Darvill’s Book Store

Excellent book shop, and that is saying something, as I am very particular about a book shop! A wonderful variety of books and magazines, even a few magazine publications that I haven’t seen before! Staff are available but not intrusive and very friendly. Loved the staff recommendations and their children’s section had some really great variety! Also they had a great little game section, which frankly, is just a smart idea for those of us on vacation! You won’t be disappointed with this stop!

This is a really cute bookstore. They had tons of books and tourist trinkets. Some of the items were a little overpriced though. They also had a quaint little coffee shop inside by the back corner where some patrons were reading. The lady working behind the counter (shop owner I believe) was very friendly and even offered some advice of places to check out on the island. I will definitely stop by here again on my next trip to Orcas Island.

Great bookshop with a delightftul little coffee bar in the back of the store. Wonderful selection of books. Excellent coffee. Free WiFi.

This review is mostly for the little coffee shop at the back, though I did truly enjoy this book store and was really impressed by the selection.
I walked in without super high expectations as I had tried the cappuccino at the Brown Bear Bakery across the street and found it truly awful. However I was pleasantly surprised. I ordered my favorite drink, a wet cappuccino which the lady taking my order had no idea what that was. Luckily the barista on hand knew exactly what it was and spent about five minutes patiently teaching the younger girl exactly how to make one. Now keep in mind I order this drink all the time at some of the best coffee shops in Seattle, this cappuccino was as good if not better than those! It also happens to be the only place you can buy single origin coffee on the island. I wish I had found it the first day of our stay, instead of the last. You can bet it will be my first stop next time I’m on the island!

Best book store on orcas. It has all of the latest and greatest book ever
Also the coffe and the coffe an raspberry muffin was delicious.

We spent the day on Orcas and decided to stop by the bookstore to pick up some reading material for the ferry home. The store itself is quaint and cute. I was surprised by how much merchandise they actually had. Our friends found a book or two they liked. I had a few books in my hand and my husband asked the lady working if they had a certain title which was relatively new. Without even glancing at him, she told him «no» and carried on with what she was doing. I was so upset at the lack of tact, I put my 3 books back and decided to take my business elsewhere. Very disappointed in the customer service.

Escaping the rain, we spent an hour looking through books, found and bought a Dr. Seuss book we’d never seen before, sipped the highest quality coffee while sitting in comfortable chairs.

This place is a dream. It’s a beautiful independent bookstore in an equally beautiful small town. The selection is great, and the overall vibe of the shop is pretty wonderful. It also doesn’t hurt that towards the back, there is an amazing view of the water. I would love to come back here again for sure.

GREAT! the prices aren’t «tourist town» inflated and the selection is wonderful. I walked out with a few toys, a few books, a cute novelty mug, and some stationary. The staff were helpful and friendly, and the view from the kids corner? Wow. This is a great stop for a book to read while on the island, or just a small gift for someone special (of yourself.) I could have spent more time exploring but my kids grew impatient after about 20 minutes! I will absolutely visit again.

How I heard of this place: We stepped off of our ferry and onto the beauty that is Orcas Island. A scenic drive north and to the east, and we were in the town of Eastsound, where we happened upon a Visitor’s Center. To our surprise, it was open on this Saturday afternoon — catering to the dozens who had just completed the Orcas Island Marathon that morning — and we made our way in to chat with Michelle. She enthusiastically offered us suggestions, shared her favorite places and sent us on our way with maps, restaurant options and a full day of driving and hiking throughout the east side of the island.
Type of cuisine: A bookstore as a main focus, the mini café sits towards the back, where limited seating is available (one couch and a coffee table) amidst the rows of books and souvenirs. Hand-​crafted espresso beverages, locally made cookies and brownies and cocoa nibs to enjoy on site or take away.
Ambiance: A cozy bookstore, open to all, with the aroma of freshly ground coffee faintly sifting its way through the air. The quiet chatter of local townspeople coming together, purchases being made, and smiles being shared.
«Books, Calendars, Journals, Music and Intriguing Gifts for All Ages & Interests».
What I ordered: I selected the Harmony Chai ($ 3.25 for 8-​ounces) and my husband chose a large (16-​ounce) Breve Mocha ($ 5). For our snacks, we dipped the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie ($ 3.25) in my chai and consumed the Gluten Free Cocoa Nib Brownie ($ 4) with ease.
What I loved: The mocha! The chai was slightly more milky than I usually like, but the flavor of the chai was smooth and full of the flavors of cinnamon, cloves and black tea. The espresso was fine, smooth and creamy to the last drop… or so I heard.
Why I loved it: With the limited seating already full, we took our order to go and sat down along the miniature rock wall by the church’s labyrinth to consume our snacks while overlooking the water and islands in the mist.
Cost: Average ($ 3 — $ 4.75 per espresso beverage)

How can you not love an independent book store with a small, but thoughtful collection of books; a nice selection of paper goods and gifts; a coffee shop tucked in the corner; gorgeous water views; a busy calendar of book readings and signings to enjoy; and friendly staff? Darvill’s is an Eastsound gem.

