Assouline, Paris, France

My favorite bookstore in Paris is Assouline, hands down. Every time I'm back, Assouline is one of my first stops. The store offers a wide array of 'lifestyle' books about everything from fashion to film to architecture. Assouline also offers great accessories for the home and high-quality stationary (if you want to know what to get me for Christmas, check out the leather-bound skull notebook on their website--I'd like it in black please ;-)...)
A few of my other favorite items include the elegant, hardcover Proust Questionnaire, a custom Goyard trunk full of Assouline titles, and the Marie Antoinette stationary set. The Assouline boutique is in the heart of Saint-Germain, only a few meters up the street from Le Pré aux Clercs on rue Bonaparte. Assouline has outposts in several other cities across the globe including New York (at 768 Fifth Avenue), but be sure to visit the Paris boutique for the real experience.
-Marcus

Assouline
35, rue Bonaparte
Paris, France 75006

Le Pré aux Clercs, Paris, France

Le Pré aux Clercs is one of my favorite cafés in Saint-Germain. It's just a couple of blocks away from the Saint-Germain-des-Prés metro stop on line 4 and is the perfect place to grab a quick noisette or café crème while taking a break from shopping. It's also about halfway between the Louvre and the Jardin du Luxembourg or Notre Dame and the Musée d'Orsay, so it's great if your feet are killing you after a day of sightseeing. Although it's only a stone's throw away from the more famous Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, you can avoid the gaudy tourists and overpriced espressos that have ruined these two Parisian institutions by enjoying a glass of wine on the terrasse at Le Pré aux Clercs. It's also a great vantage point for people watching. On the same street, you'll find Dior, La Durée, and a number of high-end art and furniture galleries, so, inevitably there's a constant stream of chic Frenchmen and women strolling past the café's windows. It's definitely a must when in Paris.

-Marcus

Le Pré aux Clercs
30, rue Bonaparte
Paris, France 75006