The Abbey Bookshop

Second visit to The Abbey Bookshop and I’m completely enchanted all over again. This place has a truly special quality - no matter what mood you arrive in or what your soul is searching for, you’ll find exactly the book that speaks to you. There’s something almost mystical about wandering through these cozy, book-lined spaces. The atmosphere is so warm and inviting, with that perfect bookshop charm that makes you want to settle in for hours. The towering shelves create intimate nooks where you can discover hidden literary gems. What I love most is how the shop seems to understand its visitors. Whether you’re seeking comfort, adventure, wisdom, or escape, the right book always seems to reveal itself. The Abbey Bookshop isn’t just a place to buy books - it’s a refuge for book lovers, a place where stories come alive before you even open the cover. An absolute must-visit for anyone who believes in the magic of books!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

My place to go bookstore in town, they have wide selection of books even it's a bit messy and hard to find but it's kinda romantic to find a book like it. The employees are super friendly and helpful. Extra point: free tea and cafe in front

A beautiful, charming and specialist book shop with new and second hand finds. A massive variation of genre and prices, some vintage rare books to your common paperback novels. It's small and cramped, but it's Paris afterall and part of the charm. The staff are very helpful in finding sections that you cannot seem to find, I wanted a horror section and was pointed out to a wonderful horror shelf and a Halloween shelf! I bought 8 books for €114 and got a free tote bag with them. It's not cheap, however the books I found were SO special and specific that I don't mind. I love the idea of this gorgeous little books hop staying open as long as possible, so paying the price of the books is partly about the experience and helping with the upkeep of the shop. It's FAR better than the shakespeare book shop, which had about 50 people in line outside to get in. Highly recommend this book shop!

Terrific resource for readers! Knowledgeable, helpful staff. The shelves are packed with treasures - new and used. Many books in English. From vintage to used to commemorative editions, so much to peruse. They've got a loyalty card for avid readers/collectors. Go when you have to the time to browse and be surprised!

We came across this unique little bookstore and instantly fell in love with its charm. The aesthetic was beautiful — cozy, thoughtfully arranged, and full of character. It had that quiet, welcoming atmosphere that makes you want to stay and browse for hours. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, adding to the overall experience. A hidden gem that’s definitely worth a visit!

Made a point to get back to this shop on my short visit to Paris. The folks working there — and the business owner — are all friendly and welcoming. What a beautiful shop with an amazing collection.

I’m very torn on this bookstore. At first I thought it was a magical place and couldn’t wait to recommend to others. It had so many wonderful books - some I’ve read and some on my list. I picked out 5 books and excitedly waited for checkout. While waiting, I realized I wasn’t sure about pricing. I turned the books over and my jaw literally dropped. All of the books were above MRSP. A French grammar book that should have been 20-30€ was priced at 59€ euro. I didn’t take a picture of that one because to was too horrified and put it right back. I know it costs money to import books, but if I’m going to pay premium prices, I expect to have some amenities that other new bookstores have. This store has zero inventory system so they can’t tell you if they have a certain book - you have to dig yourself. The shelves were so narrow I could barely get by and I’m a tiny person. Forget about navigating here if you’re larger or have mobility issues. On the upside, the staff person working was very nice and friendly and the music in the store was great. But it’s a used book experience at premium prices. I’ll continue my search for an affordable English bookstore.

Lovely bookstore, I'v visited a lot of bookstores in the 49 years on the planet. Can't remember a store wit this many books in such a relative tight spot. I believe multiple English books in every genre. With very decent prices! Very friendly employees must also be mentioned! And to top this of the possibility to pick up a cup of coffee or thee!!💞 One year later, talking to the owner learnt the Building is around for some 300 years. The basement also accessible is 600+ years old and filled with books like the upstairs! Again one of the Greatest experiences in a bookstore!!

My son and I are workaholics, so we had to make a stop at least at one bookshop while we were in Paris. This one is definitely tight, and full of books from floor to ceiling. The books are all in English, which is good, except that I wanted a book in French! it was a fun stop and we were glad we did it, it's always neat to experience bookstores and other parts of the world.

