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OliverB Jan 24, 2011 11:40 AM

Any good crêperies left in the city?

Is Chez Suzette on St-Paul still any good? What's considered the best in central MTL these days?

I'll usually drive 40mins to Val Morin and back for an early evening dinner but I would like to know if there's any really good creperies local... Every time I've taken a chance on a random place it's turned out entirely disappointing and I wonder if people have moved on and it's only seen as a touristy Quebec thing now? J&C's meal crêpes are not good imo, nor any of their non dessert plates. I also don't like the atmosphere at all. I went back to that restaurant on St-Denis just above Sherbooke for the first time in 10 years and it was absolutely disgusting! I can't remember if it always was, but the restaurant smelled like dirty feet and I had the worst onion soup ever, I couldn't even eat anything ordered.

What's the best place on the island for traditional garlic salad, onion soup au gratin and crêpes sucrées these days? Preferably small, intimate and warm ambiance suited for a date, wintery night, etc.

  1. v
    VinnyRW Jan 26, 2011 07:57 PM

    Are you referring to Le Triskell on St Denis? The place needs a renovation for sure (kind of a hole in the wall, though I've seen worse), but I thought the food was acceptable for their price range... I guess that's not a compliment either.

    4 Replies
    1. re: VinnyRW
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      OliverB Jan 27, 2011 05:37 AM

      Yes, last time I was at Le Triskell it was totally gross.

      The food smelled bad and tasted worse. I can't think of any other time when I just didn't eat anything I ordered. I went with my parents a few times when I was much younger (well over a decade) and thought I'd give it another shot. I remember their salads and soups used to be very good, but who knows... everything I ordered was revolting.

      J&C is alright for dessert crepes I guess, probably the best option from what I gather in this thread, but I wouldn't order a "meal crepe" there. I'll try Ty-Breiz out this weekend. I don't know why but I've really been in the mood for a good crepe and onion soup lately. Ty-B doesn't seem like the type of place that'd attract tourists because of it's location, but I do sense that it's a relic of another generation that attracts a certain demographic well past it's prime. I'm willing to give it a shot though, it can't be worse than Le Triskell!

      1. re: OliverB
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        chickenbruiser Jan 27, 2011 05:44 AM

        you're right Ty-Breiz not being touristy... I should have said 450

        1. re: chickenbruiser
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          sweettoothMTL Jan 27, 2011 10:31 AM

          Personally, I don't get the feeling it's 450, I would say mostly Montrealers (but definitely some are coming from Outremont and etc). Just an older crowd who has been coming for the last 20 years.

          My impression is the same as yours Olivier.

      2. re: VinnyRW
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        AprilTwoCats Jan 31, 2011 01:26 PM

        We went to Le Triskell in October, mainly because it was a place we visited back in the 80s. Sentimental about crepes. It was empty on a midweek lunch time. The pile of garlic green salad tasted the same and I loved it. The buckwheat crepes were tasty--I had a ham and bechamel. The portion was large and the edges nice and crisp. We didn't have a sweet crepe, the savory was quite filling.
        I don't know if I enjoyed it because I'm no expert on crepes or because it brought back happy memories with hard sparkling cider.

      3. p
        phoenikia Jan 26, 2011 10:22 AM

        The crêpes at Chez Suzette were ok when I lunched there 2 years ago, but not worth a detour. The salad that came as part of the prix fixe was marginal, with a commercially made dressing. If I was to dine at Chez Suzette again, I'd just order the crêpes a la carte.

        Juliette & Chocolat offers several galettes in addition to their crêpes, but I haven't had a chance to visit. http://www.julietteetchocolat.com/mmm...

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          OliverB Jan 26, 2011 10:11 AM

          Also I think Crêperie Bretonne Ty-Breiz on Rachel used to be decent... has anyone been recently?

          2 Replies
          1. re: OliverB
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            chickenbruiser Jan 26, 2011 10:20 AM

            Only go to Ty-Breiz for onion soup with a bottle of wine when I get the hankering... it's okay I guess... the bottle of wine helps. It's kinda like being a tourist in your own city or also like going to a nasty diner because it happens to be there. Good for people watching since it's often full of family parties... there was a clown last time, need I say more :)

            1. re: OliverB
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              sweettoothMTL Jan 27, 2011 05:23 AM

              I like Ty-Breiz, just not for the crepes (well, maybe for dessert). Not great food, but good. They have a good house wine.

              And as chickenbruiser said, family place, but I'll add it's an older crowd kinda place (don't want to offend anyone, it's not negative, I go). But yes, it is always packed Olivier.

              I'd go to Ty-Breiz anyday before going to Chez Suzette, but I'm not a crepes for meal kinda guy (well, at home yes I am, but not when eating out for dinner)

            2. o
              OliverB Jan 26, 2011 10:08 AM

              Jardin Nelson seems to be popular on Yelp... I always felt it a big Old MTL touristy destination but wonder if anyone's had crepes there? They do nice breakfasts (fresh fruits and waffles) from what I remember, so it's possible.

              1 Reply
              1. re: OliverB
                cherylmtl Jan 26, 2011 08:41 PM

                I haven't had their crepes, but judging from their French onion soup, which I did have, it would be a place to pass up...

              2. c
                C70 Jan 26, 2011 09:35 AM

                I also get this craving once in a while, and my last experience was at at chez suzette, which was just okay.

                Googling led me to some half-decent reviews of Crepe Cafe- Haven't been but might give it a shot.

                http://www.yelp.ca/biz/crepe-cafe-mon...

                1 Reply
                1. re: C70
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                  OliverB Jan 26, 2011 09:49 AM

                  Yikes, those yelp photos don't look promising! The limp frozen fries, salad greens... and is that parsely sprinkled all over that crepe? I guess I'll continue to make the haul north when I get the craving. There's really nothing more satisfying on a cold, glowing wintery night than the sweet aroma of warm crêpes overstuffed with market fresh fare and oozing with bechamel or topped with fruit, berries and cream, and a bowl of piping hot french onion soup with a thick gooey layer of blistered gruyere. It's too bad there isn't a really great spot in town anymore.

                2. w
                  westaust Jan 26, 2011 09:24 AM

                  Not a creperie by any means, but i did tasted some really good onion soup with migneron de charlevoix, and crepes suzette (assembled and flambée in the dining room) at Beaver Hall.

                  -----
                  Beaver Hall
                  1073, Cote du Beaver Hall, Montreal, QC H2Z 1S5, CA

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                    OliverB Jan 26, 2011 08:12 AM

                    I guess not?

                    1 Reply
                    1. re: OliverB
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                      wattacetti Jan 26, 2011 08:26 AM

                      The last time I saw a crepe restaurant was when Le Creperie made its final stand on the top floor of Place Montreal Trust, and the last time I went to a restaurant for crêpes was for Crêpes Suzette at the Ritz-Carlton (maybe 14-15 years ago?).

                      I think it's been relegated to the tourist industry but then again, I haven't been looking.

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