“Reading is travelling. To travel is to read” Victor Hugo so rightly said. Do you love the smell of books and the feel of paper? Like us, we’ve listed the bookshops we think are the most beautiful in Paris. French or English literature, typical or unlikely bookshops, antiquarian books, rare or recent second-hand books. .. Ready for a fabulous journey through Parisian bookshops? Follow us…
L’eau et les Rêves floating bookshop
The name alone is already enchanting us! In Paris, the floating bookshop L’Eau et les Rêves is the capital’s first barge bookshop. Thinking of going on board a barge? Well no, here you are, entering a literary Ali Baba’s cave! If you’re a book lover, a dreamer or a freshwater sailor, you need to get to the 19th arrondissement!
📚📍3 quai de l’Oise, 75 019 Paris
Shakespeare bookshop & Co
The greatest English and American writers once found refuge here: the legendary Shakespeare bookshop & Co! In 1951, the most English-speaking of Parisian bookstores was born, a stone’s throw from Notre Dame. A veritable institution, today the Shakespeare & Co bookshop is calling on its customers for help to survive the health crisis…
📚📍37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 75005 Paris
The most beautiful bookshops in Paris: Librairie Jousseaume
This splendid bookshop is nestled in the heart of one of the most beautiful and oldest galleries in Paris… The Galerie Vivienne is home to the temple of reading that is the Jousseaume bookshop, with its mix of very old and very new books, all second-hand. Here, you could spend hours marvelling at the nearly 400 exceptional works on offer.
📚📍 45-46-47 Galerie Vivienne, 75002 Paris
Abbey Bookshop
Behind this large, typically Parisian alcove lies an icon of the Latin Quarter: the Canadian Abbey Bookshop. Established in Paris since 1989, the shop sells new and used books from Canada, the United States, the British Isles and Australia. Literature, history, philosophy, human sciences… You’ll find over 35,000 references in this little literary gem.
📚📍 29, rue de la Parcheminerie 75005 Paris
Librairie Delamain
Founded in the 18th century by André Cailleau, Librairie Delamain has a history spanning more than three centuries. This makes it the oldest bookshop in Paris. After a century at the Palais-Royal, it was finally moved to 155 rue Saint-Honoré after the Théâtre burned down. With 25,000 titles, this cultural heritage site is packed with new and old books, including literature, humanities, fine arts, practical books, comics and children’s books…
📚📍155 Rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris
Galignani Bookshop
6 generations have succeeded one another at the head of Galignani, located under the arcades of rue de Rivoli. Back in the day, you could easily have bumped into Ernest Hemingway, Colette or Orson Welles, but today, many celebrities still flock there to leaf through its beautiful books. A historic bookshop to visit at least once in your life in Paris!
📚📍224, rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
The most beautiful bookshops in Paris: Librairie du Passage
Ah, the covered passages of Paris… In Paris, the Passage Jouffroy is home to the Passage bookshop, an exceptional literary showcase. And it’s not for nothing that this splendid bookshop has been set up in the heart of this passage dedicated to the decorative arts, furniture, jewelry, design and fashion. Catalogues raisonnés, graphic arts, monographs, primitive arts, art history, sculpture… On 3 levels, no fewer than 30,000 books devoted to the fine arts are referenced.
📚📍48 Passage Jouffroy, 75009 Paris
Cellar/bookshop/literary bar La Belle Hortense
If you like the improbable, then you’re sure to be charmed by La Belle Hortense. La Belle Hortense isn’t the girl in the photo – although it could have been – it’s this bar-cave-library where wine and literature definitely go hand in hand. To escape the hustle and bustle of Paris, La Belle Hortense is a dream refuge where you can smell the books while enjoying a glass of wine and skimming the pages…
📚📍31 Rue Vieille du Temple, 75003 Paris
Le Feu Follet bookstore
If you’re a lover of the rare and the old, we’d like to recommend a visit to the heart of Le Feu Follet bookshop, in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. Specializing in antiquarian books, this nugget bookshop has assembled a wide selection of rare and precious antiquarian books, from incunabula to manuscripts, including numbered first editions, fine bindings and autographed books. At Le Feu Follet bookshop, you can choose from 25,000 rare and antiquarian books in all fields of knowledge!
📚📍31 Rue Henri Barbusse, 75005 Paris
The Palais de Tokyo bookshop
Nestled in the heart of the museum, this pop bookshop stands out for its bright yellow color. 450 m² of brightly-lit space will provide you with nuggets: art magazines, design books, the current exhibition catalog and, of course, a few souvenirs to take home. An amazing bookshop where time seems to stand still.
📚📍13 Avenue du Président Wilson 75116 Paris