Spanel

Cozy little place to enjoy sweet or savoury crepes. Perfect if you’re craving crepes but have an intolerance to gluten. Service is inconsistent; we’ve been twice so far and my first experience was really great — while my second makes me hesitate going back.

Cozy place.
Food was good, but not excellent.
Service was really slow. We had to ask 3 times for clean glass of water.
Good experience, but I do not think I am going to come back.

I believe my actual quote was, «I didn’t know crêpes could be this good.»
And I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true. This is way beyond anything I’ve ever experienced as a crêpe, this side of Bretagne. I had the Mile End and it was perfect. Chock full of spinach and mushrooms and gooey with melted cheddar cheese.
My husband had a breakfast plate involving some delicious sausage and — of course, my test for every brunch spot — really good potatoes. And it came with a locally sourced croissant.
As with all places that get my 5-​star seal of approval, it was the little touches that made the difference. The fruit salad is not some kind of throwaway garnish. It’s an actual fruit salad, with perfectly ripe fruit. The kind you want to eat (the kind that is not two pieces of pale cantaloupe and a cube of watermelon). And the coffee was great as well.
The ambiance is awesome, although, on a hot summer day, you may end up waiting on a terrasse spot because it’s just too hot inside. Know that. And know that it’s worth the wait. I can’t wait to come back for a cozy winter lunch indoors and sit right next to the steamy hot crêpe pans that are openly on display.
Oh, and the service was really good too. Usually when I walk in and see a bunch of early-​twenty-​somethings I get nervous, but they were super attentive and clearly well-​trained by the management.

Très bons déjeuners, les crêpes sont excellentes, l’ambiance est bonne et la terrasse qui es situé dans le cour arrière est très biens.

J’aimerais bien y aller mais ils né sont pas ouvert le soir. :-(

Perfect spot for Sunday brunch with friends. Lovely tree covered terrasse in the back, perfectly prepared buckwheat crepes, attentive service and good coffee. My Westmount crêpe filled with roasted duck breast and potatoes fried in duck fat, carmelized onions — well, I was good for the day. Very delicious. My dining companions enjoyed the Ville Marie crepes filled with spinach, cheese and eggs. The croque monsieurs also good. Definitely will return.

The buckwheat crepes are absolutely delicious. The portions are quite generous. The courtyard garden terrace provides a really cozy environment. Will definitely return.

First time using the Unilocal app to find something that was «healthy» and very close to me for my lunch as I was in a hurry. Enter Spanel with great reviews and only 0.2 km away… I had heard of the place but didn’t know they offered wraps for lunch which is exactly what I was craving. I got the chicken, pesto, spinach & goat cheese wrap and wow! I got to see the chef make my meal right in front of me which made me anxious to get back to the office to eat. Took me all off 4 minutes to finish my wrap! It was delicious and came with a fresh salad which satisfied what little hunger I had left. Happy I found this spot so close to work and can easily become a regular.

Crepes were really good!!! Portions were larger than I expected which was a pleasant surprise. I would recommend this place to all my friends and will definitely bring out of town guests here for brunch, dessert, or even an afternoon tea/​snack. Servers were also friendly and efficient.

Having brunch with my beautiful wife at Spanel and enjoying their amazing crepes with fresh squeezed orange juice. Try the mile-​end crêpe. It’s fantastic!

J’ai été le temps d’un café et puis j’y ai pris un muffin fait maison. Le service était vraiment bien j’ai adorée discuter le matin ça fait toujours du bien en se levant.

We were visiting from the US and after a week exploring Montréal and it’s french cuisine by accident found this gem called Spanel. The chef and owner is very friendly and an amazing chef. Simply if you want the real french onion soup– go there, if you want gourmet food — go there. Everything we tried was made to perfection. The owner recommended a crêpe with bacon, cheese, caremilized onions and green apple. If you are a food fanatic as us you’ll be exstatic from the combination. Very clean place, also has a garden for the summer. Thank you for the real french food.

