La Crepe
La Crepe transports you to the bustling boulevards of Paris with their French-style crepes.
Arriving in Toronto from Paris just seven months ago, you'll find owners Ludovic Sogan and Fatos Sogan busy in their small creperie, located on Richmond Street West in the Entertainment District.
Ludovic, a proud restaurant owner back in Paris, jumped at the opportunity to start something new when he laid eyes on the storefront directly across from Scotiabank Theatre.
With his wife, Fatos, on board, the two couldn’t think of anything more quintessentially Parisian than the classic crepe.
Offering both savoury and sweet options, there is a wide selection of crepes to choose from.
The savoury crepes are made with traditional buckwheat flour, which has a distinctively nutty taste and also happens to be gluten-free.
I admired the artistry of pouring and spreading the batter on the hot circular griddle. Thin and delicate, the edges of the crepe reminded me of lace or a doily.
Once topped with melted butter and the various accoutrements, the crepe is expertly folded into its classic triangle shape.
"French Emmental, ham, egg is a real French classic crepe. You can find this crepe all over France," Ludovic shared.
The Parisian ($14.90) was my favourite of the savoury options. Tasty and comforting, it shared many components with that of a Croque Madame - the hot melted cheese, layers of ham, and the fried sunny-side-up egg.
Another popular savoury option is the Honey Goat ($13.90). It comes filled with chunks of creamy goat cheese, fig jam, a drizzle of sweet honey, and fresh arugula.
The Salmon King ($16.90) is like a classic bagel and lox from your local deli, only on a crêpe.
It comes with slices of smoked salmon, a generous spread of chive cream cheese, arugula, red onion, and a little bit of freshly squeezed lemon.
For the sweet crepes, customers can mix and match their base and toppings. The classic sweet crepe is made with regular flour, milk, eggs, and sugar.
The most popular sweet crepe combination, by far, is Nutella and Strawberries ($9.50), and I can understand why. Sweet, rich, and indulgent, we also added some Shredded Coconut ($1.50) to ours.
Fatos' favourite is Pistachio Cream with Raffaello, a coconut-almond truffle ($11). Sweet and decadent, this is a must-try for pistachio lovers.
Other bases include traditional Sugar and Butter, Dulce de Leche, Strawberry Jam, and Biscoff Biscuit Spread. For toppings, there's everything from M&M's and Mini Marshmallows to Maple Syrup and sliced Banana.
If you can't decide if you're in a sweet or savoury mood, the Combo ($21.50) option on the menu allows you to try both for a discounted price. Customers can select any savoury style crepe alongside a sweet crepe (with a base) and beverage.
The small shop has some counter seating by the window for you to sit down and enjoy, or there’s an adorable wooden table and chairs outside.
Fatos is responsible for the store's charming design with the common theme of red and accents of gold throughout.
There’s also some neon signage against the exposed brick wall, with Fatos and Ludovic’s fun slogan, 'Excuse my English, I’m French.'
Many French natives have come to try the crepes for themselves and relayed that La Crepe was definitely up to par.
La Crepe is located at 300 Richmond St West.
Fareen Karim