For 12 hours a day, five days a week, Omar the crêpier puts on a show for the crowds who flock to the hole in the wall crêperie La Droguerie in the Marais. Do not confuse him with your run-of-the-mill street-side crêpe jockey. Omar's is the real deal, his deliberate and mesmerizing movements are like an art form. He holds incredible focus and purpose as he crafts crêpes at full tilt; slicing bananas, heating up his paddle before dipping it into cold butter so it glides through more easily, pouring and swirling batter, refusing to add butter to your jam crêpe because he knows it will make it too soggy, gently working the crowd as he managers a line of hungry patrons curling to the corner. As a one-man show, Omar is just as much of a draw to La Droguerie as the delicious piping hot crêpes he hands out all day long.
The small menu consists of the classics with both sweet and savory options. Some of my favorites are: butter and sugar, apricot jam, Nutella and banana, egg, cheese and ham. The crêpes are served in their correct form - folded into a triangle, wrapped, and eaten as they are held upright. This way the layers of pancake and filling stay much warmer than if they were to be served on a plate, and provide (what I think) to be the perfect amount of bite as you sink your teeth into them.
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Nutella/Banane
Omar carefully spreads the Nutuella evenly from end-to-end. He then slices the banana directly into the warm and melting Nutella. He quickly folds and hands you the crêpe. This is key, if you wait to long, the bananas get too hot to eat, and by the time they cool, your crêpe will be soggy.
Jambon / Oeuf / Fromage
As he is making this one, you'll think to yourself "sure seems like he's sloppily sprinkling cheese all over the griddle." You then realize that this is his signature move and is very much on purpose. That cheese around the edges becomes a crispy crown to your crêpe that provides the perfect crunchy contrast to the soft pillowy vessel beneath.
Nutella / Banane • Beurre / Sucre
Jambon / Oeuf / Fromage
There are two La Droguerie locations, the one I frequent in the Marais, and one in Les Halles. My favorite (for obvious reasons) is the focus of the above review.
La Droguerie
56 Rue des Rosiers
Paris, France
(75004)
+33 (01) 40 26 13 51
Subway Stops: Rambuteau, Saint-Paul, City Hall/Hotel de Ville