This locally-owned shop is giving Hallmark small town holiday movie vibes in the best way possible. I am a bookstore frequenter but I always find really unique and fun titles whenever I browse around -- the booksellers always have the best recommendations and I love checking out their little handwritten card descriptions. They got rid of their little wine bar several years ago but have expanded their children's section into a comfortable little nook that is perfect for finding your next best read. They also have the best gift selection for adults and children and tons of unique activity books (perfect for snowstorms like this weekend!). Love, love, love this shop. read more

Great and small local book store. Good for return pass through to see the new or changing shelves. With rewards for some small discounts over time as you pickup gifts or fill your library. Like any small bookstore it works because you can come and work with them for what you need, and make a visit of a walk about to anything else in Vienna. Simple if only lacking more space for even more offerings, or any used and related. All the usual small shop charm items, small book lover trinkets and items to pickup if you need some decorations. read more

Bards Alley - Local Bookstores - Support Them - Bookstores Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

Really cute bookstore! Friendly staff, nice selection, cute gift options, and a nice children's section. We had a nice time visiting! read more

Bards Alley - Bookstores Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

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This is an awesome bookstore to stroll through with a great and varied children's section. It's always a treat to be in a business where you can see the passion everywhere: handwritten book reviews, awesome displays, and great attitudes! A wonderful place to walkthrough and shop! read more

It's a really cute and charming bookstore-the staff are pretty nice and helpful too. My kid can be a bit picky about books and she loves to read. She can usually find something here she really wants-I feel their selection is expansive and thoughtful for its size. It's also in a beautiful location with an old town ambience-like walking into set of Gilmore Girls. If you sign up for a free membership I think you get $10 off for every $200 spent or something like that. It's not really a bookstore where you can sit and read easily for a long time and can be a little crowded because of small size, but this is a nice place to try stopping in! There is an area for kids to sit and read with their parents but could accommodate 1-2 families. I like how the books are pretty organized and place is neat too and like some reviewers mentioned there's some cute thoughtful descriptions of books. read more

Nice selection of books that they offer--I like that the staff takes the time to add their reviews of the books they recommend. While this shop is small, I love how nicely decorated everything is. You can tell it was thoughtfully designed. It was relatively busy when I went on Saturday. Love the small goodies they have too from little bonsai starters to their own tote. read more

Cute small indie bookshop, very friendly helpful staff who knew just what I wanted. I'm a new fan.

Cute little book shop with tons of options for books or gifts. We stopped in while we were in the area and enjoyed wandering around and checking out their selection. It's not super expansive but they've done a good job at dividing the books into special themed sections, like there was a Dolly Parton section that was very cute. Bought a gift for my desk and will definitely come back. read more

I love this bookstore. Special place, and it's easy to get lost in here for hours. Great children's book selection too.

Bard's Alley is a wonderful, local bookstore in Vienna. They have a great selection of niche and popular books, and the staff is quick to know or recommend what book you're looking for. One customer came in giving keywords of a book title they were searching for, and although she didn't remember the full name, the staff immediately knew what she was asking for and directed her accordingly. The kid's section was quite expansive, and their non-book items such as bookmarks, stickers, and more truly complemented the local bookstore experience. read more

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The employees are so sweet and helpful and overall, the books sold and the store itself are just so amazing!!

I have a really special place in my heart for locally owned brick and mortar bookstores. I'm so happy I found this place! It is a small bookstore, but they have a great selection of books. I tend to lean more towards the newer fiction and nonfiction books and Bards Alley carried a lot of the titles I was looking for. I was fortunate enough to stop by when they were having a special event with Abby Maslin, author of "Love You Hard". I stayed for the event, purchased a copy of Abby's memoir, and even got my book signed! The bookstore also has a rewards program and a newsletter to keep you in the loop with events and current happenings. I will be back very soon. read more

Bards Alley - Food. Wine. Kindred spirits - Bookstores Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

A delightfully welcoming local book shop, curated with obvious love and attention to even the smallest details. One of our family's favorite places. Truly a local gem and a *must* stop on Church street. read more

They have an amazing kids section and some fun stationery items near the back of the store. Due to the size the inventory is a bit limited but it looks like whoever orders the books tries to keep a good variety going for each section. There seemed to be a lot of specialty items that looked interesting. If we're back in town, we'll drop by again! read more

There are so little actual book shops that aren't a Barnes and noble and this small shop is amazing. The staff are so kind and are quick to recommend great reads. It's a wonderful atmosphere within as well. read more

