The Chicest Parisian Guidebook

I’ve been a fan of Astier de Villatte since I first discovered their perfect little store on Rue Saint Honoré many years ago. I used to use their letterpressed datebooks, and only moved on because I found another system that worked better for me. If I go to Paris, it’s a given that I stop by their store—it always has something clever I’ve never seen before, from an eraser to an incense holder to a new platter to obsess over. Years ago, the founders, Benoît and Ivan, released a book called Ma Vie à Paris, and I bought two copies—one to keep at our house in the Médoc, and the other for New York. They are very personal recommendations and I love how old school the “guide book” is—it might be the only one printed on letterpress, and the edit leans toward hardware stores and old-school cobbler workshops. It’s the exact opposite of TikTok famous, and I love that. When I was in their store last month, I discovered they had just released a new edition, actually, its fourth iteration. This version has a center section with color photographs, plus new categories like second-hand bookstalls (bouquinistes), cabarets/theaters, and restaurants that are open on Sunday and Monday evenings. Regardless of whether you’re planning a trip to Paris anytime soon, this is an object that is so lovely to have on a desk or a table, and when you open it, to be completely transported to a time when people made things with their hands and small business was just business. It’s nice to know that this can still exist in a city that’s become so globalized.