Yann Bris, owner and chef, originally from Brittany in France, more precisely from the city of Paimpol, a small fishing port in the Cotes d'Armor, settled in Quebec in 2005. After earning his degree in hotel and restaurant management, he worked for the Accor Group as director of hotel-restaurant in the southwest of France, a bastion of French gastronomy. He opened his first crêperie in Fort Lauderdale, on the coast of Florida, in the United States.
This success and some leisure travel to the beautiful city of Montreal, prompted him to return and try the Quebec experience. He opened a decoration boutique in downtown Montreal, on Amherst Street, which he calls Karactère with a "K". Despite the success of this enterprise, he misses restauration. He decides to close the shop and starts a project that is closer to his love of gastronomy by opening a crêperie in the now trendy district known as Griffintown.
He sets his sights on a former hairdressing studio that he completely transforms to create Spanel, the Breton word for "spatula" Spatula for turning pancakes. Spanel's philosophy is based on a cuisine made exclusively with fresh, quality products. Thanks to the proximity of the Atwater Market, Yann can fulfill his wish to serve his customers crepes and gourmet dishes. Spanel is also committed to offering its customers a warm and friendly atmosphere.
The choice of a shady terrace, surrounded by trees and equipped with heaters, allows them to make the most of outdoor dining, from the first days of summer until the arrival of winter. The chef hopes you'll enjoy discovering Spanel and come back often to spend pleasant moments.
Reviewers describe SPANEL CREPES ET GOURMETS as a warm, welcoming, family-run spot with attentive service and a cozy, homey vibe. The menu offers a diverse range of buckwheat crepes, savory and sweet, with many vegetarian and gluten-free options and generous portions. Guests praise the high quality ingredients, thoughtful preparation, and comforting flavors that suit brunch, lunch, or a casual coffee break. The setting features a charming interior and a back garden patio that adds to the relaxed atmosphere. The staff are friendly, patient with non-French speakers, and accommodating of allergies or special requests, making guests feel welcome. Prices are fair and the experience is consistently delicious, inviting visitors to return to try more crepes such as the Verdun and Atwater varieties. This spot stands out for tasty crepes, warm hospitality, and a neighborhood-friendly feel.
I got the savory crepe that had two scrambled eggs & sausages. My wife ended up having one that had olives, arugula, some tomato & hummus.
The presentation of the crepes is great. The ingredients are good & the taste is decent. The satiety factor is low. There just wasn't a lot in the crepes.
Other than that, service was good & the atmosphere was cool. Waitress was very friendly. The value of the savory crepes just wasn't there for us, but it may be for others.
We had a great experience at Spanel! The staff was very helpful & gave great recommendations on what to choose. There are plenty of options to choose from. We had 2 savory crepes & 1 sweet crepe. All of them were amazing!😋The athmosphere in general is very chill & cozy. We will be back! Thanks
Sep 22, 2025
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A local friend brought me here once & I've been coming back ever since lol. The food never disappoints. The crepes are impressively savory, not the usual bland, overly sweet fare. That said, the patio still feels like an afterthought. A bit of polish there wouldn't hurt. Still, worth coming back for the food alone :)
Great savory crepes. I wasn't into crepes, so I was hesitant trying this place. I was passing by & the fragrance of the food drew me in & decided to give it a try. I tried the smoked salmon crepe & a vegetarian crepes. They both were memorable. Service is also good.
Première visite chez Spanel, & belle surprise 😲
L'ambiance est agréable, le personnel accueillant, & les crêpes sont vraiment excellentes 😋
J'ai goûté la « Verdun » (porc effiloché à l'érable, oeuf miroir, emmental) en salée, puis la « Banana Split » en sucrée : un vrai régal du début à la fin.
Un café americano ☕? pour finir, & l'expérience était complète.
Une belle adresse sur la rue Notre-Dame que je recommande volontiers.
🥞🥞🥞🥞
First time at Spanel, & what a nice surprise 😲
The atmosphere is pleasant, the staff is welcoming, & the crêpes are truly delicious 😋
I had the'Verdun' (maple pulled pork, sunny-side-up egg, Emmental) as a savory option, followed by the'Banana Split' for dessert - absolutely delightful from start to finish.
I wrapped it up with an Americano ☕? & the whole experience felt complete.
