Shakespeare and company is well known --- its proximity to Notre Dame brings in a lot of visitors. It is still worth mentioning it in Spotted by Locals, as this is the place where the local English speaking community comes to look for stuff to read they don't want to buy over the internet. The pleasure of getting in a place stuffed with books from floor to ceiling where every inch of the shelves is used to display novelties or classics with taste and charm is not the same as buying a book on your smartphone. What I most like is that they have those little corners where you can sit and glance through a few books you have selected before you decide which one to buy, and the fact that the place looks like a house, where even the staircase is used to store books.
If you follow them on Instagram you even get notified of presentations of books or talks they organize around specific writers or novelties. They now also have a bar next door where you can have coffee or light meals, which makes it even more inviting.
Overall, it is a place where I like to spend an hour or so, walking slowly through the sections, searching for rare things or simply looking at what other people choose and read. It's an oasis in the middle of the overflowing touristic areas.
Find your way with 168 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
"Les mots a la bouche" is an LBGT-themed bookshop in Paris. It's nice and quiet. I strongly recommend you drop by -- you will discover interesting things.
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"La Belle Iloise" in Paris, next to Les Halles, does top quality canned fish . I very much like tuna & sardines and how they even have fish sandwiches...
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Cafe "Nomade" is based in an ex-tapissier. It's a perfect morning stop-off ofr a combo of filter coffee, pressed juice and a croissant or pain du chocolat.
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Music Avenue Paris is my local soul/funk/hip-hop specialist. The place has been going since 1995 and every year they really celebrate record store day!
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Entering "Le Silence de La Rue" in Paris you fall silent yourself, in awe of the copious racks of cataloged vinyl & merchandise from indie to rock...
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Les Brutalists is where you'll find a leather maker's workshop that produces customized leather belts and unique, edgy accessories!
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The records sitting in the racks at Vinyl Office make it seem like someone's prized personal collection, with a special focus on black music!
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The "Gardens of the Quai Branly Museum" in Paris are next to the Eiffel Tower. What I love the most about them is that they're for free! Not to be missed.
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The "Modern Art Museum of Paris" is free, which, as it so happens, means fewer tourists! Come here to enjoy some Modigliani, Picasso or Matisse in peace...
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"The Zouave of the River Seine" is a statue on the Alma bridge that's become famous; Parisians come here to see how high the waters are compared to it...
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"59 rue Rivoli" is a must-visit in Paris. It started out as a squat in one of the most expensive commercial streets. Now it's a living space of creativity!
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"Parc Monceau" is the most romantic park in Paris. It's not very big, but it is very nice inside. It's more like an English garden and is perfect for pics!
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