Black Squirrel Books & Espresso Bar

A fantastic second-hand bookstore with a great selection, fair prices, and a cozy atmosphere. The staff are friendly and helpful, I’ll definitely be coming back!

I live in the old ottawa south area and have often been to the black squirrel and left disappointed, for example they once bought a set of five books still in their box wrapped with plastic unopened off of me that had costed me 20$ for 4$ ( which i was fine with I understand that it is a small business) then a couple days later I see it for sale for 40$ this in my opinion is taking advantage of the old people who normally shop there…. Another time I came in and ordered a tea, the barista accidentally gave me the wrong flavour so i politely asked for the right one, after not apologizing and taking at least ten minutes to make a cup of tea he brought it to me then proceeded to talk badly about me to another employee loud enough for me to hear. But today I reached my final straw when i brought a big box of books in all in perfect condition and the employée desided he only wanted ten of them ( fine it seemed reasonable ) but was only willing to give 20$ credit for all of them I politley asked if that was it, because one of the books alone costed 30$ and was unread, he told me that he did not change his mind so I said no thank you (I had no problem up to this point exept that he seemed to be trying to take advantage of me) then he rolled his eyes and dumped the books back into the box bending several of the covers and glared at me while I tried to fix and organise them. I don’t know why he was so rude to me throughout esspecially when he was very respectfull to the man ahead of me but the only reason I can suspect is that I am a teenage girl and that he did not take me seriously…… I don’t know how this place has such good reviews esspecially seeing as i’m not the only person I know who has been treated rudely by the staff, finally, the food and coffees there are not good at all and I would recomend to anyone to go to dessert first right next door if they are looking for a pastry and coffee with a good atmosphère and octopus books for people looking for a good read.

I can’t say enough good things about Black Squirrel; worth frequent visits to find hidden gems on (or stacked near) the shelves. I’ve spent enough here to open a franchise.

I usually come here with a friend. really liked the new guy at the cash he was very chill. I couldn’t tell if he was judging me for liking naruto lol

PS the mint chocolate cookies are SO good. every time I come there is only 1 left in the jar 😭 pls save some for me

Super cute ! The barista was super impressive with their multitasking skills — they took orders, checked out customers, prepared drinks, and managed the oven.
The book store is well curated and this is a cozy place to sit for a read or to enjoy a cup of coffee.
They have macadamia milk which is a rare favourite. Their gluten free/vegan chocolate mint cookie is delicious!

Another independent bookstore. I found a book I’d been looking for. Bought a delicious chocolate chip and orange cookie.

Quant coffee shop in a bookstore filled with genres and wide variety of classics. The barista was a wonderful conversationalist who was knowledgeable and gave me great recommendations on what I should order. The other worker had his baby there visiting and it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. 10/10 well done.

wide selection of books, lots to look over and ponder; didn't try anything from the cafe, but I've heard good things

Love this store! Their coffee is great, too. Keep in mind that if you want to sit in, it might be hard to find a seat if it's busy.

It's such a pleasure to be able to convert good quality books into credit or cash!

This is my favourite used book bookstore in Ottawa. They have lots of books, often in multiple formats and editions, conveniently organized and very well curated. Prices are more than reasonable. Staff are very pleasant and are willing to give book recommendations. I’ve never left the store empty handed.

Excellent service also selection of Books/ graphic novels etc amazing.

Cozy and unique, their latte with raspberry tart were delicious, and so many books!

Best coffee shop in Ottawa. So much character. So many books. Delicious coffee, tea, and snacks

Such a cute place. Amazing coffee, definitely well done and tasty. I had originally gotten a matcha as I’ve heard all the praise about it online but it didn’t end up being all that good. It wasn’t very strong and still sweet despite it being done with no additional sweetener. The employees were so sweet about it though and I got an amazing latte instead. The Nanaimo bar is also good, very sweet and pairs well with my coffee.

Downsides is that it runs on the pricier side 9$ a drink).