You don't have to be a member of the Poetry Society to take advantage of its basement cafe, where you can drink coffee or nibble on food from its vegetarian menu … while browsing its stock of poetry magazines. But you do have to sign up for free membership in the café -- either on site or by emailing them with "join email list" in the subject line. It takes 48 hours to register yourself as a member of the cafe. There's a poetry reading almost every evening, and open mic sessions for amateurs. Open Mon.-Sat. 11am-11pm. [link]

The London Review Bookshop in Bloomsbury has a fine selection of books (including titles reviewed in the publication). And it recently added a welcome gathering place in … its London Review Cake Shop, which serves fine teas and coffees, and an excellent selection of cakes from small independent suppliers. Open Mon to Sat from 10am to 6pm and Sundays from 12:30pm to 5:30pm. [link]

Cafe Also is adjacent to North London independent bookshop Joseph's (which sells fiction and nonfiction, with a large selection of Jewish-interest books). It's a comfy … spot for a cup of coffee or a full-blown meal. They also hold regular book launches, poetry evenings, art exhibitions, and occasional live music. Cafe Also is open until 10pm (the bookstore closes at 5pm weekends and 6:30 weekdays). [link]

Leading London independent bookstore Foyles has an excellent cafe adjacent to its comprehensive jazz department. Don't be surprised if you stumble upon some live late … afternoon music while you enjoy coffee, cake, or a meal. Free wifi. (photo) [link]

Mega bookseller Borders has a flagship store on Oxford Street complete with a Starbucks-fueled cafe upstairs, where literary freeloaders who take advantage of its … "relaxed browsing policy" and sprawling magazine rack. The cafe, with its large windows overlooking junky Oxford Street, makes a nice place to read or convene -- as long as you can find a seat. Open Mon.-Sat. from 8am-11pm and Sundays from noon to 6pm. [link]

Leading London cookbook store Books for Cooks in Notting Hill is crammed with 8,000 cookbooks; "foodie fiction"; culinary history; biographies; books on nutrition, art, … sociology, and chemistry; and gourmet cards and posters. Resident chefs test recipes from the store's cookbooks in a kitchen at the back of the store, where there's a handful of tables. Have a cup of coffee or try out the daily results while they last. [link]