Shakespeare and Company: Paris's legendary bookshop, opening hours and café

Updated on October 7, 2026

The bookshop Shakespeare and Company, at 37 rue de la Bûcherie (5th arrondissement), faces Notre-Dame across the Seine. Founded in 1951 by George Whitman, it takes its name from Sylvia Beach's bookshop (1919-1941), which published James Joyce's Ulysses. Today it is run by George's daughter Sylvia Whitman and David Delannet. English-language books, a café next door and literary events make it a place apart in the Latin Quarter.

Highlights

The bookshop

Housed in a historic 17th-century building, it has grown from a single ground-floor room to several floors of shelves. An antiquarian bookshop completes the offer. Entry is free; queues can form at peak times.

The café

Next to the bookshop, the café is open every day from 9 am to 7 pm. It is wheelchair accessible, as is most of the bookshop's ground floor and the antiquarian bookshop.

The “tumbleweeds” and the events

The shop offers free accommodation to visiting writers and artists, nicknamed “tumbleweeds”; more than 30,000 people have slept there since it opened, according to its website. It also runs free literary events with limited seating.

Practical info

Tips

Taking photos or filming inside is not allowed, at the bookshop's request. Items larger than 40 cm (suitcases, hiking backpacks, sports equipment) are refused; handbags and small backpacks are fine, but keep them with you. For an event, arrive early: the shop sometimes closes earlier on event evenings. Continue to the Latin Quarter and the musée de Cluny.

How to get there

37 rue de la Bûcherie, 75005 Paris, opposite Notre-Dame. Métro Saint-Michel or Cité (line 4), Cluny – La Sorbonne (line 10); RER B and C Saint-Michel – Notre-Dame.