Piecing together fresh, modern aesthetics and the homely feel of used books, Berkelouw Bookstore is an outstanding facet of Paddington.

I will admit that when I first entered, I did not find anything spectacular to marvel over. The bottom floor seemed mediocre with bestsellers and Penguin Classics throughout the level. While it was clean and aesthetically pleasing, designs like these are a dime a dozen throughout Sydney bookstores.

The real magic, however, starts upstairs. Boasting to be home to 60,000 secondhand titles, their collection is extensive and far beyond impressive. The third floor is filled with shelves of books to keep one occupied for decades. In a place like this, I kept picking up books and flicking through them, astounded - most retailers couldn't hope to emulate this. There are stools placed to grab the books slightly out of reach, and comfortable seats with cushions strategically placed around the store. Berkelouw is mentally tuned into the bookworm, recognising their desires and fulfilling them by offering the most comfortable and pleasing bookworld experience.

The available genres are enough to accommodate virtually everyone. Ranging from fiction to theory criticisms to poetry and philosophy, no one is disregarded. Their prices are the best I have found in Sydney, starting from $5.50 and working their way up depending on the title. The qualities of the books are also reasonable; worn enough to have been loved, but strong enough not to be falling apart. I also found the ambience very accommodating. The service was friendly and prompt (unlike many places in the city), and did not feel judgmental in any way. There is a cafe on the second floor that sells alcohol,coffee, savoury lunch options and dessert - I really like this notion of eating good food in a bookstore! The only awkward thing would be the music playing in the background. Sometimes it felt a little unwelcome as it was slightly too loud and disrupted the browsing experience. Nonetheless, this can be drowned out if one is well entertained.

Even though Paddington is a good deal out of my way, I cannot wait to go back sometime this summer. While their new book section is formidable, it is nothing compared to their secondhand book selection, which will always outshine every other aspect. I loved the welcoming feel of Berkelouw and I think that any book lover will have the same disarming experience as I did.