It's Crêpe Day in France on 2 February and Perth is well placed to join in the celebrations!
Exactly 40 days after Christmas, an appealing French festival takes place every year that needs to become just as much of a tradition in Perth! Crêpes are the focal point of La Chandeleur on 2 February - a day that has both Pagan and Roman Catholic origins. We can join in this tasty French tradition by enjoying crêpes in Perth as a way of celebrating light, life and the sharing of abundance.
Find Perth places to eat the delicious wafer thin French pancakes known as crêpes with heaps of savoury & sweet fillings. Impress your mates by learning the history of Crepe Day - aka La Chandeleur.
How the Feast Began
In pre-Christian times, there were mid winter celebrations of the renewing fertility of the Earth and the forthcoming spring. These ideas now play into the more recent tradition of eating circular crêpes on 2 February, which many liken to the sun or circle of life.
During Roman times, around the 5th century, the pope added a tradition to this time, which involved blessing candles and distributing them to churches. This is how the name Chandeleur came about, which is rooted in the French word for candle, 'chandelle', and is known as Candlemas in English.
How does this all relate to eating crêpes in Perth? Well, the pope also distributed galettes (savoury crêpes) to the poor who came to Rome for the festival, creating the link between the mid winter celebration of light and today's French crêpe feast! Eating crêpes with various delicious fillings is supposed to remind us about giving food to the poor in the depth of winter.
In addition, the French came to believe that making and sharing crêpes from wheat stores would ensure prosperity and a successful harvest in the coming year. They made certain of this by adding yet another tradition to the day, which some still observe. While (successfully) tossing a crêpe with one hand, hold a coin in the other, and you will invite wealth into your house. An alternative way to bring prosperity is to place a single coin on top of your fresh crêpes, let it cool down before rolling it in paper, and then hide it in a drawer or cupboard for a full year.
Chandeleur also happens to be Groundhog Day in the United States, which has similar beliefs attached to it. In the Northern Hemisphere, 2 February is a mid point in winter and traditionally a time to look forward with hope to the approaching spring weather, the quality of the year's crops and the prosperity of the community.
While Americans wait for the emergence of the groundhog to determine the weather pattern that lies ahead, the French simply believe that rain on La Chandeleur will mean 40 more days of showers, while a clear and sunny day means winter is almost over: 'Quand il pleut pour la Chandeleur, il pleut pendant quarante jours!'
Of course in Australia, we're in the height of summer on 2 February, but just like Christmas, we won't let this deter us from celebrating crêpes in Perth! Remember this French specialty isn't the same as the English or American version of pancakes. Crêpes must be light and wafer thin, cooked to perfection, ideally by someone who's had years of practice!
On Chandeleur, crêpes must be eaten at dinnertime instead of breakfast which sounds like a great excuse to indulge in both savoury and sweet versions with various fillings. Galettes are savoury and made with buckwheat flour, which is gluten free, whereas crêpes are usually sweet. However, many crêperies will offer both sweet and savoury crêpes.
So where do you go to find places to eat crêpes in Perth on Chandeleur? Read on for a selection of six of the best cafes and restaurants in Perth serving crêpes and galettes.
Maison St Honore
100 Benara Road, Caversham
Maison St Honore in the Swan Valley is well-known for its amazing french pastries and macarons that are handmade by their French Chef from traditional and authentic recipes. But, they make amazing crepes!
Their breakfast and lunch menus feature delicious savoury filled crepes - for breakfast you can have their Complete Crepe with egg, ham, chorizo, mozzarella, mushroom, onions caramelised, relish and spring onions and for lunch indulge in their Crepe Savoyarde with Béchamel, potatoes, caramelised onions, ham, mozzarella and French Reblochon cheese!
They also have a full menu of sweet crepes from the traditional lemon and sugar and nutella to an indulgent strawberries and cream with white chocolate and cherries and dark chocolate.
Continue your 'sweet' journey in the Swan Valley on the Swan Valley Sweet Temptations Trail which also includes nougat, chocolate, cakes and pure honey! If you prefer savoury produce, wine or cider there are a number of great Swan Valley Food and Wine Trails to choose from.
La Patisserie
35 Mends Street, South Perth
This relaxing spot, just two minutes' walk from the grassy foreshore of South Perth, is one of the best places to eat yummy snacks like pies and home-made sandwiches, freshly baked croissants, and a tempting range of savoury and sweet crêpes.
