6 English-Friendly Bookstores in Paris
Shakespeare & Company
For many Anglophiles, a trip to Shakespeare & Company the legendary independent Left Bank bookstore of the Lost Generation, is at the top of their list when visiting Paris, so I figured I'd get that out of the way first. I am not trying to convince you it should be any other way- by all means, go and take in the history, buy that tote, get your book stamped, pet the cat, and grab a coffee at the cafe. To say otherwise would be the pot calling the kettle black, as I take all of my visitors to Shakespeare & Co. after visiting the neighboring Notre Dame.
All I’m saying is… in a city filled with rich literary history, where you can still find yourself crammed in the metro at rush hour next to a Parisian struggling through the mass of arms and bags to turn the page of their old paperback... there are plenty more bookstores to visit (some of which you may have unknowingly passed in your trek to make the Shakespeare & Co. pilgrimage to begin with)! So here are 5 more bibliophile gems worth visiting while in Paris.
The Abbey Bookshop
The Abbey Bookshop is located very close to both Shakespeare & Co. and the Sorbonne, just on the other side of Saint Severin Church. It joined the Latin Quarter’s literary scene decades later (opening its doors in 1989), after the owner, Brian, was inspired and encouraged by Shakespeare & Company’s owner to open his own Paris bookstore, as he'd previously opened one in Toronto.
The shop has a special history, being located in the historic Hotel Dubuisson building on Rue de la Parcheminerie, which was originally named Rue des Escrivains after the scribes of the Parisian book trade that were eventually replaced by parchment makers in the late Middle Ages. Today it offers a diverse collection of over 40,000 used and new English titles. It is particularly connected to the Canadian expat community in Paris, but welcomes anglophiles of all kinds- visitors and locals alike!
The Red Wheelbarrow
Just a ten minute walk south of the Abbey Bookshop, on the fringe of the Latin Quartier, lies a cute little red and blue anglophone bookshop that should not be overlooked. Inside the Red Wheelbarrow, named after the poem by American imagist poet William Carlos Williams, you’ll appreciate the original crown molding and chandeliers hanging above the selection of classic and contemporary works of literature available in English, as well as fun displays of children’s books offered in French and English. While perusing this selection, don’t forget to also look out the front windows and appreciate a rewarding view that comes from being directly across the street from the northeast entrance of the Luxembourg Gardens. If you want to prolong that view, pick up a book then head next door to Treize au Jardin, an American owned boozy tea-room that will not disappoint. Also, check the Red Wheelbarrow events calendar before you visit and you just might be able to attend a book release, signing, or reading & conversation event as well.
Smith & Sons
The largest English book shop in Paris since 1903, Smith & Sons (formerly WHSmith) is located in the 1st arrondissement, on the north side of the Louvre and Tuileries garden.
The first floor offers a large English book, magazine, and journal selection. Plus, since this is the flagship French storefront of one of the UK’s leading book retailers, they can also order anything you can’t find in-store and have it delivered- making it super popular with the local ex-pat community.
Venture up to the second floor and make your way through a large selection of British food staples, gifts, and stationary in order to make it to the Smith & Sons cafe- a tidy British tea room, where you can enjoy weekend brunch, afternoon tea, or a freshly cut roast beef sandwich. Try to come on a sunny, spring day to make the most of the tea room’s fantastic views of the blooming trees and sparkling fountains in the Tuileries garden.
Librairie Galignani
If you want to instantly feel like a Parisian Belle from Beauty and the Beast, take a left when you walk out of Smith & Sons and walk just a few minutes down Rue de Rivoli to the beautiful Librairie Galignani, Karl Lagerfeld’s local book store of choice. The high wooden bookshelves running along both walls are filled with colorful displays of old and new reads, some of which may require you to climb a wooden library ladder to access them (oh darn!).
Walk straight to the back of the bookstore to enter a reading cave of sorts, and suddenly the lineup of these magnificent bookshelves grow from one story to two- a truly breathtaking sight for any bibliophile. The back is also where you will find a very good English selection, including a wall of beautiful pocket anthologies that are perfectly portable travel reads. Once you’ve made your selection, you can always break it in while enjoying a decadent hot chocolate and Mont-Blanc pastry at the world famous Angelina tea room right next door.
L'Eau Et Les Rêves Péniche
Ok, I am stretching this one a little, as this little bookshop is entirely in French… but go for the cafe, maps, and plant picture books and fact that HELLO YOU’RE ON A BOAT (that’s what “péniche” means)!
L’Eau et Les Rêves, or Water and Dreams, is located on the Canal d l’Ourcq canal, just downstream from La Villete, the city’s third largest park located in the 19th arrondissement. Self-described as a boat cafe and maritime/travel bookshop, I would describe my time aboard the quirky péniche as a magical, cozy experience. This boat, originally built in Strasbourg in the 1950s, traveled around Europe delivering grain until 1980, when it was converted into a bookshop in Melun, a southeastern suburb of Paris that also runs along the Seine. It was moved to its current location in the 19th in 2010, with a cafe added in 2018. On a sunny day in Paris, you will find the top deck of the small boat filled with locals sitting on wooden benches enjoying an espresso or glass of wine en plein air.
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