Oscar and Friends is the perfect drop-in bookshop. It’s small and unfussy, which makes it a great go-to for a last-minute gift. But if you’ve got the time, it’s worth spending it among the literary fiction, cookbook and kids sections.

This is the second of two Oscar and Friends stores. Where the original feels right at home in Double Bay’s opulent shopping precinct, the Surry Hills location radiates village bookshop charm. It sits on a leafy corner of Crown Street and has been trading comfortably among the area’s op shops, bohemian cafes and small bars for more than a decade.

On the first Monday evening of the month, the Oscar and Friends book club takes advantage of the shop’s intimate space. It’s a popular night among local book-lovers, who know a glass of wine pairs well with the latest page-turner.