THE CONCEPT
Founded in 2023 by Christine Ye, L'Inaperçu is a bookshop-restaurant that combines art, photography and bistronomy. Located in the Marais district, close to the Centre Pompidou, it reflects the unique vision of its founder: Christine Ye, a former professional in the Paris fashion industry for almost twenty years.
This shared space is at once a bookshop specializing in contemporary photography, a bistronomic restaurant and a tearoom. Surrounded by a team of enthusiasts, Christine Ye has created a space where culture and conviviality meet, with Mediterranean cuisine featuring fresh, seasonal produce.
The books are carefully selected by photography experts, including photobooks and works by artists linked to specific themes, such as those by Martin Parr or Clément Chéroux, director of the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation. In the bookshop, a newsstand is transformed into a space dedicated to photobooks, and bookseller's boxes serve as display cases for these books.
A PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKSHOP
Considering the photobook as a work of art in its own right, and wishing to highlight photography in all its forms, L'Inaperçu offers a selection of exceptional, rare or out-of-print works. The books in the bookshop are selected by photography experts, who choose photobooks or artists' books linked to a theme (for example, the British photographer Martin Parr or Clément Chéroux, Director of the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation). In the bookshop, the traditional newsstand is transformed to host a selection of photobooks, while the famous "bouquinistes" boxes become showcases and displays for photography books. The ambience of the bookshop extends into the restaurant, with a décor inspired by amateur photography, incorporating vintage objects such as old posters, advertisements, a vintage sign and even a darkroom...
Guest list: Jérôme Prochiantz, Martin Parr, Erik Kessels, Christine Barthe, Clément Chéroux, Aline Pujo, Jonas Cuénin, Valérie Belin and Patrick Remy.
A CAFÉ-RESTAURANT
SEASONAL CUISINE
L'Inaperçu offers the chance to discover books dedicated to contemporary photography while enjoying fine, creative cuisine. Of Italian and Argentinean origin, consultant chef Javier Oliva offers bistronomic cuisine with Mediterranean flavors. For lunch and dinner, L'Inaperçu features fresh, seasonal produce. Each dish, carefully crafted, is as creative as it is delicious: homemade ravioli, octopus confit, guinea fowl ballotine, Charolais beef fillet pithiviers, banana mousse, chocolate ganache...
A TEA ROOM
Under the guidance of Arnaud Bachelin, renowned tea connoisseur and founder of Thé-ritoires in Paris, L'INAPERÇU offers a selection of sixteen natural teas sourced directly from their producers. From different regions of China (Yunnan, Anhui, Guangxi, Fujian and Zhejiang), India and Japan, these teas with their wide range of aromas are infused by a team trained in the tea ceremony by Arnaud Bachelin.
A WINE BAR
Supporting local producers and environmentally-friendly farming practices, L'Inaperçu offers visitors a natural wine list created with the help of talented sommelier Jérémy Lipszyc. For those with a small appetite, the restaurant also offers aperitif boards to nibble on without moderation.
For fans of craft beers, the menu also features artisanal beers straight from the BAPBAP microbrewery in Paris's 11th arrondissement. In the same vein, L'Inaperçu's cocktails are by Le Syndicat, a Parisian bar known for using only French spirits.