I don’t like overselling places, but I can’t find much wrong with this amazing place.
When you first walk-​in, it comes off as small or cozy. Luckily there is another room at the back, because this place is too good not to be popular.
Purely by accident, my girlfriend and I stumbled across Spanel when looking for another restaurant for breakfast/​brunch. We rolled the dice, walked in and fell in love. We sat at the bar area, which gives you a first-​hand view of how their delicious crepes are made. Prepare to drool as you see these delicious creations come together right in front of you.
We went the savoury route, me having the «Quartier Latin» which is a crêpe stuffed with various meats, emmental cheese and lots of love. My lovely girlfriend went for the «West Mount» which was made-​up of duck confit, mushrooms and all sorts of awesome.
At first we thought the service was a bit slow, but after overhearing a conversation it turned out they were short-​staffed that day. Still, as soon as the staff realized we were waiting to order and had been for a few minutes, they were more than helpful and punctual. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on this one.
The details are what make a restaurant something special, and I think the warmed milk/​cream they serve even with their brewed coffee is exactly that — a small detail that puts them one rung higher on the ladder than the competition. They have a full espresso and specialty coffee bar, too, if you’re looking for something specific.
We didn’t try the sweet crepes they offer that day, but I can tell you this: the next time I’m in Montréal I will be back and I will make a mockery of myself stuffing myself with crepes of all types.

This place may have turned my boyfriend and I into crêpe fanatics! I went all out with the duck confit crêpe and have no regrets. We sat at the bar and loved the ambiance, watching the talented chef whip-​up amazing crêpe creations before our eyes. It shows (and you can taste) that every ingredient is high-​quality and careful preparation goes into every dish.
The only drawback was that they seemed to be short staffed. We waited awhile to get served. Although, once the barista noticed us, we were well taken care of.

Was very good, had no previous expectations. Was pleasantly surprised. I am not at all a crêpe lover either, but the quality ingredients and cozy atmosphere was very nice. Will return.

I really loved the food and ambiance of this restaurant at my first visit. The only thing that kept it from being 5 stars was flaky service. My brunch mates had been here before and said it was unusual so I’m chalking it up to an off-​day.
The drip coffee is included in the price of the meal and you get a little mason jar of fruit along with your crêpe.
With a gluten-​free, buckwheat-​based crêpe, I had The Italian which contained prosciutto, goat cheese, spinach, and sun-​dried tomatoes. There was a balsamic glaze drizzled on top, which put it over the edge of deliciousness. Creamy, salty, a little sweet — it was amazing. The drip coffee came with a little carafe of steamed milk, which is a nice touch. I sat right by the terrace so I got a nice view, I could easily spend a few hours there just sipping coffee and relaxing.

Very disappointing.
Despite good reviews, crepes were ok but not that good.
Plus, service was awful. We had to wait more than one hour to get our food and other customers were in the same situation.
Waiters did not seem to care much.
Waste of time and money.

