Paris has long been a haven for readers, writers, and dreamers. Beyond its world-famous cafés, museums, and grand boulevards lies a treasure trove of bookstores that define the city’s intellectual spirit. Every street in Paris seems to whisper a story, and within these bookstores, those whispers come alive through the scent of paper, the murmur of pages turning, and the quiet reverence of readers lost in thought. These bookshops are not merely stores—they are sanctuaries where art, history, and philosophy intertwine. Let’s wander through the city’s most iconic literary havens and discover how each captures a different shade of Parisian charm.
1️⃣ Shakespeare & Company
📍 Address: 37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 75005
Perhaps no other bookstore on Earth has achieved the legendary status of Shakespeare & Company. Overlooking the Seine and facing the majestic Notre-Dame Cathedral, this storied shop has become a literary pilgrimage site. Founded by George Whitman in 1951 as a successor to Sylvia Beach’s original store from 1919, it quickly became a magnet for writers, poets, and travelers in search of inspiration. Whitman once said, “I created this bookstore like a man would write a novel,” and stepping inside truly feels like entering a story.
📖 The creaky wooden floors, overstuffed shelves, and tucked-away alcoves invite you to get lost for hours. Thousands of aspiring writers—known as Tumbleweeds—have slept among the books in exchange for helping around the shop, leaving behind diary notes that still fill the walls. Upstairs, a piano sits beside a window overlooking the cathedral, and there’s even a reading nook with the sign, “Be not inhospitable to strangers lest they be angels in disguise.”
☕ Outside, the Shakespeare & Company Café continues the tradition, serving pastries and coffee made for quiet reflection. Visitors often sip espresso while scribbling thoughts into notebooks, just as generations of writers before them have done. It’s not just a shop; it’s a dream preserved in ink and paper.
2️⃣ The Abbey Bookshop
📍 Address: 29 Rue de la Parcheminerie, 75005
Tucked away in a narrow Latin Quarter street, The Abbey Bookshop is a wonderland of English-language books and Canadian warmth. Owner Brian Spence, a Montreal native, has curated a collection of nearly 40,000 titles covering history, philosophy, travel, and literature. The space feels intimate—books are piled in towers, aisles are barely wide enough for two people, and yet it’s impossible not to smile upon entering.
☕ Spence often greets visitors with a handshake and a free cup of coffee, inviting conversation as much as commerce. Many travelers describe the store as a living organism—alive with the crackle of intellectual energy. You’ll hear laughter from visitors sharing discoveries, the rustle of pages being explored, and the soft hum of music in the background.
💡 Hidden gems await on every shelf, from vintage Penguin paperbacks to rare editions of philosophy classics. If Shakespeare & Company is the cathedral of English literature in Paris, The Abbey Bookshop is its cozy chapel—filled with passion, generosity, and stories of serendipitous encounters.
3️⃣ The Red Wheelbarrow Bookshop
📍 Address: 11 Rue de Médicis, 75006
Nestled across from the lush Jardin du Luxembourg, The Red Wheelbarrow offers tranquility in the heart of the city. The blue façade glows against the greenery of the park, inviting book lovers inside to discover a curated selection of English literature, children’s classics, and contemporary fiction. Owner Penelope Fletcher, originally from Canada, has created a space that feels less like a store and more like a salon for literary minds.
🌿 Beyond books, The Red Wheelbarrow serves as a cultural meeting point. The shop regularly hosts outdoor poetry readings and meet-the-author sessions, where you can listen to literature surrounded by blooming trees. Fletcher’s selection emphasizes strong female voices and diverse perspectives, giving readers a window into modern storytelling.
📚 After your visit, take your newly purchased book to the park, find a green chair beneath a chestnut tree, and let the melodies of Paris drift around you. This bookshop is not just about buying—it’s about belonging.
4️⃣ Librairie Galignani
📍 Address: 224 Rue de Rivoli, 75001
As Europe’s oldest English-language bookstore, Librairie Galignani exudes history and grace. Established in 1801, this iconic shop has served everyone from aristocrats to artists. With its mahogany shelves, high ceilings, and a spiral staircase that seems to lead straight into the 19th century, Galignani is elegance personified.
📖 The store’s collection covers English and French books on art, history, fashion, architecture, and philosophy. Every corner seems to echo with literary legacy; in fact, it was one of the few bookshops to survive the Nazi occupation by pivoting to art books when English titles were banned. Today, it stands proudly near the Louvre and Tuileries Gardens, offering quiet respite in the heart of bustling Paris.
🎨 The art section, curated with scholarly precision, is among the most beautiful in France. Whether you’re searching for a Monet monograph or the latest Zadie Smith novel, Galignani’s knowledgeable staff will guide you to something extraordinary.
5️⃣ Smith & Son (formerly WHSmith)
📍 Address: 248 Rue de Rivoli, 75001
A few doors down from Galignani, Smith & Son—previously WHSmith—brings a touch of British charm to the Parisian literary landscape. Established in 1903, it’s a sprawling multi-floor bookstore offering everything from contemporary fiction to British magazines, greeting cards, and travel essentials.
🍰 Upstairs, the Tea Room adds to the charm. With scones, sandwiches, and traditional teas served in porcelain cups, it’s a little slice of London in Paris. The space attracts tourists, families, and long-time expats alike. The children’s section is whimsical and vast, while the travel department provides maps and guides for every kind of explorer.
