Kitab Khana – My Favourite Bombay Bookshop

Whenever I am in South Bombay,  I always make a point of visiting Kitab Khana – an independent bookshop with old world charm that stocks an interesting range of reading matter. It was actually Mr Jules that first introduced me to the shop as he used to work just around the corner.  When I was looking for a book about Art Deco buildings in Bombay, he led me to Kitab Khana. For indeed, it stocks an array of informative coffee table books and I have since bought quite a few tomes on such subject matter as architecture, Indian wildlife and Indian handicrafts.

With its intellectual, library-like ambience,  the store has ‘proper’ dark wooden bookshelves, piles of books on tables as you walk in and a balustraded mezzanine level above you.  It’s worth a look just for the interior. The only thing that is missing is a bit of dust!  And there is a little area set aside for children and you will find a vegetarian café at the back (appropriately named ‘Food for Thought’ – which I have yet to try out).

Mr Jules’s Christmas present was purchased on my last trip to Kitab Khana (well he finds it fascinating, even if you don’t!)

Kitab Khana stocks all the classics – from both English literature as well as Indian. And if you want to pick up some contemporary literature from Indian writers (in English), you will find it all here. As well as novels and biographies, the store also has the usual business management, IT, travel, cookery, health and other reference sections that you would find in a modern bookshop. I could honestly spend hours browsing in Kitab Khana.