Café Crêpe
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Location:
15 Leinster St S
Visited:
over 2 years ago
Reviewed by:
Martin McKenna
Rating:
Though the Celtic Tiger has gone the way of its Sumatran cousin—that is to say, largely extinct—it has certainly left a legacy of cookie-cutter cafés shilling a dozen varieties of macchiato and other strange imports that were never seen before. And it’s a shame, to some degree, because if you’re feeling nostalgic for a simpler lunch, there aren’t that many options available to you.
Happily, although Cafe Crêpe actually do serve macchiatos, the atmosphere in this Nassau Street café has that uniquely Irish sense of naffness—and I mean that in the best way possible. From the out-of-date glossy mags to read, to the two lovely nans behind the counter, Cafe Crêpe is unusually welcoming and familiar.
The menu is a large affair that isn’t as focused on crêpes as the name suggests, with soup (€3.30, with bread €4.40), bagels, ciabatta melts (€7.65) and salads (a hefty €10.00 and “Not available on Saturdays”, mysteriously). You’ll get a heap of Hunky Dory’s with your sandwich and even with the crêpes too (savoury €7.65, sweet €4.25—€6.95) —though I don’t think anyone from Britanny, the gastronomic home of the crêpe, has ever heard of Hunky Dory’s, it seems fitting here.
But I almost always plump for a Toasted Special (€5.00)—ham, cheese, tomato and onion on sliced pan—because it just feels right.
Cafe Crêpe is a lively spot full of regulars and excited visiting students (there’s a student discount if you ask). Leave the noughties snobbery at the door that brought us all those macchiatos and you’ll be rewarded with a warm welcome and a proper old-fashioned Toasted Special.
