The best bookshop in Bologna, it's a very large shop not far from the centre of the town. I used to…read morespend a lot of time browsing in here. It's a lovely store to find a gift; there is a huge range of books in Italian and other languages, and you can buy magazines too. Very helpful staff.

While on our way to a local restaurant, our host took us for a tour of Ambasciatori librerie.coop,…read moreand it was love at first sight. Three levels of books, cafes, and food-focused shopping was certainly a highlight in Bologna. For all my Portland friends, it is their version of Powell's Books, only with food and wine. It is a modern, vibrant space with exposed beams and a glass ceiling with just a few remnants of the original church that were retained. What I really enjoyed was that you can enjoy almost every element of the business on site or to go. For example, on every visit (there were three), you would see people curled up with books in the elevated lounge area that is also used as a performance space. There are cafes and bars operated by Eataly on all three levels with seating so you can dine (or drink) in, or take your purchases to go. The third floor is part bookstore and part Dispensa, a food store with shelves filled with endless varieties of pasta and sauces, next to small kitchen appliances. Of course, there is a very large cookbook section. One thing to note, is that I never found an international or English language section in the bookstore. So all of my purchases were in the food and wine sections. The other really amusing thing is that the children's section is on the top floor right next to the wine bar. Wouldn't be surprised if little ones are handed a book while mom and dad slip away for a glass of vino. There are escalators, as well as an elevator, for those with mobility issues. This is definitely on my don't miss list of places in town.

A mix of book store, food store, and restaurant. In an amazing spot, with some fantastic…read moretraditional food, a great collection of artisinal beers and wines, and gorgeous views of the city roofs. Highly recommended.

A very large new book store in the city. They had some David Bowie books and a window display…read morecelebrating the exhibition. That is what got us in through the door. Inside they had a small English section, however, I was more fascinated by the Italian versions of my favourite books. I found an Italian version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for cheap. I bought this as a tie in to the London portion of my trip with the musical. I know the story by heart so it was cool to see the grammatical structure in another language.