El Ateneo

Grand bookshop and cafe in splendid 1919 theater. A knockout complete with red velevet curtain, plus original theater's balconies that function as nooks to read one of the 120,000 tomes they have in stock at any given time. Dazzling landmark revamped by traditional bookshop chain Ateneo in 2000 is rated as the world's second best bookstore by the venerable Brit publication The Guardian - putting aside any lingering resentment from the '86 World Cup and recognizing a real Don when they see one.