Books and Wines. Why not do both? YES, I've never seen a bookstore serves drinks in northern VA but now it's really happening! I had to go there to get some unique experience. They have street parking (2hr limit) and also a private parking lot in the back of the building. Just opened in Vienna. It is fairly small but has a fair amount of books. The smell of new books and nice layout. Children's book section is also available near the back door. They have a full bar set up along with the barside seating for you to dine light dishes and a drink. My experience here was great although it is quite small that once someone speaks a little loudly, it will eventually travel through the entire store. PLUS, since the store recently opened some employees are still under training but if you can be patient, friendly customer service is guaranteed. Currently, they sell wines (a glass or a bottle, your call!), as well as bottled or canned local beers, a coke, and other beverages. There are small sweets and savories for snack or light meal. No iced coffee available YET! But, they carry Cafe Amouri drip coffee so no need to go out further for a cup of coffee, if you're not a fan of wine or beer :) Very welcoming environment. They have a small patio which also allows you to read and drink as well. I loved it. read more

Bards Alley - Children's book - Bookstores Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

11/18/19 Looking around in Virginia, we came upon this location and discovered books and coffee. This small store is located in 110 Church St NW, Vienna, VA 22180. I did not see to many books that caught my eye, but it did give me an idea on a review I could do. I am pretty sure no one has done a review on it. The store has a coffee section where you can sit down and read a book you just purchased. It wouldn't have been a bad place to sit back and spend a lazy afternoon. You can even sit outside and drink your choice of beverage. I would have enjoyed sitting here reading a book, but the place did not have the coffee my wife wanted. Nevertheless, I am glad we stopped by, because am now going to write my next review on a series of books that I loved to read and might just get the whole collection to be able to read them all. Oh, there are now 3 book series I am going to write about on Yelp thanks to this store...I might hint to my wife about The Hardy Boys Casefiles series. I want to read them all. read more

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Super cute bookstore, and staff is always friendly. Always find something interesting there.

Wandered into this shop while waiting for a nail appointment. Love to support local bookstores. Lots of great recommendations sprinkled throughout. Great selection of books for all ages. Friendly and helpful staff. Wish I lived in town so I could visit more often! read more

i would normally rate this place high, but I purchased a book as a Christmas gift here, and the book print stops before the end of the story. The store won't take it back because it's after 30 days even though it's a defect they put on the shelves. So closely check your purchases from here or make sure your gift recipients read within 30 days, I guess? I won't be making the drive to support this location any more. read more

Wonderful little bookstore in the heart of downtown Vienna, with wine/beer offerings and snacks. Selection is limited but there are quality finds here, gift ideas (e.g. BlueQ) and the staff were just wonderful and resourceful. Ps - love the Malbec! Highly recommend. read more

There are several bookstores closer to me (independent and B&N), but I drive the extra distance to this one because of their excellent selection, especially of works by women in translation and sci-fi/fantasy. They also have a great children's section, and the staff is always helpful with suggestions. Definitely my favorite shop in Nova! read more

Bards Alley is a charming book store akin to Shop Around the Corner with the indulgent twist of a delightful wine bar. There is nothing more enjoyable than the smell of new books while sipping on a glass of wine. The service was kind and attentive and the ambience was unbeatable. If you love books, quiet, wine or the general feeling of community - you belong at Bards Alley. Come buy a book and keep places like this alive. read more

Bards Alley - The sunny entry of Bards Alley and view from the wine bar - Bookstores Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

So, I figured an independent book store. Sure, why not support it. Parking was easy in a lot behind the store (one star), place was pleasantly small with signs indicating genre of books (second star), and I did not spend money on the books I was looking for (third star). The two staff were quite busy fussing with books and such . . . so I figured I would look around a bit before asking for help. Nobody said, "Hi," can I assist you?" Finally, two ladies entered. "Hello, how can I help you?" the staffer who had been busily stacking books looked up and asked. The ladies wanted a particular book. I began to leave figuring I might get a "So long, come again." Nope. Back to Amazon. read more

Love this place. Not a regular reader but they are so helpful with lots of ideas. Maybe more books in my future due to their customer service and suggestions. And I like keeping my money local! read more

Cute little store with lots of accessible parking outside. Great selection of children's books, including classics (good gifts) and new releases. We bought the latest Narwal book and Friends Forever; by Shannon Hale, which we hadn't seen anywhere yet. Cozy atmosphere and lovely staff. read more