A great spot on Notre-Dame Street that I definitely recommend.
This is a great place for brunch! Lots of savory & sweet crepe options. Also plenty of alcoholic & non-alcoholic drinks (including coffee). In the summer they have a great patio out back for seating. Highly recommend!
Feb 9, 2025
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The crepes are tasty & they have a good variety of choices. The dessert ones are reasonably priced, & I really like how the savory crepes are made with buckwheat. The coffee is good too, although apparently on weekdays they don't serve filter coffee in the evening. The place is smaller but cozy. The only thing is there was a strange odor coming from maybe the basement? Everytime the door opened it seemed stronger. Perhaps there's something with the pipes or plumbing.. but overall I enjoyed it
Large variety of savory & sweet crepes. Other options as well such as omelettes, & salads. My son said Nutellamisu was very good & large.... could have split it with someone. The IDS crepe with Avocado spinach cheese & salsa was good, the Petite Italie with prosciutto, goat cheese, arugula & balsamic glaze was fantastic.
This restaurant is absolutely fantastic! Hands down, the best crepes I've had in town so far. My husband & I each ordered two crepes-one savory & one sweet-& they were all incredibly delicious & perfectly soft. I tried the savory "Mont Royal" & the sweet "Banana Split," while my husband went for the "V.S.L" savory crepe & the "Petit Secret" for dessert. I'd definitely recommend ordering two crepes per person, as they're on the small/thinner side. However, if you go for the "Banana Split," it's big enough to share-definitely a two-person dessert in my opinion. The atmosphere was cozy & welcoming, & the service was outstanding. I can't wait to return & try even more flavors! Highly recommend it!
We ended up here over the labor day holiday. The place was beyond packed. Line out the door. For the 5 or so people working there they handled the chaos very well. Our lunch was a little slow but that was to be expected. Both my savory & dessert crepes were wonderful. My wife had gluten-free crepes which were totally on point & some of the best we've had. Highly recommend Spanel.
Sep 29, 2024
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Amazing crepe place in town. One of my favorite! We ordered savory & sweet crepe. The Petite Bourgogne comes with Bacon, Spinach, Fresh apples, Caramelized Onions & Aged Cheddar. It was super delicious! For sweet crepe, we ordered the Martinican, comes with Banana flambe with Rum, Ice cream & Salted butter caramel. The caramel a bit chewy. The coffee was average. But overall ... Yummy!! Will come back again.
One of the best crepe places I've ever tried & it's coincidentally almost fully gluten free!!! Amazing sweet & savory options & such wonderful service every time 🫶🏽
Love the crepes, the kinder Bruno one was especially amazing. Highly recommended the Smoothie of the Day. Loved the service & attention to detail: the buckwheat savory crepes were really great. We had the little Italy buckwheat crepes
No ac inside it seems, sat outside. You must get one sweet one savory bc the sweet crepes are small & will be finished fast. For savory crepe we got the PETITE BOURGOGNE which came with Bacon, Spinach, Fresh apples, Caramelized Onions & Aged Cheddar. We also added an egg on it which they spread out onto the crepe & cooked it on it. The caramelized were delcious & I thought it was a well balanced crepe with the heavy bacon & the spinach & apples. For sweet crepe we got the MARTINIQUAISE / MARTINICAN which came with Banana flambe with Rum, Ice cream & Salted butter caramel. The bannsn was so good but I would ask to pit the caramel on the side. Its too tought to work with the rest of the ingredients. Lovely place to eat crepes
Jun 24, 2024
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What a great place to visit! The crepes were absolutely amazing & melt in your mouth. It was a beautiful day that we ate out back on the patio - great ambiance. We got 1 sweet & 1 savory crepe & both were exceptional. We will definitely be back the next time we are in Montreal.
Hands down the best crepes that I've had in a long while We had the Kinder, Banana Split & the Celtic, with a side of French Toast & Mocha Latte. All of them were well made, delicious & beautifully presented. Add to that the cozy atmosphere & the absolutely amazing service, this place is a must visit for anyone who has a sweet tooth. They do have savory options of the Crepes, which we may try the next time around 🤞🏼
A cute & comfy little crêperie. Delicious savory crêpes, go for the Atwater & Mile End. When we got there, there was a bit of a wait but the food & service were worth it.
