CHECK OTHER REVIEWS FOR THIS PLACE:
In 2009, I came to Paris to continue my education, where I spent more than two weeks in the area of St. Michel, Quartier des Arts and Odeon, highly saturated with students. I discovered it all, its restaurants, cafes and especially their crepe eateries - I love crepes by the way...
Crêpe, in Paris, can be enjoyed in a fine restaurant with a complete set of cutlery or rolled up in a napkin paper and devoured from the local Crêpe kiosk down the road. Door-to-door to McDonald's is a little 1sqm kiosk that sells just crepes, hotdogs and paninis. After touring almost all crepe kiosks in a kilometer radius, Crêperie Genia in Metro Cluny-La Sorbone, is my favorite. Going to it is always on top of my to-do list, every time I visit the French capital and that is more than four times a year.
A small kiosk, with only one man inside working as fast as a Ferrari engine, caters to the hungry clientele. Expect to wait around 15 minutes for your crepe at Crêperie Genia, only because there is always a crowd waiting to get their hands on the yummiest crepe in Paris.
What I love about this place is simple:
- Crêperie Genia's crepes are baked fresh upon each customers’ request.
- The ingredients used are fresh and renewed by the hour.
- The price is reasonable.
- The contents are so generous; a crepe is filled more than how you would fill it at home.
- A professional crepe-man working.
- The taste: Just awesome.
The wide yet simple menu of different combinations:
- Salty crepes: Cheese, ham, eggs, sausages (in any combination you like)
- Sweet crepes: Jam, coconut, lemon, sugar, apples, cinnamon, maroons
- Chocolate crepes: dark chocolate, Nutella, bananas, coconut, Grand Marnier, Rhum
- Hotdogs
- Paninis: Cheese, mozzarella, tomatoes, chicken, Bolognese
I always order at least two crepes every time I pass by; one savory and the other sweet. My recommendation would be:
- Savory: Eggs, ham, cheese 4,20€
- Sweet: Nutella, banana, coconut, Grand Marnier 4,80€
Ordering my favorite crepe, the chef starts his preparation with love. Taking just the right quantity of mixture, he pours it on the round grill creating a perfect round and thin dough like the Lebanese markouk bread. Few moments afterwards, he moves it to the side grill, turns it in half and starts covering it with ingredients; breaking an egg on it then mixing it, he lets a bit out to crunch around the crepe.
A huge quantity of ground Emmentale cheese, four slices of ham followed by salt and pepper seasoning is placed on the crepe. He closes it in a cone shape, puts it in a paper bag than wraps it with kitchen napkin and voila. A simple and tasty piece of heaven.
Just take a minute and imagine that during each and every second of preparation, you are standing in front of a cocktail of colors and aromas that activate all your five senses. You should have seen my eyes opening wide, my mouth drooling and my nostrils fluttering like butterflies – body language of someone who dying to grab a bite of this wonderful creation.
