6 English Bookstores in Paris You’ll Love Literary-ly Love

Looking for some English bookstores in Paris? Here are all the ones I’ve literar-ly loved visiting! (Get it? Heheh)

I mean, it’s me, of course I’ve managed to wrack up quite a few bookstore visits in Paris!! Considering there was a whole decade of writers and poets who romanticized this city for American audiences, you know the English bookshop options would be incredible!

I have to say besides Shakespeare and Company, I genuinely didn’t even plan on visiting any of these places. During both of my visits, I had very limited suitcase space, and I didn’t want to be tempted into overbuying. But, you know, you just wander around Paris and all of a sudden… WHAM incredible bookshop with a large selection!!!

Anyway, enough of my rambling — here are some English bookstores in Paris you may want to add to your list and why. And, because I’m me, I added things to do nearby each of them so you’re not going out of your way to just buy books (though I won’t judge you if you do!).

Charming English Bookstores in Paris

Librairie Galignani

Alyshia and I stumbled across Libraire Galignani when we went to Angelina’s for hot chocolate! I mean, regardless of language, I always get sucked into a bookstore, and this one had a column outside saying it was the first English bookshop on the continent! So… obviously we had to delay our hot chocolate needs for some browsing…

The bookstore’s history goes all the way back to the late 1700s when Giovanni Antonio Galignani, a native of Brescia (hence the Italian name), taught Italian, German, and English in Paris. He moved to London and with his new wife had two sons — John Anthony and William. They soon moved back to Paris, and would offer “linguistic breakfasts” for English and Italian. Since English was way more popular, Anne established an English bookshop and library!

The sons would later open up a bookstore and that’s how we have the current Libraire Galignani. The store is split between “departments” — Fine Arts, French, and English. The English is all the way in the back and has two floors, so it’s very fun to kill some time checking out all their titles!

While Nearby: Check out the Louvre, the Tuileries Garden, and get hot chocolate at Angelina’s!

San-Francisco Book Co

Silvia and I stumbled across San-Francisco Book Co while walking around the area and, of course, I had to stop and check out the books they had out on the sidewalk! It’s been around since 1997 and is one of two used English bookstores in Paris on this list. Huzzah!

While Nearby: Get a savory crepe at Breizh’s nearby Café Odéon location, and continue on to walk around Jardin du Luxembourg.

Shakespeare and Company

Of all the English bookstores in Paris, I’m pretty sure Shakespeare and Company is by far the most popular. Don’t take my word for it — there’s nearly always a line out the door waiting to go in. And if you think it’s because everyone wants a photo inside, think again — photos are not allowed!! I’m pretty sure its been its roles in movies, notably Before Sunset but also just because this place has such a cool place in both Parisian and literary histories.

It was founded back in 1951 by American George Whitman. He came to Paris to work in a war orphans camp and then went on to study at the Sorbonne before buying a grocery store and turning it into the bookstore we know today.

The name is actually has a pretty important story all on its own. For the first 13 years of the bookstore’s life, it was called Le Mistral. George changed it to Shakespeare and Company on the Shakespeare’s 400th birthday in homage of the bookstore that publisher Sylvia Beach ran between 1919 – 1941, aka the time to be a writer in Paris!!! She apparently gifted the name to him at a party before her death.

Her Shakespeare and Company famously published Ulysses by James Joyce and saw the likes of all sorts of writers like Ezra Pound, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and more. If you can’t tell by the date of its closing, World War II and the Nazi occupation forced its closure. They’d go on to imprison her for six months. By the time she was released and the war ended, she was too ill to open the shop once more.

Like what her bookstore was for the Lost Generation in the 1920s, George’s version was for the Beat Generation and pretty much every famous writer of the later 20th century.

These days, it’s popular with book lovers all over and, like I said, will always have a line outside since they limit how many people can come in at once. There are no food, drink, or pictures allowed. However, you should know the entire second floor is pretty much dedicated to sitting around and reading. I picked out a Beth O’Leary book and made myself comfortable for half an hour before buying it to take with.

Tip: If you really do not want to wait in line but want one of the iconic tote bags, the cafe next door sells the exact same merch and does not have a line.

While Nearby: Square René Viviani is a very pretty park and full of blossoming trees in the spring! You’re also right by the Seine, so you can read your book somewhere along the river or continue across the bridge to see Notre-Dame. If you need a pick-me up, Le Corner Saint-German is a cute restaurant and one of The Coffee’s locations is nearby as well.

The Abbey Bookshop

Right around the corner from Shakespeare & Co, The Abbey Bookshop is a treasure trove of new and used English books!! We wound up visiting after seeing a few signs pointing in its direction, and I wish I could’ve spent all afternoon combing through its selection! (And also that I had enough luggage space…)

This bookshop has been around since 1989 and was founded by Torontonian Brian Spence and is in the historic 18th century Hôtel Dubuisson. Quite poetically, I learned on their site that the the street it’s located at, Rue de la Parcheminerie, was once known as Rue des Écrivains for Paris’s scribes! It’s actually incredible how much there is to find in this one shop!!

While Nearby: Quite literally the same as listed in Shakespeare and Company because they’re maybe 3 minutes on foot from each other!

Assouline

They’re fun bookstores in Paris if you like the fancier things in life! Like I’m pretty sure if you’ve ever watched a rich person’s house tour, they’ve got a few Assouline books on their coffee tables. The publishing company itself has been around since 1994, and the name comes from its founders, Prosper and Martine Assouline. Their stores are always fun to pop around and make for excellent gifts if you don’t mind spending a little extra.

There are three locations in Paris, but I’ve been to the Rue Bonaparte and Le Bon Marche ones. The Rue Bonaparte location (above) is, I believe, the first one they opened in Paris.

While Nearby: Go check out Citypharma for the best prices on skincare and make-up! You can keep walking on that same road and also get macarons at Pierre Hermé. It’s also around the corner from the iconic Les Deux Magots, but I’ve never actually been to tell you if it’s worth it or not!

La Libraire at Le Bon Marché

Le Bon Marché is like the prettiest shopping mall I think I’ve ever seen (tied with Galeries Lafayette across the river). I guess technically it’s called a department store. It’s been around since 1838 and is currently under LVMH. There’s a lot to see but the second floor has a giant bookstore!! And it’s not just a typical mall bookstore. The roof gives it such a pretty vibe and it’s massive. I was trying to find the tax counter and was not expecting to do any book shopping, or else I’d have planned to actually spend time here. Next trip!

I think it’s both English and French but I do remember a large selection of English books and probably one of the most robust travel sections ever. If you go up to the third floor, you’ll also find the young leaders section.

While Nearby: I mean…. all the shopping in Le Bon Marché itself! Square Boucicaut is right outside the mall and is very cute if you want to be outside. We stopped to rest our feet and get drinks at Le Sèvres Raspail nearby as well!

And there you have it — six charming English bookstores in Paris to add to your trip! Any I’m missing and need to add for next time?

For more Paris guides, read these next:

• Where to Eat in Paris: 29 Boulangeries, Cafés, and Restaurants Worth Trying
• What to Do in Montmartre: A Guide to Paris’s Original Bohemian Neighborhood
• A Weekend in Paris is ALWAYS a Good Idea if You Follow this Guide
• Where to Find Excellent Croissants in Paris

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want to support?

I’m always grateful when friends and readereach out wanting to support There She Goes Again. Truthfully, I’m just happy my posts are helping people travel! If you’d like to support the blog, here are some companies and brands I’m affiliated with. Simply click the links, and I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you!