Waterstones

Its location was opened in 1936 as Simpson’s clothiers, the Art Deco model for Grace Brothers in the saucy Britcom Are You Being Served?, and now this branch of the giant chain is Europe’s largest bookshop. Even if Waterstones is a Big Gorilla of bookselling, it handles the stewardship of that dubious title with dignity; there are six sweeping floors, an enormous London section, plenty of easy chairs for freeloaders, scads of discount offers, and a dedicated events space for visiting authors. The top floor’s panoramic cafe, 5th View, hops after work and into the evening.