The Portal Bookshop

Realised I was reviewing the cafe above it but the same building, and the bookshop is great too Amazing place! Great atmosphere Its a super nice queer meetup spot, everyone is friendly and also just good prices. They also have a pay it forward scheme for folks and a lot of great community support things Also I recommend the cakes they go v hard

Visited today with my girlfriend, it was her first time in York, and our visit to the shop made our day. I purchased a fantastic book for my upcoming dissertation and Robyn was so helpful and friendly. Highly recommend and will be visiting again at the next opportunity. :)

I’ve been a handful times over the years as I live quite far away and I will say it is a lovely bookshop and the addition of the flag bookmarks is really smart. However, the atmosphere over the course of my visits has always been awkward and borderline unwelcoming. I don’t know if it’s the time of day or which staff have been on but every time I’ve gone in I’ve been met with awkward silence and the feeling that I’m being watched as I look around. Obviously you don’t expect full conversation but a hello wouldn’t go amiss especially since it’s such a small shop and it feels awkward coming into such a tight space. Then when I’ve gone up to pay there has been no more than 4 or 5 words spoken between the two people that typically are sat at the register. These can be an issues with any establishment of course however judging by the reviews I feel like this is an odd experience? They’re always praised on being lovely and welcoming and that has just never been my experience which does sadden me as a queer person.

A fantastic LGBTQ+ indie bookshop in the heart of York. It has a wide variety of titles but it specialises in sci-fi/fantasy, YA and nonfiction. However, it stocks most contemporary queer themed titles, including translated fiction, eg I picked up a copy of Concerning My Daughter by Kim Hye-jin. It also has a lovely and welcoming cafe and a nice selection of queer themed souvenirs such as stickers and badges.

My favourite place in York! Everyone is so friendly and the cafe is lovely. I love the zines here. It's very much a community based space.