📦 Many visitors describe Smith & Son as both practical and nostalgic—a place to recharge before diving back into the city’s rhythm. Whether you’re picking up a travel guide or savoring an Earl Grey with a view of the Rivoli arcades, you’ll find both comfort and connection here.
6️⃣ Taschen Store
📍 Address: 2 Rue de Buci, 75006
If Parisian bookstores are cathedrals to the written word, the Taschen Store is a temple of visual art. Located in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, this stunning shop is dedicated to photography, design, architecture, and pop culture. Taschen’s publishing house is world-renowned for its luxurious art books, and the Paris store mirrors that sophistication.
🖼️ Inside, minimalist white shelves showcase everything from massive collector’s editions to affordable pocket series. The atmosphere is modern, stylish, and quietly reverent. Whether it’s a glossy coffee-table tome on Annie Leibovitz or a retrospective on Bauhaus, each book feels like a treasure.
💬 The staff here are passionate curators who treat books like art pieces, often sharing background stories on the editions. Visitors frequently describe it as part gallery, part bookstore, and entirely mesmerizing.
7️⃣ La Belle Hortense
📍 Address: 31 Rue Vieille du Temple, 75003
In the heart of the Marais, La Belle Hortense is where literature meets the art of indulgence. A wine bar by evening and a bookstore all day, this venue represents the intellectual hedonism Paris is famous for. Wooden shelves filled with French literature line the walls, and the scent of wine mingles with the musk of old books.
🍷 Here, reading isn’t solitary—it’s social. Locals gather over glasses of Bordeaux, debating philosophy or art while soft jazz plays in the background. The space hosts poetry readings, small exhibitions, and book launches, offering an intimate stage for emerging authors. If you’re lucky, you might walk in on a spontaneous literary discussion fueled by Cabernet and passion.
🎭 It’s a quintessentially Parisian experience: elegant, intellectual, and effortlessly bohemian.
8️⃣ Le Monte-en-l’Air
📍 Address: 71 Rue de Ménilmontant / 2 Rue de la Mare, 75020
Le Monte-en-l’Air is the embodiment of Belleville’s creative chaos—a hybrid of bookstore, art gallery, and café where boundaries blur and imagination thrives. The space bursts with color and ideas: posters of avant-garde exhibitions line the walls, while stacks of graphic novels and zines spill over the tables.
🌙 This is where Paris’s underground art scene congregates. The store supports independent publishers, artists, and writers, hosting weekly events from live music to art performances. Its late-night hours make it unique—few bookstores in the world hum with energy well past sunset.
🎨 Visiting Le Monte-en-l’Air feels like entering an artist’s mind: chaotic, beautiful, and deeply inspiring.
9️⃣ Palais de Tokyo Bookshop
📍 Address: 13 Avenue du Président Wilson, 75116
Inside the Palais de Tokyo, one of Europe’s largest contemporary art museums, lies a bookstore that feels like part of the exhibit itself. In collaboration with Walther König, this space offers an unparalleled selection of art books, design monographs, and limited-edition prints.
🏛️ The high ceilings and modern decor create a serene, almost futuristic ambiance. Visitors often lose track of time flipping through avant-garde titles on photography, fashion, and architecture. Afterward, they can enjoy the museum café’s terrace with panoramic Eiffel Tower views—a fitting end to a creative afternoon.
💡 The Palais de Tokyo Bookshop isn’t just about art—it’s about the exchange of ideas between artists and readers, where every purchase feels like joining a global conversation.
🔟 Librairie Yvon Lambert
📍 Address: 14 Rue des Filles du Calvaire, 75003
Elegant, minimalist, and quietly powerful, Librairie Yvon Lambert is the definition of refined taste. Founded by art dealer Yvon Lambert, it specializes in contemporary photography, conceptual art, and limited-edition artist publications.
📸 The store also serves as an extension of the adjoining art gallery, frequently hosting exhibitions and collaborations with rising visual artists. It’s one of the rare places where books themselves are curated as art objects. Visitors appreciate its calm, meditative atmosphere—a contrast to the busy Marais outside.
✨ Each visit feels like entering a private exhibition where the written word and visual beauty coexist.
🔸 Artazart
📍 Address: 83 Quai de Valmy, 75010
Perched along the scenic Canal Saint-Martin, Artazart stands as a creative hub for Paris’s design community. The bold orange storefront immediately draws attention, but it’s the colorful explosion inside that captivates. The shop offers everything from photography anthologies to interior design, architecture, and typography guides.
🎨 Regularly hosting workshops and book signings, Artazart functions as both store and incubator for new talent. Its open layout and relaxed vibe invite browsing and discovery. On sunny days, visitors often sit by the canal with their purchases, enjoying the view of boats drifting by.
💬 Whether you’re an artist, traveler, or dreamer, Artazart ensures you leave with more than a book—you leave with inspiration.
💭 Final Thoughts
Paris’s bookshops are living testaments to the city’s love affair with knowledge and art. They stand as reminders that even in a digital age, the power of holding a physical book, turning its pages, and feeling its weight endures. Each bookstore offers a different kind of escape: the nostalgia of Shakespeare & Company, the intimacy of The Abbey Bookshop, the elegance of Galignani, and the modern creativity of Artazart.
✨ So next time you wander through Paris, take a detour from the tourist trail. Push open an old wooden door, breathe in the scent of ink and paper, and let the city’s words embrace you. Because in Paris, reading isn’t just an activity—it’s a way of life.