Librairie Delamain

This is the oldest continuously running bookstore in Paris, having seen many canonical French authors (Maupassant, Foucault, Colette) in its doors since opening in the 1700s. It moved into its current site in 1909. Maurice Delamain, of Huguenot cognac fame, bought the place in 1921. Those who are francophone and ready to buy in to the Gallimard empire will find a rich supply of feuilleton, stand-alone hardbacks, and interesting translations into the French. There is also a ready supply of souvenir postcards, kitsch scented candles, and weathered leather bound titles to take home with you. The English selection is limited to bell hooks and Suzanne Collins. There is a decent selection of coffee table art books. In having quite a central location the bookshop has signature high shelving with ladders attended to by an abundance of helpful staff. Despite the limits of space there is an entire room dedicated to children’s literature. I recommend you look for some good livres de poche, of which there is a great selection. The library is situated on place Colette, across from the comédie. The easiest access from public transport is via Palais Royal metro stop.

This place is pure magic for book lovers. Librairie Delamain feels like stepping into another time—quiet, elegant, and full of soul. The selection is thoughtful and beautifully curated, from classic literature to rare and out-of-print editions. I could easily spend hours just browsing the shelves. The staff are knowledgeable, kind, and genuinely passionate about books, which makes the experience even more special. A true Parisian gem and an absolute must-visit if you love literature. I’ll definitely be back.

A great place for kids books, books on feminism and women, great gifts for friends, and postcards/bookmarks/stickers/journals. A beautiful collection of older books for sale — ask if you don’t see what you’re looking for! A vintage copy of Les Misérables was sent up from the basement via dumbwaiter when I inquired!

The Oldest bookshop of Paris. Started in 1700, they are around this location since 1708. The displays are nice, and they sell books from older editions, you can find first prints of many great writers, sometime signed. Such a gem in the middle of Paris. I went because I was looking for children books about Greek mythology and they had everything I needed. The staff is so polite, utterly educated, yet very down to earth, and you will never feel uneased asking questions. I’m sorry I cannot remember the name of the person that advised me. They are also a member of Paris librairie, so you can look at their catalog on their website and on this website and check before you go, or even order before you go. Thank you for everything ! Have a great 300 more years!

I was looking for novels written in simple French, and the staff was incredibly helpful. I was very impressed by her knowledge of books. I highly recommend this bookshop and will definitely come back next time I'm in Paris.

My favorite book shop in Paris so far! Great collection of books written in french, with affordable price. I highly recommend you to shop here if you want to buy some books on your trip to Paris

One of the best librairie books store in Paris - for post cards, beautiful books , arts books or fiction or history or anything printed of value - you will certainly leave the store with some books or presents.

Lovely book store with a great selection of books and where you can also get pretty post cards. There's also a selection of English books.

I love visiting bookstores while traveling, and Librairie Delamain was a good one, a lovely place in the heart of tourist-facing Paris, on Rue St Honoré near the Louvre. I dropped in with my friends, one of whom wanted to buy French books for her children. I was just happy to browse. The store was attractive and welcoming, with a definite European bookstore charm. It was packed dense with books, on numerous display tables and climbing high on every wall. There was a cute dedicated room for children's books. I browsed the section of translated English language literature, and it was quite compact, a reminder that the world is large and not everyone cares what we Americans are doing at all times. (They did not carry my book, which has been translated into French. One of my friends very sweetly embarrassed me by asking. I found her with a polite lady who worked at the bookstore, the two of them looking at my face on a screen.) There were tons of cool coffee table books, which I enjoyed looking at in the absence of any French ability. I saw tons of art books, including one for the Rothko exhibition we were about to visit, and a great book about French drag. I was also amused by a Wes Anderson book tagged with a shelf talker that read, in French, "Perfect for fans of Wes Anderson!!" Anyway, I appreciated Librairie Delamain and would recommend it to anyone in search of books in this part of Paris. It's a beautiful store with a nice assortment of French books.

This is a wonderful bookstore that I visited during the last two years when I was in Paris. They listen to me patiently as I speak French and recommend books that I will enjoy reading and that are appropriate to my language level. I can't wait to visit them again when I return.