Shakespeare and Company, the most English-speaking bookstore in Paris

Published by Graziella de Sortiraparis · Photos by Graziella de Sortiraparis · Published on October 21th, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.
Opposite Notre-Dame de Paris, the Shakespeare and Company Café adjoins the historic English-language bookstore founded by George Whitman. Gourmets and literary souls, you have found your paradise!

A true institution, the Shakespeare and Company is both a café and a bookstore, in English only. In front of the Notre-Dame cathedral, the bookstore has been a meeting place for English-speaking authors since 1951. It was George Whitman, an American bookseller, who made it a must for all lovers of literature.

More than just a bookstore, it was also the equivalent of a small hotel for authors, intellectuals and artists of the time, who could stay there a few nights to foster their imagination. William Burroughs, Anaïs Nin, Richard Wright, Henry Miller, Lawrence Durrell and James Baldwin stayed there .Today, the beds and furniture of the time are still part of the scenography, among the hundreds of thousands of books that line the walls of the bookstore. The bookstore holds the memories of generations of writers and travelers of the last century .

Shakespeare and Company, le café-librairie le plus anglais de ParisShakespeare and Company, le café-librairie le plus anglais de ParisShakespeare and Company, le café-librairie le plus anglais de ParisShakespeare and Company, le café-librairie le plus anglais de Paris

While you can find old books, including the works of Shakespeare, the bookstore also offers a children's corner and literary events. English-speaking writers can meet their readers, free of charge. If you're lucky, you'll also come across the little cat that roams the premises and makes everyone fall in love!

Shakespeare and Company, le café-librairie le plus anglais de Paris

But what would a reading moment be without a good cup of coffee and a gourmet pastry? George Whitman knew the readers well, that's why he had already had the desire to open a small literary café next to the bookshop. A wish that only came true in 2015, with a beautiful panoramic view of Notre Dame. You can enjoy coffee from Café Lomi, tea from Postcard Teas London, and pastries from Bob's Bake Shop. Among them, several are vegetarian. We fell for a hearty slice ofapple pie, delicious!

Shakespeare and Company, le café-librairie le plus anglais de Paris

So, enjoying your reading and a pastry in front of Notre-Dame, doesn't it make you want to?

Practical information

Location

37 Rue de la Bûcherie
75005 Paris 5

Accessibility info

Access
Metro Saint-Michel (line 4 and RER C)

Official website
shakespeareandcompany.com

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