Paris Crepes: The best crepe stands and creperies
Whether it’s with a fork and knife or on the go, eating a crepe just feels so Parisian – even though they are supposed to have originated in Brittany. Finding them is not particularly difficult, especially if you are around the Montparnasse neighborhood.
Around the rest of Paris, however, it’s good to have a few suggestions for when the urge hits. Prices vary widely but expect to pay €3-7 for a takeaway crepe. Restaurants are a bit pricier, at €8-15 for a savory crepe, though look out for set menus that score you a savory and a sweet for decent prices.
The best Paris crepes to try during your trip
Market Crepes: Top Pick
Head to the Marche des Enfants Rouge for the city’s most over-stuffed crepes at Chez Alain Miam Miam. Alain takes his time making each item fresh, grating the cheese onto a freshly prepared buckwheat crepe and loading it with salad, meat, and fresh herbs. The line can wrap around the market, with waits exceeding thirty minutes, but no one walks away disappointed having spent only €7. If he likes you, he may throw in a few sweet crepes for dessert. Take the portable meal to the nearby Square du Temple and embarrass yourself as you try to get it into your mouth.
Latin Quarter Crepes
If you’re meandering through the Latin Quarter by the Pantheon or you just had a pint in one of the student-friendly bars on rue Mouffetard, head to Au Petit Grec (66, rue Mouffetard, 75005). They heap ingredients onto a wide variety of crepes, including seasonal ones like the Savoyard, which offers a thick mountain of cheese and potatoes. Prices hover around €5-6 for the savories. I’ve never had room for a sweet crepe afterward, but they look just as good.
Marais Crepes
On rue des Rosiers in the Marais neighborhood, right down the street from famed L’As du Falafel, there is a blue façade that serves up traditional crepes called La Droguerie — perfect for something that’s not falafel while strolling rue des Rosiers (56 rue des Rosiesr).
Around the corner, you’ll quickly find Princess Crepes (3, rue des Ecouffes, 75004). Keep your eyes peeled for a storefront that resembles a geisha’s dollhouse topped with whipped cream. This tiny store puts a kitschy, nontraditional, Japanese spin on the crepe — and you won’t break the bank while indulging with each creation somewhere around €5. The ice cream is a welcomed touch.
Restaurant Crepes
For a sit-down crepe experience, everyone always buzzes about Breizh Café (109 rue Vieille du Temple) in the Marais. Don’t get me wrong, they’re excellent, but between needing a reservation and fighting all of the “foodie” tourists that go there, it can get kind of frustrating. And at €12-16, it’s not the cheapest.
You have other choices when it comes to crepe restaurants that don’t require reservations. For example, on Ile Saint Louis the tiny Café Med (77 rue Saint Louis en l’Ile) serves up no-frills crepes that hit the spot. Sure it might not feature high-end ingredients, but a good old ham, cheese, and egg crepe doesn’t need anything fancy.
Several other restaurants serve up crepes with a fork and knife for around €10 or less. On the Right Bank, West Country Girl (6 Passage Saint Abroise) is a favorite for those like baker/writer David Lebovitz. On the Left Bank, La Crepe Rit du Clown (6 rue des Canettes) is an easy go-to when you need a crepe fix. Little Breizh (11 rue Grégoire de Tours) is another solid address with some more gourmet options, right in the heart of Saint Germain, and it’s been on food writer Patricia Wells’ radar.
Sitting down to a buckwheat crepe with a cup of cider for lunch. Photo: Neil Conway
Tips for eating crepes
Remember crepes are savory or sweet. Savory varieties are best served on a buckwheat crepe and filled with ham, cheese, or egg, but each creperie has its own set of concoctions. Some get crazy with fish, potatoes, various cheeses, and Bolognese sauce (students love it). The buckwheat, however, means they are generally gluten-free but don’t depend on it.
Sweet crepes are made of flour and can contain fruit, Grand Marnier, honey, or Nutella among other items. You can even just eat a sweet crepe on its own, or nature, as the French say. Your best bet is just to try several of them and judge for yourself.
