Au Singe qui lit: a century-old shop selling original souvenirs in Montmartre

On Place du Tertre, painters sketch passers-by, café terraces are packed and souvenir shops vie for visitors’ attention. But amid all the hustle and bustle of Montmartre, one shop has stood out for more than a century: Au Singe qui lit. A curious name for a gift shop with plenty of curiosities on its shelves!

Located at 21 Place du Tertre in Paris’s 18th arrondissement, behind a dark green storefront, this shop has a soft spot for original Paris souvenirs, with a special focus on illustration. You’ll find colorful postcards, prints, notebooks, bookmarks and small decorative items that offer their own take on Paris. Typical façades, café terraces, cats and scenes from everyday life come to life in distinctive illustrations. A lovely print to frame or a card to send to loved ones makes a change from the traditional key ring!

Fans of quirky gifts might also be tempted by candles shaped like baguettes or croissants, illustrated magnets or accessories that play on the capital’s symbols. The kind of fun little finds you’re happy to pack in your suitcase, even if you came looking for nothing more than a simple postcard.

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And this shop has quite a history! Founded in 1908 by Émile Boyer, a former typesetter, Au Singe qui lit once occupied a spot next to the famous La Mère Catherine restaurant. Back then, it sold watercolors by Montmartre artists, vintage finds and even groceries. The shop’s name also appears on old postcards held in the collections of the Carnavalet Museum.

Today, the shop keeps that spirit of cheerful knick-knacks alive, with graphic designs and objects that evoke the Paris of artists without having to gather dust on a shelf. People come here to find a Montmartre souvenir, pick up a quirky little gift or simply browse the illustrations.

The hardest part, in the end, is leaving without giving in and buying one more souvenir. Even when you live in Paris!