5 Parisian Literary Cafés Where to Read This Summer

Among the iconic images of outdoor reading, Renoir captured in La Lecture the vibrant stillness of a suspended moment: two young girls seated, an open book, and around them, the luminous softness of a summer garden. Reading when Paris slows down in July brings back that same sense of quiet, that delicate surrender to the story. Between the overheated cobblestones and deserted alleyways, certain cafés become perfect havens for readers. Here are five places where reading in Paris in summer becomes a peaceful, almost painterly art.

Used Book Café, in the Haut-Marais

Behind the grand porte-cochère of the concept store Merci lies a true treasure for urban readers. The Used Book Café lines its walls with hundreds of second-hand books in a warm setting of light wood and cushioned benches. People come as much to flip through a novel as to sip a drip coffee in a hushed atmosphere, between two paragraphs or two thoughts.

Shakespeare and Company Café, Left Bank

Though often crowded, the small café adjoining the legendary Shakespeare and Company bookstore offers, in the shade of Notre-Dame, a few perfect tables to dive into an Anglo-Saxon novel. Here, one meets solitary readers as well as souls in search of inspiration. The homemade apple pie accompanies your paragraphs with an elegantly British flair.

Le Shack: the café of the former Calmann-Lévy printing house

Le Shack, newly opened this summer in Paris, is a unique space blending co-working, dining, and well-being. Housed in the former Calmann-Lévy publishing mansion near the Opéra, it offers an exceptional setting with its monumental libraries and a glass roof designed by Gustave Eiffel. Enjoy this inspiring space to read and relax in the heart of Paris in July.

The Garden Café at the Petit Palais

Less known than its peers, the café nestled in the interior garden of the Petit Palais is a true haven. Surrounded by colonnades and palm trees, this enchanting spot lets you escape the heat and immerse yourself in poetry or love letters. A beautiful escape in the heart of Paris!

Note: Renovations are taking place at the Petit Palais in 2025. Be sure to check dates and times to ensure a peaceful visit!

Café des Deux Moulins, a Montmartre nod

Better known for its appearance in Amélie than for literary appeal, this café remains an excellent place to read in the morning, before the crowds. A window seat, a café crème, and a copy of Hemingway's A Moveable Feast are a perfect trio. It’s a place of contrasts, where modern fiction meets the memories of bohemian Paris.

 

And the cherry on top...

If, after your literary strolls through the capital, you feel like prolonging the pleasure in an equally inspiring setting, the Hôtel Littéraire Le Swann welcomes you. Dedicated to Marcel Proust, it offers a world where every room is a chapter, every detail a tribute to literature.

Because in summer as in any season, reading remains an art of living.