Hungry yet? What are your favorite spots in Paris for crepes? Tell us in the comments!
Note: This post was updated in April 2016 with new listings and current information.
About the author
Unfortunately, West Country Girl closed in 2017. 😢
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Caramel Sarrasin on rue du Faubourg Montmartre in the ninth was easily my favorite, after trying West Country Girl and Crêperie Josselin. It’s worth searching out in a less-touristy part of the city.
Thank you for the excellent article Bryan! It made my mouth water.
Don’t forget to mention the lemon crepe. My daughter and I were smitten by them as we haven’t seen them in the US, at least where we live. They taste sooo good. Kind of sweet & tart at the same time.
The Farmers markets in Paris always had stands of people making crepes. Usually only the sweet ones, but a nutella crepe cheered my kids up every time! We recommend the market near the Bastille on Richard Lenoir Blvd.
Crêperie Brocéliande, at 15, rue des Trois Frères, near Abbesses Metro, is our go-to. In Montmartre.
Excellent, lightly-formed crepes, wide variety of fillings (a few of them silly, I’ll admit) but all from good ingredients.
The crepe stand across the boulevard from Le Tour Eiffel is my go-to place for a soul-satisfying crepe fix. 😊
The prices are great and that long line of people moves quickly out of the way. Savory or sweet, they’re all delicious. I once got a sweet crepe filled simply with whipped cream and it was…memorable.
You’ve made my mouth water! I’ve only been to Paris once, and it was only for a day, and even though the city was incredible, the crepes were one of my favorite parts.
We walked around all day and saw the big sites, but we had a crepe by the Eifel Tower that was so incredible; nutella and banana is my favorite.
Can’t wait to go back :).
Thanks for the great selection of crêperies! I just add one more, even though it hardly qualifies as cheap.
Crêpe de la Joie – Végétarien & Bio – 4 rue du Fer à Moulin – 75005 Paris.
All crêpes are gluten-free, vegetarian AND organic and the menu has numerous vegan options
Thanks for mentioning gluten-free, even though it doesn’t sound like Paris promises much along those lines. My daughter and I both have to eat gluten-free while we stay in Paris this summer. We heard about Chambelland, which a gluten-free boulangerie located on Rue Ternaux. We’re hoping they offer crepes!
Yes, Paris can be a bit tough for gluten-free — and vegetarians, and really anyone on a special diet. Good luck, Mechelle, and report back!
Hi Mechelle,
There are a few gluten-free restaurants in Paris, even though they are less common than in the US.
In the same neighborhood as Chambelland, you also have Thank you my Deer, a gluten-free coffee shop at 112 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris.
Don’t hesitate to ask the unusually friendly staff if they know other gluten-free places in Paris. It’s a small world so they probably will be able to help you out.
Enjoy your stay this summer,
Arthur
Pretty sure sweet crepes are NOT made of “flower” but of “flour”…I guess you could have a nasturtium or violet crepe, but I don’t think that would taste good with Nutella or chantilly!
Ha! Thanks for pointing out this “fragrant” typo, Lisa! We’ve just changed it.
Well, based on these two recommendations we went all the way to this Petit Journal Crepestand at Luxembourg today. How disappointing to see that the cols crepes were just laying there on a pile, waiting to be reheated. Nothing freshly made, there isn’t even a possibility to make them as there are no hotplates. If I wanted reheated crepes I would buy them in the supermarket.
I agree with the above comment. The best crepes in Paris (and also among the cheapest) are to be found at the unnamed crepe stand in front of Le Petit Journal St. Michel at 71 Boulevard St.-Michel across the street from the Luxembourg Garden. I have eaten at several of the “best” creperies in Paris and this one takes first place!
You missed one in the Latin Quarter. There is a crepe stand attached to Le Petit Journal across from Luxembourg Garden. And it is the best. I’ve been going to his stand every time in Paris for the past 13 years and haven’t found anyone that trumps his crepes! https://www.google.com/maps/preview/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x47e671dcd3de4061:0xd37ddbdbbf841e6a!2m5!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i100&q=le+petit+journal+jazz+saint+michel