The Quillet bookshop and workshop | Destination Île de Ré

The not-to-be-missed event
of your stay on the Ile de Ré!

Awarded the “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant” (Living Heritage Company) label in 2007, Atelier Quillet is one of the last in France to work in the field of document restoration, antiquarian books and bookbinding. With a total surface area of 2,000 m2, this unique site not only offers a document restoration workshop, but also a large antique bookshop dedicated to books and comics, with an area entirely devoted to posters and other iconographic documents. And to warm up in winter, or quench your thirst in summer, the literary café welcomes visitors in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

History of the company

Lionel Quillet founded the company in 1987. Initially present at fairs and markets, he returned to his native Île de Ré in 1989, to coincide with the opening of the bridge. He set up his first 17 m² bookshop in Saint-Martin-de-Ré, and the workshop in Loix.

As the restoration and bookbinding work progressed, the Atelier obtained its first national references, the business expanded and the team of restorers-binders grew. In 2008, all activities were grouped together on a single site in the Loix industrial zone. This unity of location gives the bookshop a new dimension, and it continues to expand, with a new room dedicated to comics in 2019, and an exhibition space for posters and iconographic documents, as well as a literary café, in 2021. To share this passion every day of the year, her son Olivier, soon joined by Juliette Merlaud and Pierre-Antoine Galmiche, has enabled the bookshop to continue its development, with a breath of youth, dynamism and creativity.

Don’t hesitate to push open the door; the bookshop team is there to welcome you and help you make your choices!

The bookshop

The 400 m² bookshop offers a surprisingly wide range of books and documents. A must-see for families and friends alike, it boasts an exceptional collection of over 100,000 antiquarian and second-hand books, from the 16th century to the present day. You can buy the rarest 18th-century first edition, or pick up a detective novel for €4. History, marine, travel, literature, children’s literature, science, nature, esotericism, cooking, fine arts, eroticism, sport… The books are carefully classified by theme and by room, including one specially dedicated to the Ile de Ré and regionalism.

For young and old, enthusiasts and collectors alike, the bookshop also boasts a vast selection of 30,000 comic books and children’s books, including first editions, complete series, graphic novels, mangas… An abundance of books for everyone!

Poster area

This area of the bookshop displays a wide range of vintage and modern posters on a variety of themes, as well as maps, nautical charts, engravings and paintings… with a document restoration and packaging service provided by the Atelier.
Among the must-sees are a magnificent collection of original advertising posters from the 19th century, cinema from the 50s to the present day, nautical charts drawn by artist Marine Le Breton, natural history engravings by Buffon and many other themes, to be discovered on site!

Atelier Quillet Big Posters Ile De Re Atelier Quillet

The literary café

To complete the discovery experience, the café littéraire welcomes visitors in a warm atmosphere, with a coffee from a Loidais roaster, a hot chocolate for those with a sweet tooth, an artisanal fruit juice or local beers, accompanied by homemade cakes and shortbread.

Open both during the day and in the evening, during cultural events, the café littéraire is an original and atypical place to take the time to discover the bookshop, take a gourmet break after a stroll in the marshes, or simply share a good time with friends.

Events

For several years now, the Librairie Quillet has been developing its business by focusing on cultural events throughout the year: conferences, book signings, author promotions, musical and theatrical readings, concerts, exhibitions… A meeting place that lives year-round and offers new experiences.

Three sales exhibitions a year also punctuate the bookshop’s poster room… Highlighting the work of cartographers, regional painters, poster illustrators and comic strip artists. A diversity of projects, linked to heritage and manual skills, for an exceptional place!

Our workshop

A national benchmark in the conservation, restoration and binding of antique documents, Atelier Quillet stands out for its traditional know-how, practiced daily by forty professionals divided into different trades: restoration of books and iconographic documents, binding, gilding… With patience and meticulous attention to detail, expert hands bring books, old maps, engravings and documents from heritage collections, museums, libraries and archives back to life.

For private customers, the Atelier provides estimates from Monday to Friday.

Workshop tours: discover professional know-how!

Twice a week, the workshops open their doors to the general public. In groups of no more than 15 people, guided tours enable visitors to follow the documents through all the stages of restoration and conservation, and discover the work of the professionals and their various skills.

These tours enable visitors to take a complete tour of the Atelier, and see, for example, how a 13th-century parchment or an 18th-century binding is restored.

Visits Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:15 a.m.
On reservation
Duration: 50 minutes Price: €5 per person