Fantastic little independent bookstore. Always clean, staff are welcoming, with a great selection. I always end up buying far too many books when I visit. But I can’t mind too much because supporting a local small business is satisfying in and of itself. Also has a selection of stationary and other assorted items from local businesses available.
Finally, there is a truly spectacular view over the water from the window at the far end of the store.

As we walked up and down the street during our recent Orca’s trip we decided to go inside and see what Darvill’s had inside. Well they obviously have a lot of books in there, they also have a coffee shop inside but they also carry tons of cute souvenirs.
So for one thing, you can get stuck in there reading a book or a magazine, or just walking around with your coffee in one hand and eyes wandering about checking all the shelves for that one great read, but then you realize that there’s just too many good reads and you can’t decide but end up buying 10 or more goodies!
That’s Darvill’s in a small review, but if you go yourself you’ll see what I’m talking about!

I love little indie book shops, so I insisted that we stop here on our walk around Eastsound’s little «town» area. I was not disappointed. The shop looks a lot smaller than it is from the store front. It goes back a bit and even has a coffee shop for those who like to get a little caffeine on while they read.
The store is laid out nicely with well packed shelves — well curated. Obviously they don’t carry the insane amount of stock that somewhere like Barnes & Noble has, but I find those big box book stores to be a little overwhelming with their selection. Here you’ll find a selection of carefully selected books for each section. I loved that they had Xavier Deneux board books for my son (we bought two). They also carry a nice selection of toys and gifts. I found a new love for Janod toys and my son now has some presents to look forward to this Christmas.
Yup, I’ll be back!

I’m a sucker for a good indie bookstore and even though I tend to buy mostly ebooks these days, I always try to buy something to support great stores like Darvill’s.
For any bookstore, let alone one in a small village, Darvill’s stock is impressive in its range. Best sellers, cookbooks, a huge YA section, even poetry. Lots of book club recommendations to be had, and the staff is knowledgeable — when ringing through my purchase (the second book in a trilogy), the cashier told me the publication date for the third book, without me even asking.
Whenever I visit Orcas I visit Darvill’s, and you should, too.

Sigh… I LOVE Darvill’s Book Store! I have two favorite book stores, Darvill’s and Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park. I go to Orcas island about once a year, and in the past I had the opportunity to be over there about three times a year. It is an absolute must for me to go to this store whenever I get to the island! In fact I go there right after getting off the ferry, before heading to my favorite getaway spot, Doe Bay. Then I have my awesome book to read! I don’t even have to pack a book in my bag to come over to the island — I just stop at Darvill’s!
Darvill’s is the essential independent book store. They have books that are popular, but they tend to always be ahead of the game somehow! Not sure how they do it. But every time I go there I end up getting my new current favorite book and I get it and read it before the rest of the mainstream population hears about the books! Examples? At Darvill’s I purchased Twilight before anyone had heard of it, before it consumed the entire universe in popularity. I also purchased The Night Circus there, one of my absolute favorite books, when I had never seen or heard of it before going in there. And lastly, I also got Born Under a Million Shadows, another fantastic book. They seem to have an edge on book selling!
They have a little coffee bar in there with a couple of comfy chairs if you want to grab a cup of coffee, tea or a latte and enjoy your new book. They support local authors and artists and have the local author’s books for sale as well as cards made by local artists. It’s great that they support their locals!
Cozy, yummy, book-​filled purrs to Darvill’s… hope you never change…

The chipotle mocha won me over for uniqueness, not to say that other coffee shops don’t carry chipotle mochas… I’ve just never had one so subtly sweet! It was incredibly refreshing. There’s no overly sweet crap here, only high quality refined flavor.

Darvill’s is one of my favorite places on Orcas! The selection is spectacular and they always display books that are actually good reads! The people are super friendly and go out of their way to make sure you get the book (s) you need!

Such a friendly, well edited and fun island bookstore, Darvill’s in Eastsound on Orcas has a nice, small selection of everything you could want for a good summer read.
Nice kids section, great non-​fiction, NY Times, tons of great magazines including all my favorites (Traveler, Sunset, Dwell, Lucky Peach) and pretty complete european selection of magazines, cards, gifts and a small expresso shop (which I didn’t try.)
Outgoing personalized service, friendly staff make this the one shop in Eastsound I found myself in over, and over again!

A charming bookstore, with great service, a lot of nice book and gift options and a beautiful light.
I wanted to curl up on a chair with my coffee and read a book or stare out the window and watch everyone go by. One of my favorite shops on the island, just by vibe alone.