Book Barn International

They advertised having over a million books, and you would believe it when you saw rows and rows of books stacked 12 feet high, stretching into the distance. You could easily spend hours browsing through the mostly second-hand titles, with thousands priced at just £1 each. For the price of a new paperback from Waterstones, you could have stocked up on a year's worth of reading. The Darwin Room housed rare, first edition, and antique books at a higher cost. Attached to the bookstore was a well-equipped cafe serving only vegetarian options, so requesting a bacon sandwich would earn you a disapproving glance. The bookstore has since moved to a smaller location on a trading estate in Midsomer Norton.

I visited the restaurant with a friend for a catch-up. We were seated in comfortable chairs and served by very friendly staff. I will definitely be returning.

We had visited this restaurant before and were excited to peruse their selection of books. However, we were extremely disappointed with our experience. Despite claiming to have over 500,000 books, the selection on display was very limited. The science fiction and fantasy section only had around 20 books, which pales in comparison to other bookstores. The transportation section was also lacking, despite being a popular genre. The books were disorganized and in need of proper sorting. I even found a book on samurai warfare in the British history section. Additionally, having to use a computer to find books in their warehouse, which were also more expensive, was inconvenient. It seems like the better books are kept off the shelves and hidden in the warehouse. Overall, we will not be returning and would recommend visiting the cinema bookshop in Hay on Wye instead.

I recently visited for the first time with my mother. She ordered 2 coffees and 2 flapjacks.. the coffee was so small I drank it in a few mouthfulls, the flapjack was awful, full of some kind of greasy fat and it cost her almost £12!!! Nice to go but wouldn’t eat or drink in restaurant again

You must not miss this place if you love books. There are thousands of books all at a £1 or 50pence for children's books. Don't expect to go away with nothing and give yourself plenty of time because you need the time to browse through the shelves of books. There is a superb café serves great breakfast ,things on toast, cakes. visit Farrington Farm shop up the road in Farrington Gurney excellent for children