These five unique bookstores will offer you a taste of Paris's literary culture as well as help you understand why time and time again writers from all over the world make the city their moveable feast
Paris is a city that lives and breathes arts and literature, so bookstores in Paris, even expat ones, are a dime a dozen. With so much choice it is easy to get a little lost, so here are our top five favourites:
Holding the acclaimed prize of being the continent's oldest English bookstore, and for some also the most beautiful in Paris, Galignani is a must-see. Run by six generations of the Galignani family the store’s dark wooden shelves stock up to over 50,000 books. In this store, books are not merely merchandise to be sold but precious works of arts and are treated as such.
224 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
+33 (0) 1 42 60 76 07
Founded by American George Whitman in 1951 this quaintly beautiful little shop has been a city legend since it became the meeting place for Lost Generation writers, like Ernest Hemingway, who was living in Paris at the time.
In fact, in his book an ‘A Moveable Feast’ Hemingway dedicates an entire chapter to Shakespeare and Company and its owners who supported young writers like himself. The store still keeps this tradition now in the way of resident writers who live, work and write on its premises.
37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 75005 Paris
+33 (0) 1 43 25 40 93
This is one of those rare gem bookstores in which you could easily pass the day away without even realising it. From its 10,000 books to its cafe, Merci has plenty on offer. A retro café offers a selection of treats from soft-boiled eggs for brunch to gourmet scones for afternoon tea.
111 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris
+33 (0) 1 42 77 78 92
L'eau et les Rêves on Quai de l’Oise
This riverboat bookshop docked on Quai de l’Oise is unique and worth the visit. The spacious péniche is beautifully decorated in a nautical theme that transfers from its interiors to its books.
Here, U will find volumes whose subjects vary from pirates to beachcombing and sea monsters. L'eau et les Rêves also offers a program of theatre workshops, talks and signings, as well as a children’s area.
Quai de l'Oise, 75019 Paris
+33 (0) 1 42 05 99 70
Opened by a group of literary expats, this cozy second-hand bookstore offers not only a great array of books but boasts some of the most knowledge and well-informed staff in the city.
An offshoot of the renowned San Francisco books, located a street over, at Berkeley Books U will find something for every interest including literature, poetry, literary criticism, and literary journals as well as history, philosophy, religion, cookbooks and children's books.
Berkely is in the elegant and bookstore-studded St Germain, true bibliophiles should make a day of it and go from bookstore to bookstore.
8 Rue Casimir Delavigne, 75006 Paris
+33 (0) 1 46 34 85 73
Ideal For
Book lovers, book collectors, art lovers
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Paris's Best Bookstores
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