Choose from the list of suggested fillings, or decide for yourself and have your crêpes made to order! Savoury gluten-free crêpes might be wrapped around smoked salmon with sour cream, chives and fresh lemon, roast pumpkin with spinach, cheese and toasted pine nuts, or chorizo with tomato, parmesan and basil.
On the sweet menu are the obligatory sugar and lemon, Nutella and salted caramel crêpes, or go for raspberry coulis, banana or pear, with choc sauce, roasted almonds and ice cream, La Patisserie prides itself on serving great coffee too, offering its own blend created with Grand Central.
Before or after your crêpes, Perth Zoo is only just over fives minutes' walk away and a fun place to take the family, or soak in the Swan River and city skyline from the foreshore.
La Galette de France
160 Hampden Road, Nedlands
The owners of La Galette, who began by serving crêpes in Perth's old Subiaco Station Street Markets, believe in sharing all things French by immersing customers in the sounds and tastes of their beloved country. They have now established a restaurant in the old Perth suburb of Nedlands, near the University of WA and Swan River.
As well as being named for the traditional savoury crêpes served here, La Galette has a full range of French cafe meals, served to the background sound of French radio music and news. In true French culinary style, food is created using quality butter, not margarine, and you can be sure your meals include fresh produce, free range eggs and organic flour.
Galette and crêpe fillings are simple and tasty, basically cheese plus ham, onion, tomato, egg or mushroom. Alternatively, opt for a combination of bacon with mushroom, onion and cream, smoked salmon with sour cream, chives, lemon and spinach, or chicken and mushroom.
The list of sweet crêpes suit the Perth palate, containing all the usual suspects - sugar and lemon, Nutella, salted caramel or maple syrup. Suggested combos include strawberries with strawberry coulis, chocolate ganache sauce and roasted almonds, or caramelised apples and salted caramel sauce - both dishes served with vanilla ice cream.
La Galette is perfectly located for a day out in Kings Park, five minutes' drive away, or on the Swan River foreshore at Matilda Bay. Somerville Auditorium is a few minutes' walk away, so follow your Chandeleur crêpes with a Perth Festival Film. On 2 February, Everybody Knows will be screened, with the fabulous Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, in English and Spanish with English subtitles. This one will be popular, so book now!
Check out The Windsor in the popular Perth Luna Cinema chain too, just five minutes' drive from La Galette. Our article on How to Celebrate Popcorn Day runs you through the best cinemas in Perth, and what a great combination of treats - crêpes and popcorn!
Michele's Crêpe Suzette
Fremantle Markets
Michele's has become an establishment in Fremantle Markets, very popular with locals and visitors alike who will tell you that this is one of the best places to eat crêpes in Perth.
Due to its popularity and the markets being open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only, this crêperie will require you to wait awhile. But that's what WA stands for, so take it easy and enjoy watching the crêpes being cooked, tossed and filled right in front of your eyes. This is where you'll find crêpes to suit every diet and taste. There are vegetarian crêpes, dairy free crêpes, wholemeal crêpes, egg free crêpes, and of course some tasty meat and sweet options.
Menu examples include a chunky Beef Creole with spicy sauce, a Cheese Special with sun-dried tomatoes, onions, olives and oregano, the popular Chicken Parisienne with mushroom sauce, and Shrimp Provencale with garlic, tomato and wine sauce. Veggie crêpes might be filled with spicy lentils with cheese, tomato and onion, or mushrooms with cheese and spring onions. Various dessert combos use strawberries, Nutella, bananas, ice cream and more. The fresh coffee here is pretty good too!
Fremantle is always a great place to spend the whole day. Plan your trip using this Fremantle destination guide, and check out the full range of bars, pubs and coffee spots around town.
Scoop Gelato & Crêpes
Mundaring Village Shopping Centre, Perth Hills
Another fabulous day trip with crêpes is to the Perth Hills, where Scoop Gelato & Crêpes in Mundaring brings you the best of Italy and France, serving gelato, savoury or sweet crêpes, and great coffee.
The menu isn't fancy, but there's a good selection at very reasonable prices. Various filling are made up from simple ingredients like ham, cheese, egg, pineapple, chicken, smoked salmon, avocado, spinach and tomato. There's Nutella, honey, salted caramel and whipped cream for the sweet crêpes, and of course they must be accompanied by gelato.
Plan your trip with this Perth Hills guide, and drop into the Mundaring Visitor Centre when you arrive for more things to do and places to see.
