Topos Bookstore Cafe

Friedman is the best, known him since he was at st mark’s. His TLC letters show exactly his spirit and topos!

Love this place! I come here at least once a week to write in my journal and drink coffee. Super chill /​cool vibe. Best café in Ridgewood. The coffee is delicious and carmel-​y.

I love this bookstore. It feels so homey and cozy. They have a ton of great books and the staff is very friendly and helpful as well as engaging. In conversation it seems as if they’re genuinely interested in talking rather than just going through the motions. The prices are very reasonable. I always get a tea when I go there and I am never disappointed when I visit.

Very cool place to chill, read, browse books, do some work. The staff is nice. There’s some limited outdoor seating. The drinks menu is not extensive but the coffee is good and comes in cute china. Just a nice little neighborhood coffee shop.

The coffee is better than most coffee shops, and the books are cheaper than most book stores. It can be tough to get a table if you’re trying to work, but there are plenty of shelves to browse if you need to kill time. Some really cool old editions of classic books. Outdoor seats when it’s nice out.

There is something quite reassuring about a bookstore in which the staff are so well-​read and informed that when you approach the counter with a carefully selected item, they look you in the eye and say «that’s a good one… you’ll enjoy it.»
Not that I expect every employee of every bookstore to have read every book that graces their shelves, but it’s just kinda neat to stumble on a scenario like that. And I was fortunate enough to stumble on it at Topos!
This lovely, creative shop is off the beaten path and I highly recommend seeking it out. They have amazing selections, many that my sister had been seeking for years. From vintage dime store novels to literary classics and everything in between, Topos is a truly unique shop.
They offer coffee and pastries. There are a few indoor tables and a bit of outdoor seating. I don’t think there is A/​C but I noticed a large fan towards the back. The day we visited, business was a little slow so the incredibly sweet and friendly store clerk was more than happy to make the most creative iced mocha I’d ever tasted. I scored a little stack of truly unusual treasures that thrilled me to the bone.
Topos is a real gem and there is no doubt that we’ll be back to visit as soon as we can!

Overal great place with a friendly vibe and a conscious atmosphere. Best coffee in Ridgewood and a well curated selection of books to get your mind going. In addition it’s wonderful to see that they are trying to be a part of the community in Ridgewood and participating in the dialogue of what’s happening in the neighborhood. They have made themselves available to host public meetings and other community events. Wide selection of books in different languages.

Literally — and, literately — the best place on Earth.

Lovely spot.
I’d passed this place a few times since I moved to the area. Decided to give it a try. The coffee is great, the staff are incredibly friendly, and the décor/​setting is perfect for relaxing in. I would highly recommend Topos, it is the best coffee shop I’ve discovered in NYC so far.

WOW! What an amazing spot. A perfect bookstore to meander through the shelves and (re)discover classics of so many genres (poetry, non-​fiction, self sufficiency!, essays, drama). Excellent coffee (gimme coffee) served by knowledgeable baristas/​bookstore tenders. I love starting off my morning or with a coffee, some nice regulars, and a browse through the books. Nicely pulled and poured Cortado. Crazy good homemade kombucha when they have it.

Cosy, cute and warm. Bookstore and café — the heavenly combo for the perfect weekend hangout!

A truly great addition to the neighborhood — warm and inviting space with quality coffee, tea and treats. Perfect place to browse for books, sit and sip away the winter days.

1÷12÷2014
As of now, they haven’t officially opened the café area (expected to open later this month). The person who helped me was the mother of the owner: very kind and helpful. She explained that «topos» means «place» in Greek. She also had a plate of cookies out for guests. There’s tons of natural light, and simple and comfortable décor.
They have a small selection, but it all seems very intentional. Rosa Luxemburg, Gramsci, Susan Sontag, Amiri Baraka, and lots of Marx… There’s a lot of great titles to comb and they’re all decently priced (prices marked in pencil in the corner of the first page); most of the books I looked at were under 10 dollars. The majority of the collection is used, but even the few new selections I saw were marked below market price.