Bookoccino Is More Than an Avalon Bookshop

Bookshops are good at making you lose track of time. Bookoccino gives you several reasons not to mind.

At 66 Old Barrenjoey Road in Avalon, books sit alongside coffee, conversation and a busy calendar of author events. Bookoccino began in 1992, long before the café-and-bookshop combination became a familiar idea. It has since turned into a meeting place for readers who want more from a visit than a quick purchase.

Built around the people behind the books

In 2018, bookseller Sally Tabner and journalist Raymond Bonner took on the business and reshaped it for a wider range of literary gatherings. Tabner was named BookPeople's 2025 Bookseller of the Year, recognition of the work that goes into keeping an independent shop relevant to its community.

That work is visible in the programme. Bookoccino regularly hosts writers, journalists and public figures for conversations, with book clubs and other reader-focused events woven through the calendar. It is a local address with a surprisingly broad range of ideas passing through the door.

Come for a book, stay for the conversation

There are familiar classics and new releases to browse, staff to ask for recommendations and a café setting that makes lingering part of the appeal. The shop also describes itself as computer-free, a useful detail if you were planning to arrive with a laptop rather than a paperback.

The events are worth checking in advance: an evening author talk and a quiet morning of browsing are two quite different Bookoccino visits.

Bookoccino 66 Old Barrenjoey Road, Avalon Beach Books, events and current details.