La Belle Hortense

La Belle Hortense Berkeley Books This is a quite unique book store and it makes the list though it has almost entirely French books on the shelves. It’s the only book shop in Paris, perhaps in France that opens until 2 o'clock in the morning - with a wine cellar! It's a great place to stop off for an aperitif and a snack or a late night/early morning coffee or glass of something else. It’s a literary haven with a cosy, friendly atmosphere and it’s very French! La Belle Hortense; 31 rue Vieille du Temple, Paris 4th Arr; www.cafeine.com; Métro: Hôtel de Ville, St.Paul, Pont Marie; Open daily 5pm - 2am. Berkeley Books of Paris opened for business in May 2006 when three Californians who had worked together at a nearby bookstore decided to team up and open their own place. Popular especially with American visitors, it has a great range of used books (English language), you can swap, buy, stroke the shop’s cat and enjoy concerts, readings and exhibitions that take place here on a regular basis. 8, rue Casimir Delavigne 6th Arr; Metro: Odeon; berkeleybooksofparis; Open 12am - 8pm Tues – Sat, 2pm - 8pm Sunday.

WH Smith After a 26 year absence, the tea room of this most English of book shops has reopened in its prime position on the corner of Rue de Rivoli and Rue Cambon, a short distance from the Louvre. WHSmith & Co. opened here in 1903 and for expats in France, it’s a true taste of home, in fact it was like walking into my local branch in Bromley High Street when I recently visited! The only things that are not the same are the prices (it’s more expensive) and the sales staff have French accents though they all seem to speak excellent English. And, there’s a very nice tea room run by that most British of tea companies, Twinings! Nip up to the first floor for a pot of tea, lunch or afternoon tea with traditional scones and jam. In the past umpteen celebrities have enjoyed tea here in this little oasis away from the busy streets outside. There’s a great selection of books, newspapers and magazines, and it’s open 362 days a year! WH Smith, The English Bookshop, 248 rue de Rivoli, 1st Arr; whsmith.fr; Metro: Concorde; Opens 9.30am - 19.30pm Mon to Sat, 12.30am – 19.30pm Sun. Merci Le Used Book Café This place is great for a browse amongst the 10,000 books in a cosy setting in the popular fashion and homeware concept store. Plus you can get breakfast, brunch, lunch or afternoon tea Monday to Saturday 10am – 7 pm. 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais 3rd Arr; Metro Saint Sebastien Froissart (line 8; www.merci-merci.com Galigniani The first English language book shop in Europe outside of Britain and a long heritage in the book business make this a standout store. The Galignani family started printing books in 1520 in Venice. They moved to London (they printed the books of Wordsworth, Byron, Thackeray and Scott amongst many others) and then to Paris where they opened a book shop and reading room in 1801 specialising in English. They moved the shop to rue de Rivoli in 1856 – they’re still there. Great selection of Anglo-American books plus an extensive fine arts department. 224 rue de Rivoli 1st Arr; Metro: Concorde; www.galignani.fr; Open Mon–Sat 10am – 7pm