Paris: Crepes stands in the Marais?
 

a silly question, i know, but one needs one's crepes.

we've stayed in the Marais area before, and i don't recall seeing too many crepe stands, though i know of a few cafes which serve crepes. we stayed in the 6th recently, and it seemed like there were stands all over. did i just miss them in the 3rd/4th?

thanks!

I'm afraid I can't help with crepe stands... but just wanted to mention that the best takeaway food in the Marais isn't crepes but falafel (if you didn't know that already) - the best is from l'As du Falafel on rue des Rosiers or the takeaway window at Chez Marianne on rue des Hospitaliers St Gervais. Not typically French, perhaps, but very typical of the area! :)

thanks - we do love falafal and will try those you mentioned.

crepes are good for a late night snack!

A strong second for L'As du Fallafel. This is one of the best bargains in Paris.

Crêpe stands are common only in certain areas of the city, and the Marais is not one of those areas. You can find them in the Latin Quarter, in Montmartre, around Montparnasse, etc., but not in the Marais or on the Champs-Élysées.

You may want to explore the open air market, Marche' de la Bastille, just across the street from place de la Bastille (Sun. and Thurs. until 12:30). We visited a few weeks ago and enjoyed the stall with "crepes and cidre". In fact, there were glorious foods from all over,as well as clothing, housewares, flowers. Check it out...

My friend got one just outside Pompidou. Not in the Marais but quite close. It was by the square with the water fountain. Sorry I haven't looked up the names and don't remember on my own.

I lived in the 3rd and I always bought mine from many of the vendors around the Pompidou.

oh good, i'm glad to know they'll be within reach. i just found a scarf which still had dried nutella on it!

thanks, all.

There are a couple places on rue Saint-Antoine that are not crepe stands per se, rather more of a deli that fronts on the street that also sells crepes. The one we like best is on the south side of the street around where rue de Turenne intersects.

On my first trip to Paris, several years ago, I learned that not all crepes are created equal. I was traveling with family and we had checked into our hotel and were hungry, so wandered around the neighborhood and saw a creperie. We did our bon jours and all that to the gentleman behind the counter and he didn't even give us a nod. We ordered our crepes and he indicated he would bring them too us. We took a table outside and when they were ready, he brought them out and almost threw them at us. They were the driest, gaggiest things I have ever tried to choke down!!!!! LOL So, here I was, my whole life wanted to go to Paris, mouth watering for crepes,and we had what tasted like rolled up newspaper!!!! And the topper was, my first encounter with a french person, other than the hotel people..well, anyway, this guy was the perfect stereo type of everything nasty you have read about the French. Oh my lord, my SIL and I thought it was just too too funny. We finished what we could of our crepes, got up from the table, looked at each other and said "welcome to Paris".!!!!! I'm heading back there in Nov. for my third visit...NOT to the creperie...LOL, but to Paris.

crefloors: i hope you've had a wonderful crepe since!

seamus: we are staying on the rue de turenne, so i will look for those storefronts. thank you!

Go to an area where there are many competing crêpe restaurants; that way you're less likely to get a bad one.

My favorite crepe stand is in Saint Germain des Pres, right in front of the Eglise Saint Germain.

Sandy

Sandypaws,

That is my favorite crepe stand, too. The crepes are always delicious.

My fave is Ulysees on the rue Cler. Yummy on a cold day!

melissa19, dried nutella on your scarf?!

[-X

i know, i'm a messy crepe eater!

The rue Cler? Hardly the first place that springs to mind when one thinks of crêpes. Just out of curiosity, how many other crêpe places have you tried, and where were they?

I agree with Sandy and ParisEscapes - the guy by St. Germain des Pres. They are never pre-made; poured and cooked right in front of you.

Anthony, does it matter if my preference doesn't match your palate? You're certainly welcome to share your faves. But since you asked....I've tried them at various spots in the city and you can tell by my waistline. Latin Quarter near Mirama restaurant; at a crepe stand near the Notre Dame courtesy of Michel Cornet, crepe maker; Crepes des Artes; at the flea market; indoors &amp; outdoors in the Marais. I'm not saying I'm a crepe expert by any means, but I'm just <i>sharing</i> my favorite as a crepe eater.

I only mentioned it because people who visit the rue Cler are often people who have been told by a certain famous travel writer that it's the essence of Paris, when nothing could be much further from the truth. I don't even recall a cr&ecirc;pe place on that street (I don't think people in the 7th are too often willing to be seen eating mere cr&ecirc;pes), but I suppose there might well be one.

he's there. he's a gruff old guy who turns out good crepes. I didn't know it before I went there, but apparently a local newspaper had written an article on him.

I stayed in the area because I found a cheap hotel there with nice staff and easy Metro access.

&lt;&lt;The rue Cler? Hardly the first place that springs to mind when one thinks of cr&ecirc;pes. Just out of curiosity, how many other cr&ecirc;pe places have you tried, and where were they?&gt;&gt;

We've tried crepes all over Paris and, for us, the very best are on rue Cler.

Psychology has a lot to do with the enjoyment of crepes.

No doubt.

Indeed, I picture Rick Steves on a video leaning close to the camera. His eyes get all swirly and he wiggles his fingers in front of the camera as he intones, &quot;You &hellip; must visit &hellip; rue Cler.&quot; And his viewers are magically hypnotized. How else could such an ordinary street get such an extraordinary reputation?

speaking of crepes, what's the etiquette for eating them on a public bus? i'm assuming it's not done. i was caught once having just bought a drippy nutella crepe, it started to rain, and the bus came right away. rather embarrassing!

still waiting for airfares to go down so i can book for next march . . .

Eating and drinking are permitted on public transportation in Paris but probably only because people are not in the habit of doing it much. If the metros and buses started to get really sloppy, a ban would probably go into effect.

Now, I know what crepes look like (my mom makes them), so I know this question is going to sound silly...but - can anyone describe what these crepes look like, what type of filling is in it, do you eat them with your hand or...? Or maybe point me in the direction of a picture. I've read so much in terms of crepes that it does indeed make my mouth water! 18 days until I leave!

They are quite flat and can have all sorts of fillings -- jam, honey, sugar, butter, Nutella, chocolate, Grand Marnier, etc. They are rolled up in wax paper and eaten by holding the cone of cr&ecirc;pe and paper in your hand.

yep! that's why, if you have nutella which is essentially warm melted chocolate, it can get messy and drip down your scarf. not good for eating on a bus.

you can also order crepes in cafes, and they come flat on your plate. not bad, just different.

enjoy your trip!

Nutella is NOT warm melted chocolate. It is hazelnut paste (hence the NUT in the name), or more precisely 13% hazelnut and 6% cocoa, in addition to a disgusting amount of sugar and vegetable oil.

I usually like the simple butter-and-sugar crepes, but on cold days a cheesy crepe is sooo comforting.

I don't watch/read Rick Steves. My favorite Globe Trekker is Zay Harding.

ParisEscapes
They are wonderful and freshly made! I can just taste the banana/nutella cr&ecirc;pes right now :-) Mmmm... a whole banana sliced into it with melting nutella....

Sandy

trafaelwyr,
The ones at the Saint Germain des Pres creperie are folded in half and in half again, and you eat them with your hands, not fancy at all :-)

Sandy

&quot;My favorite crepe stand is in Saint Germain des Pres, right in front of the Eglise Saint Germain.&quot;

Sandy (or anyone else who loves this place) -- could you please tell me where this is located? We are visiting Paris for the first time, so I do not where most places are located yet. We are staying near Place St. Michel in the 6th, so it sounds like this crepe stand might be close.