Bigger isn't always better—sometimes instead of a hulking tome, it's a smaller text tucked in a stack or perched on an end-table that transports you away from somebody's living room. That's why the latest selection for our series on gorgeous coffee table books (Just Booked) is the petite but charming A Table in Paris: The Cafés, Bistros, and Brasseries of the World's Most Romantic City by John Donohue.

Over the course of two visits in 2019, Donohue (a former New Yorker editor whose sketches can be found here) sketched the restaurants of Paris—famous mainstays like Le Grand Véfour, impossible-to-get-a-seat spots like Abri, and relative unknowns like Quinson. Peppered throughout are little stories from travelers, chefs, and cultural luminaries on their favorite spots.

Abrams

Given that Paris has been off-limits for Americans for more than a year, the real joys of the book are his drawing, which bring these places back to life. We just hope they're all still there when we get back!