The Abbey bookshop has a charm with shelves fully stacked with books. I actually discovered this bookstore because it was features on the This Is My Bookstore: Postcards of Beautiful Shops around the World postcard series. The aisle is pretty narrow, so it's a little hard to browse when there's a little too many people. The books are in great condition and well cared for, which is the most important thing about buying books. I also like visiting bookstores around the world because they will often have unique book covers you can't find for the same titles back home. They do have an underground basement you can explore but it's a little musty (though that is expected with most historic/older Parisian establishments), staircase is narrow, and a little hard to balance if you're bringing a book you're thinking of getting from upstairs. Luckily, the staff is super friendly and will hold your book picks upstairs. I picked up a nice copy of Machiavelli's The Prince as well as The Paris Bookseller here.

I've been to all the English bookstores in Paris now and this is by far the most crammed. I've been to English bookstores all around the world and the charm isn't in having books crammed into every nook and cranny, but being able to browse, sit, and maybe even read through some titles inside. There's not even room for people to browse inside. While I'm sure there's a method to the madness and some people adore this setup, it's just not something that will bring me back anytime soon. I saw some of the comments about the owner playing host, etc. I don't mind that - it's his bookshop and eventually someone did ring me up. You shouldn't have to lean on the owner to enjoy browsing a bookshop.

What a darling bookshop! It has a similar vibe as the Shakespeare & Company bookshop. Books are piled high and the walking paths are very narrow. They carry both new and used books, with a wide range of categories. It's very charming and worth a perusal. I also overheard that they have a loyalty card.

When I approached I had been wondering around the area for about an hour, I was very tired and feeling sick, but forcing myself to explore the city as I had no idea when I'd be able to visit Paris again. When I approached there was an older man with facial hair working about. He was kind enough to offer my hot tea since it was quite a cold day. I didn't feel like tea at the moment but thanked him for the offer. I would guess he is American as it's an English bookshop, he spoke perfect English, and there was no trace of accent. I went inside and looked around, lots of used books to look through, but I only saw about half of the store. He said there was another level but the store was small and being plus-size it was difficult to navigate with other people visiting. I would definitely go back as it was charming and the man was kind. Dear man, if you ever read your reviews, know that your kindness is a fond memory of my brief trip to paris.

The highlight of my recent visit to Paris. It's a book lovers heaven! I could have stayed all day. If you don't like small places, this may hot be the place for you.

I wanted to give this place a 4 or 5 for: -Lots and lots and lots of books. And I think there may have been a good section of first edition classics, but there were already two customers in that section and they never left so I couldn't get over there to see. However: - it was a bit too expensive - there was a bad moldy smell downstairs - the scary steep narrow staircase downstairs - it was too narrow and stressful when other customers need to get past - the owner was too busy playing host to just ring you up - i kept making books fall and having to pick them all up again because they were just stacked up seemingly randomly everywhere Maybe if you came when nobody else was there yet, and you were really skinny, and you wore a mask over your nose and mouth and didn't have to ask the owner anything, then it would be nice. Yes. Definitely then.

A wonderful little English language bookshop tucked away on a small, pedestrian street in Quartier Latin. The owner/proprieties/Chief Librarian/Only Human Who Can Find Every Book is a knowledgeable Canadian with impeccable English and French. He is always happy to engage you in conversation, help find a book, make suggestion on what to read or wax poetic on the advantages of maple syrup in your coffee. Walking into this shop is not for the claustrophobic. Every wall and flat space inside is jam packed with books. The shelves strain under the weight of the English language until they rest upon the tomes beneath them. If it is popular, you will find it here. If it is good, you will find it here. If it is a strange book about tattoos or geography or the history of the internet, you will find it here. You must stop by to see this shop if you are in Paris. And hey... Buy a book!

I have been a regular customer at this bookshop for years. It is in my top 5 places in Paris! This place is a celebration of literature, guides, philosophy and generally independent thinking. Forget about the chain libraries where they have a few hundred of titles and just thousands of copies of the same book. Brian, the owner, keeps 44 000 books with 41 000 different titles. And when you see the size of the bookshop, you will see how much of a feat this is. In this bookshop, it's better to walk on with an open mind. It's more likely that a book will find you than the other way around. The organization of books is rather special. That is why I strongly encourage you to have a chat with Brian. He will help you find what you're looking for or give suggestions if you just tell him what you are in the mood for. If you hang out for a while and have a chat with him, he'll probably offer you a Canadian coffee with maple syrup.

The most incredible bookshop experience. The owner is lovely and offers complimentary coffee and tea on chilly days. He is so accommodating and will order any books not in stock for you. The store itself is absolutely otherworldly, straight out of a movie. Recommend to everyone.

Difficult to find but worth the effort. Much better than Shakespeare and Co. Very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly owner and staff.