FINALLY! A locally owned bookstore in Northern Virginia!!! And more than just that...they sell WINE!!! (And coffee, and pastries, and sandwiches....) Moving back from Nashville, one of the biggest things I lamented was leaving Parnassus, a bookstore owned by super-famous author, Ann Patchett. I mean, I just wandered in from eating a Chipotle burrito to accidentally catch Brit Bennett reading from The Mothers, which was a huge book last year. How could anything ever compete with that? Well, that was an incredible coincidence of post-burrito literary bliss. Perhaps nothing can compete with that. I would argue, though, that Bard's Alley offers something different--a more community feel. The authors they pull to give talks are not as well-known, but they usually draw crowds of about 30 it seems. There is sitting room at the bar and also in the store. The prices seem average for an independent store, and the food and drink prices are also reasonable. There's an easy-in, easy-out parking lot out back. This bookstore couldn't be located in a more walkable, fun part of Vienna. It's right on Church Street, not far from other favorites like Caffe Amouri, Pure Pasty, and Sushi Yoshi. I look forward to many readings to come! read more

Do you want an awesome neighborhood book shop? Then this is how you do an awesome neighborhood bookshop. They even have a wine bar! Nothing goes better with a good book (besides a typewriter) than a good glass of wine. A great selection of current bestsellers, nice little gifts, and did I mention wine? Love this place. Support your local bookshops!!! read more

This is one of my favorite places, exactly what I would dream a local bookstore would be. They have a great selection of books, the staff can give you a recommendation for anyone on your wishlist and they have great food/drink options. And they are so personable! read more

Like the great Don Quixote's chivalrous charge at the windmills, a nice lady has decided to open an independent bookstore in the town of Vienna. (Wait, what? Who does that?) I was assuming that this would be a used bookstore, but it is not, stocking an assortment of new books for kids and adults, and also features local authors ... making this business plan all the more preposterous (shaking fist at Amazon). The vision is to be a gathering place for author readings, book clubs, story times and poetry jams. Righteous! While the featured author is waxing eloquent you can purchase and consume reasonably priced (rotating) wine, craft beer, cheese and charcuterie. Magnifique! How will this tale end? Will a community of Suburban wine sipping pseudo intellectuals rise up like the legendary Pheonix (don't you hate writers who stretch for metaphors?!?) and gather together in this emerging local book lover's scene? Fingers crossed ! Or is this a story with a pathetic ending ... lame-o book nerds, home alone, ordering their next read from their phone from that Devil, Mr. Bezo's ? (Shakes fist again) read more

I so enjoy coming to this bookstore! The staff is so friendly; they carry interesting books that they know and can recommend; the book clubs are welcoming and informative; and then there's the patio! A little haven in the bustle of Vienna where you can buy some wine or shortbreads and just sit and watch the world go by (and even read your new book!). It's the perfect combination of everything I go to a bookstore for and am grateful that such places exist! read more

I love this place! It was cozy and wonderful pre-COVID and since they have opened back up for browsing, I've been very impressed with all of their precautions. It is a small bookshop but well stocked with popular favorites, interesting finds, and unique gifts. A gem in Vienna, Virginia. read more

I love the fact that you can get cute shirts for little kids with book designs on them. This is a great place to find unique things like that. read more

Love both the store and personnel. And while always happy to order a book, two recent visits netted the desired titles on those visits! And worth a mention: Bards Alley is smack dab between a great bike shop - Bikes @ Vienna - and Caffe Amouri! Perfect. read more

I love this little bookstore, tucked away on Church St. So happy I found it. They have a really nice selection of books, and a kids' area in the back. Awesome place to hang out. read more

The best thing to happen to Church St. since Viva Vienna? It just might be. I love exploring the aisles with the kids and chatting with the knowledgeable, helpful staff. read more

Great idea! Nice staff. Nice environment. Great books. Good coffee/wine. Out door seating. Community should be happy to have this cute little bookstore here and they should be supported. read more

A wonderful little bookshop with a good selection, a cozy atmosphere, and a range of snacks and drinks. I love it and I truly hope they can make a go of it! read more

It was great to drop in on this place! Very good wine selection and ambiance. Knowledgeable staff and a perfect place to meet up with a friend to catch up. I wish Jen (owner) the best of success with this venture. I believe it is much needed in the downtown Vienna scene. read more

What a great bookstore! This is a perfect space for a book club meeting, a brunch for bookies, a book signing- you name it. A wonderful addition to a charming street. read more