Crêperie Ty Breiz

Ah, the crêpe. France’s version of the pancake; but, like everything else, it’s thinner and lighter than its American cousin. Made with eggs and flour, the crêpe comes from Brittany.

What is a crêpe?

The crêpe originates from Basse-Bretagne, or Lower Brittany. In the local Breton language, it’s called a krampouez. Sometimes crêpes are flavored with rum, cider or anise.

What is a galette?

The galette also comes from Brittany—from Haute-Bretagne, or Upper Brittany. It is made with buckwheat (sarrasin) and is thin, yet supple. It is not crispy. The galette is generally your main course and can contain vegetables, cheese, meat or eggs.

Where do you get the best galette or crêpe in Paris?

There are a lot of places you can go in Paris to get a crêpe. If you look in the yellow pages, you’ll find over 100 crêperies. And I doubt this list includes those little street vendors on corners. So where should you go for a real, authentic crêpe?

Around the Montparnasse tower lies a small community of Bretons. You can find small grocers dedicated to bringing this particular kind of “internal expat” their local food from way back home, stores that sell their tartans, and a Breton crêperie called Ty Breiz.

A windy, cold winter’s day is perfect for stepping into Ty Breiz’s small, packed and cozy restaurant. The kitchen is in the dining room, surrounded by white and blue tiles and homey dinner plates. The wooden beamed ceiling and country hurricane-style lamps add warmth and charm.

Service is fast and table turnover is quick. This particular point bothers French people, but delights me. You don’t have to wait to order and you don’t have to beg for your check. Still, there’s no attempt to get you out the door; they simply want you to get your food as fast as possible.

When you eat at Ty Breiz, you must, must order the cider. I don’t even like cider and I never drink it (only in Madrid, but I’ll save that story for later), but the Breton cider is very smooth and a perfect accompaniment to the crêpes. The cider is served in a Breton pitcher—a grayish-brown ceramic pitcher made in what is called grès.

After you order your crêpe, the chef will make it and then bring it over to you. The crêpe is incredibly thin, yet not brittle. The crêpe is huge, yet it is light and fluffy. It will fill you up, but it’s not greasy so it won’t weigh you down the rest of the afternoon. Ingredients are very fresh and the restaurant even makes its own ratatouille, which, even though a summer dish, is perfect for a cold day.

The galettes at Ty Breiz are not expensive. Most are around 7 euros. You’ll have enough money for the cider and a dessert crêpe, even on your hobo budget. We split a honey crêpe and it was a perfect way to end a very enjoyable lunch.

Ty Breiz is a nice, casual, homey restaurant that is not pretentious or snobby. Still, the setting is unique enough that it can easily serve several different types of lunch or dinner—Sunday lunch with grandma, a business lunch with a client or a Friday night dinner date. During the Christmas season, you can head over to the Tour Montparnasse to go ice skating after your meal.

Ty Breiz is located in the 15^th arrondissement at 52, boulevard de Vaugirard. To make reservations, call 01 43 20 83 72.