Derrière un petit bar, il se trouve 3 grosses plaques de cuisines. Vous savez les plaques larges sur lesquelles on fait des crêpes…crêpes immenses à la française? Voila c’est sa. Et le Chef, un monsieur que mon amie et moi trouvions bien jovial et en amour avec son art — cuisine tout sur ces plaques. Il y cuit les crêpes, les œufs, la viande, les légumes et il le fait seul et c’est bon !
Parlons toute de suite du plus important: À chaque bouchée de la ”Crêpe galette”, on sent une fraîcheur des ingrédients qui nous pousse un peu à fermer les yeux pour mieux goûter au plat. Lorsque cela arrive, on réalise très vite qu’on deviendra bien entendu une habitué des lieux même si on vit à l’opposé de la ville. (Je le rajoute d’ailleurs a mes favoris)
Ensuite pour reprendre un peu les mots du restaurant, ces crêpes sont au sarrazin, biologiques, sans-​gluten et sans lactose — Et laissez-​moi vous dire que ceci se sent, d’un goût subtile, elles sont BONNES (un peu trop salées peut-​être à cause du sarrazin mais néanmoins BONNES). Un autre élément unique a cet endroit est le nom que porte chaque plat. En effet chaque type de galettes porte un nom de quartier montréalais, par exemple moi j’ai pris le Mile-​end et mon amie elle, a choisie Homa. Vous avez aussi le Westmount avec du canard effiloché, le Saint Henri avec des pommes caramélisés (MIAM) et bien d’autres choix. La mienne était remplie de 3 de mes aliments favoris: Champignons, épinard, œufs brouillés et fromage. Simple mais délicieux et j’en rêve encore !
Les seuls points qui m’ont un peu dérangée étaient l’attente ou plutôt l’endroit ou on a dû attendre: À l’entrée étroite, à l’intérieur. On était en sandwich entre les tables et le bar — pouvant admirer juste sous notre nez les odeurs et le plats des autres — pas très amusant lorsqu’on est affamé LOL. En outré, notre attente a aussi était un peu longue que ce soit pour se faire installer ou pour recevoir notre plat — Mais d’après moi, Spanel mise plus sur la Qualité de la nourriture que sur la rapidité du service. Et si je dois choisir, je vais avec la qualité avant tout. Je recommande donc fortement d’essayer ce resto .
D’autres points intéressant :
— Le resto se trouve pas si loin du marché Atwater et de boutiques style ”vintage ”, parfait pour passer une belle journée ensoleillée à se promener.
— Ils indiquent justement, qu’ils s’y s’approvisionnent pour des ingrédients frais et santé.
— Vous avez aussi le choix de prendre un simple brunch déjeuner classique avec oeuf, patates, viandes, fruits… ect
— Last but definitely not least, n’oublions pas les fameuses crêpes sucrées notamment celle avec du caramel au beurre salé et crème fouetté #NoComment

Great place for breakfast. Crepes to satisfy any taste. Try the caramelised apples and emmental. Better than you think!

The quality of ingredients used in their excellent galettes is admirable. My Savoyarde was stuffed with lardons, ratte potatoes and oozy raclette, and a companion’s shredded duck and roast onions was full of savour (my thesaurus is overheating). Add nice service, gentle pricing and a funky interior and Spanel is an unqualified success.

Found purely by accident, since then every Sunday I am in Montréal breakfast is there, great service by Audrey Hepburn lookalike, food is incredible, tasty, fresh, and they will mix and match. I usually go for the savory special. Again a great place for a lazy Sunday b’fast.

Came here for brunch. It was excellent. Buckwheat, egg, spinach, old cheddar crêpe was hearty and cooked perfectly. The fruit was fresh and delicious. The free coffee and sample of their smoothie to start was a nice touch. The service was impeccable. The prices were reasonable (which seems to be uncommon in Montréal).
Definitely come here for brunch!

Très bonnes galettes de sarrazin, choix variés, ambiance agréable.

Spanel was a wonderful place for an unexpected meal! We found it just walking by and decided to stop in. Everything on the menu looked great, I wanted to try it all! The crepes were delicious and the soup was fantastic as well. The chef (owner?) and waiter were wonderfully welcoming and accommodating. They even made a special meal for my friend who is a vegan, and she said it was delicious. I would definitely recommend this place to people looking for a fun meal in Montréal.

Crepes, such a finicky repast to get right. Spanel does it right, and how. The quality of the food is top drawer. Bechamel sauce can be the downfall of many a dish but theirs was about as perfect as it gets. The chef is from Breton and brings an authentic touch that has been sorely lacking in Montréal. Finding Far Breton on the menu was an unexpected treat. The crèpes salées feature a mix of flours that it just what the dishes call for. A complete surprise was the side salad. He makes his vinagrette with a secret ingredient (I won’t give it away-​try to figure it out) and the salad is tossed with it just before service. It looked to be a bit much but it is incredibly light and allowed the flavour of the greens to come through. The real ‘oh wow’ moment though was the Crème de citron dessert crêpe. He makes his own lemon cream and it is worth every penny and every delicious bite. This place is very new (only open 9 weeks as of November 9^th) and they’re mostly busy at noon and for brunch. They are looking to have more people in the evenings and hopefully they will be able to expand their evening menu beyond crepes to attract a wider clientele base. At time of writing their wine list is North American (more surprises) but the prices are amazingly affordable. If you are in the mood for crepes I definitely recommend giving them a try.