Photo: foodwtf/TikTok

This Is What Michelin-Starred Crêpes Look Like in France

Paris Restaurants + Bars
by Matador Creators Mar 6, 2023

On the banks of the Seine in the fifth arrondissement of Paris there’s a restaurant called La Tour d’Argent that opened in 1582 and is said to be the oldest restaurant in the French capital. For centuries, La Tour d’Argent has served classic French cuisine — like its signature dish, le canard à la presse, or pressed duck — for which it has retained at least one Michelin star every year since 1933.

When it comes to restaurants in Paris, the ones with Michelin stars probably aren’t where you’d expect to get a crêpe, but what is classic French cuisine without its favorite street food. La Tour d’Argent knows and respects that, and accordingly serves its very own deluxe crêpe dish called crêpes mademoiselles.

@foodwtf #Crêpes Mademoiselle from📍La Tour d’Argent in #Paris #France 🎥 IG: @tasos_mitselis #foodtiktok #michelinstar #foodie ♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono – moshimo sound design

La Tour d’Argent’s Crêpes Mademoiselles are filled with a mixture of whipped cream and orange marmalade, then topped with a warm orange sauce and flambéed in fine Champagne cognac — a mixture of Grand Marnier, Cointreau, and Mandarine Impériale. It’s similar to a Crêpe Suzette, which is a crêpe dessert that’s cooked in butter, flambéed with orange liqueur and orange zest to create a caramelized glaze, folded into quarters, and often accompanied by vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Crêpe Suzettes are said to have been created in the late 19th century by a chef who was preparing a dessert for the Prince of Wales (who later became King Edward VII) in Monte Carlo. According to legend, Chef Charpentier accidentally set the dish on fire while trying to prepare it tableside for the prince, but he managed to turn it into a showstopper by presenting it as an intentional flambéed dessert. Crêpes Mademoiselles, on the other hand, first appeared on La Tour d’Argent’s menu in the early 20th century under the name Crêpes Belle Epoque (La Belle Époque referring to an era of pre-WWI French history). In 2016, the name was changed to Crêpes Mademoiselles in honor of the restaurant’s female patrons.

La Tour d’Argent’s Crêpes Mademoiselles certainly aren’t as quick or cheap as the ones you can get right on the street in Paris, but it you love all things decadent and dramatic, you’ll love how these deluxe crêpes are served tableside.

Where: 19 Quai de la Tournelle, 75005 Paris, France

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