Crêperies in Vienna - a taste of home

According to recent statistics, there are about 6500 French living in Vienna. Most of them are expats working for example at international organizations such as the United Nations or at cultural institutions such as the Institut Francais. Among the French, many send their children to schools like the Lycée Francais and buy French Food at "gourmet" stores, as for example the prestigious Meinl am Graben near Stephansplatz. So people from la France can live a pretty homelike life in Vienna, as they can find not only specialized schools, but also the necessary ingredients for the renowned French cuisine, which has been declared last year as UNESCO world cultural heritage.

But as much as the French like to put their children into elite schools and spend hours cooking delicatessen such as Coq au Vin, Cassoulet, Ratatouille or Crême brûlée, they love eating in restaurants, especially in crêperies. Crêpes are very thin pancakes made from wheat flour, often garnished with a variety of fillings and served with cidre, applewine from Normandy. The term crêpes comes from the Latin word crispa, which means curled. They originate from Brittany, a region in the northwest of France and are considered in France as a national sanctuary. The most famous type of crêpe is the crêpe Suzette, which is served with orange peel and a slightful of liqueur, but many chefs often also use cheese, eggs, ham and mushrooms as ingredients for their crêpes - the possibilities of garnishing are endless. But what is the connection between describing crêpes and Vienna, you as the (French) reader might ask. Well, simply that un Francais à Vienne doesn't have to travel to his homeland to eat his beloved speciality in restaurants, because he can get it in the Austrian capital - here is a selection of the finest crêperies of Vienna:

La Crêperie: La Creperie, which is located in Floridsdorf, the 21st district of Vienna, is an insider's tip especially for couples. The picturesque little restaurant is situated at the borders of the Old Danube and offers a romantic view on one of Vienna's jewels. Not only can one eat on the large terrace facing the river, but the restaurant also offers the possibility at night to put the meal in a picknick basket, pick up a boat and then paddle on the Danube - a great opportunity for (new) couples to strengthen their love in a romantic atmosphere and enjoy their crêpes. Furthermore, there is a "gourmet-raft" offering for large groups for the price of 60€ including French specialities such as the Quiche Lorraine, yet without crêpes - what a bummer!
Speaking of crêpes - La Creperie has a great variety of crêpes in their assortment, for example a classic, salty Crêpe Bretagne (including mushrooms, ham, cheese, ratatoille and apple) or a tasty Crêpe aux fruits de mer with a exquisite selection of seafood. The dessert crêpes are also delicious, especially la royale, which is made up of slices of banana in chocolate sauce with liqueur, cream and roasted almonds.
La Creperie is the ideal place to celebrate le savoir-vivre of the French and eat one of the best crêpes in Vienna - the only downside is that the prices are quite high. Yet the (food) delight one experiences at this restaurant compensates for the financial sacrifice - bon appetit!

Tiflis/Ma Crêperie: This Georgian-French restaurant is located in the Grünangergasse in the heart of Vienna. Formerly it was only being owned by French people, but then Georgians took over, introduced their own food and kept the French one. The switch in proprietors hasn't harmed the restaurant at all, because it remains one of the top-crêperies in the Austrian capital. The salty crêpes have the same quality as in la Crêperie, such as for example the vegetarian crêpe with leaf spinach and feta cheese or the savoury, juicy crêpe pigalle with beef, mushrooms and leaf spinach. An insider's tip concerning the sweet crêpes is the exotic Martinique with ingredients such as Hawaii-pineapple, strawberries, slices of banana, cream, lemon sorbet and roasted almonds flambé in orange liqueur - exquisite!
Same as with la Crêperie, the meal prices in Tiflis/Ma Crêperie are quite high, yet the quality of the food compensates for this downside and offers a priceless experience of good French cuisine to the customer.

Crêperie - Das Original: It is the oldest crêperie in Vienna (since 1982) and is situated in the Schlösselgasse, in the 8th district Josefstadt. Like the other crêperies mentioned above, the quality of the crêpes are indisputable, although they don't taste as sophisticated as the ones of La Crêperie and Tiflis/Ma Crêperie. This may be due to the fact that Crêperie - Das Original is cheaper than the competitors - which is not a downside at all. For people with small budget who can't offer themselves the aforementioned crêperies, Crêperie - Das Original is the place to be.

A culinary guide by schwarzweiss

last time modified: July 15, 2011, 4:35 p.m.