The Ink Pot

If you've ever wished to be swept up in a story on a crisp Dunedin day, The Ink Pot on Saint Andrew Street is where you should head. Founded by romance author Colette Palmer (who writes under the pen name Colette Rhodes), this independent bookstore trades in all things hot and steamy. It's a sanctuary for story lovers and storytellers alike, and an effortless place to lose an afternoon between the shelves.

Housed in a lime-green heritage sweetheart with leadlight windows and a little red door, the store embraces every suggestion of having been plucked from a page. Inside, softly-lit timber shelving and obligatory roll-top desk whisper one word: cosy. And what the shop lacks in square footage, it more than makes up for in drama. Gaze upon the behemoth floor-to-ceiling bookcase holding around 1,500 titles, complete with a classic wooden rolling ladder that's just begging for your protagonist moment.

Proudly independent, The Ink Pot makes a point of stocking diverse titles from talented Kiwi scribes, many of whom call Ōtepoti home. As much a bookshop as a gathering space, there are four monthly book clubs, regular book-themed craft nights, and release parties for local authors filling up the calendar. Cliff hanger - writing workshops are on the horizon.

The world of words is so often a solitary affair. But The Ink Pot writes a new chapter, proving itself the perfect haunt for bookworms to forge friendships and share the stories they love, all under one wee roof.