22-03-2025
5 Excellent Bookshops In Paris With English-Language Literature
Paris, France: Shakespeare and Company Bookstore located in the Saint Michel district.
Paris has been known for its affinity for arts and literature for centuries at this point—so it only makes sense that the city has some of the most beautiful bookstores in Europe. Many of the city's bookstores could be classified as equal parts gallery/museum and shop—which is great for browsing but not the best if you prefer to read English literature and non-fiction.
Despite being, well, France, you'll still find a handful of excellent English-language bookstores in and around Paris. The following bookshops boast a large selection of English books, ranging from secondhand paperbacks to high-end art books and everything in between.
Here are five excellent bookshops in Paris with English-language literature:
Shakespeare and Company was founded in 1951 by American George Whitman and is still largely considered one of the most beautiful English bookstores in the city. It's conveniently located opposite the Notre-Dame Cathedral on the banks of the Seine which has made it an easy stopping point for tourists. Keep in mind that this bookstore has, as such, become very popular and usually draws large crowds and oftentimes has a line out the door.
Smith & Son is another independent English-language bookstore with a huge selection. The shop was first opened in 1870 and continues to be the best bookshop in the city if you're looking for a large selection of everything from best-selling beach reads to contemporary non-fiction, graphic novels, cookbooks, and more.
While Librairie Galignani isn't exclusively an English-language bookstore, it still offers a very large selection of English books. The beautiful bookshop boasts fiction and contemporary non-fiction but its speciality is really in higher-end fine art books (that would make for great Parisian souvenirs).
If browsing for used books is more your speed, then you'll want to add the Abbey Bookshop to your literary itinerary. Perhaps one of the best used bookstores in the city (although they also have a great selection of new titles as well), the Abbey Bookshop boasts more than 40,000 English titles and the hunt of finding your next great read is all part of the charm.
San Francisco Book Company is another excellent option for those who prefer shopping for used books over new titles. The shop first opened on the Left Bank back in 1997 and has since expanded online as well (the shop ships worldwide). San Francisco Book Company boasts everything from paperbacks and science fiction to art and philosophy. It's also worth noting that this shop takes requests for hard-to-find books on their clients' wishlists.
