la Maison des crêpes – a little taste of Brittany in Brussels

For those searching, there is a little taste of Brittany in the heart of Brussels at la Maison de crêpes. Everyone loves crêpes (French pancakes as Americans call them..not quite, but ok.), but personally I’m more of a galette kinda guy. Afterall, this is what I grew up with during my summer holidays on my grandmother’s farm in the Morbihan department in the southern part of Brittany.

Galettes, or crêpes de Sarrasin,  are made of buckwheat flower as opposed to white flower, giving them a much more earthy flavor in contrast to white flower, which is blander and thus actually perfect served with fruit, chocolate, ice cream or even certain types of alcohol.

La Maison des crêpes, a 100+ year old family-run establishment, but which has changed hands since its inception, is a bit of a hole in the wall but has its charm. When you walk in you immediately feel its coziness. The floral tile floor slants down toward the back of the restaurant, there are only about 15 or so wooden tables, of which most are four tops, and since the place is so tiny, there is hardly any space between each table. This, however, gives it a buzz when there are but a few customers. The dining room is divided into two small areas. The front section is pleasant for the single diner because of the huge glass windows on the side and at the front, which allow for intense people watching, while the back room is more closed off, giving it a more intimate feel and better suited for conversation. Light jazz plays in the background while servers whisk back and forth between the tables and the bar at the entrance to pick up hot crêpes and galettes. The kitchen is in the basement, and a food elevator next to the bar shoots dishes up to the servers. The elevator system is very European, and which will you will hardly ever see in the States, because as space is limited in many European cities, kitchens are often relegated to the cold, gloomy underground.

There are a wide array of crêpes and galettes from which to choose. Galette selections include traditional ham and swiss cheese for 7.20 euros or with English Stilton blue cheese, goat cheese to odder combinations like chicken with pesto for 10.20 euros, while you can get a simple sugar crêpe for 3 euros, chocolate and banana for 5.20, crêpe suzette, which topped with Grand Mariner, orange and lemon, for 5.40 as well as carmalized apples flambé with a touch of Calvados, which is a cider brandy that is principally from Brittany and Normandy, for 6.90.  They also have a number of salads for 8-10 euros, such as Salade Niçosie, Salade Caprese, or Salade Parisienne, and Croque Monsieur for 5.50.

I went with the classic ham and swiss cheese, a personal, long-time favorite, while for dessert I was feeling adventurous and chose the caramelized apples flambé with Calvados.

The ham and swiss cheese galette was respectable. The earthy buckwheat flavor was as one would expect it to be – full, dense and deep. The cooking temperature of the galette could have been done a bit more, but that is matter of personal taste. Nearly systematically crêperies serve crêpes and galettes a bit on the doughy side, which is somewhat of a pity. Cooking the batter a bit further gives more depth of flavor. Ask yourself just for the sake of argument: what has more flavor in a good bagette? The soft center or the crunchy crust? I rest my case. Otherwise the size of the galette was generous and the cheese and ham filling was copious. I would have liked them to use more butter on the galettoire (round plaques upon which galettes are cooked) when cooking the galette. I like my food to be rich. Overall, the ham and swiss galette combo passed the test: Tasty and plentiful. It also came with a small side of salad, which did nothing for the dish. A) it was iceberg lettuce, which tastes similar to air B) it was served with a sort of mayonnaise tasting dressing, which to me are all factory bought and are only fit for a stray dog C) was sitting slightly under my galette, making the salad warm (the opposite of what salad should be) and contaminating the taste of the galette with mayo-factory goo.

In terms of the caramelized apples flambé with calvados crêpe, I have to be honest and say I was somewhat disappointed despite the dish’s aesthetic appeal – or maybe this is just my gourmand flaw fooling me once again.. The batter was on the bland side; It could have used a tad more sugar and egg. Also the apples were covered in a caramel sauce, which when it began to cool, became similar to hardened sugar, making it very hard to eat. Should I go back, I would probably get a uncomplicated sugar or chocolate and banana crêpe. Both toppings would make up for the lack of flavor in the batter and are always winners in general.

To wash it all down I ordered a glass of brut (dry) cider rather than doux (soft).  I prefer brut because it has a more robust, bitter flavor than its softer, sweeter sister, therefore creating a more harmonious marriage of flavors. The cider was pleasant, unlike Strongbow for instance. It was a standard dry cider: it had a bold bite and plenty of apple flavor, with a long finish.

Overall, the service was quick and friendly, and the bill came to 16.80 euros. For two hearty dishes and a drink, I would say the restaurant is decent in terms cost relative to value.

If you are in the center of Brussels and have a hankering for some galettes or crêpes, then I can recommend la Maison des crêpes. They certainly won’t be the best you have ever had, but they’ll definitely give you the fleeting feeling you are in Brittany, especially when the cider and the buckwheat flower flavors infuse in your mouth. Love it.

la Maison des crêpes, Rue du Midi 13, 1000 Bruxelles