lisbon? Let us know.