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.
A very nice brunch place on Notre Dame street! We all had buckwheat crepes & it was so delicious & filling! We started with cappuccino & orange juice & then I had the smoked salmon Atwater buckwheat crepe while others had ham Quartier Latin crepes & everything was so delicious ! Very good service & the perfect place to bring family & friends :) Would love to try sweet crepes next time! UPDATE: Went for brunch & as always great food & fantastic service at this awesome 11/10 brunch venue 🎉🎉 MORE UPDATES: Went for a late brunch & had coffee, hot chocolate , Parisienne, & Atwater crepes & as always fantastic food with fantastic service & fantastic music playing in the background 🥰🥰
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
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
We went to Spanel several years ago & we really loved it! But we came again last Saturday & were quite disappointed. The French Onion soup was not how we remembered it, it tasted like the caramelized onions were really sweet, which imparted a strange flavor to the soup. We also had a Tatine crepe ( crepe with apple & ice cream) & it really lacked apples! It's a shame, but it seems like it has gone down hill.
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 :)
Had a great breakfast, I mean outstanding, the buckwheat crepes were perfect, sweet & salty, edges were crispy, I mean delicious, I hear, it's good on Saturdays, good vibes...
Apr 27, 2025
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
A cute & charming restaurant with one of the best selections of crêpes in town! Everything was absolutely delicious, & the staff were incredibly friendly & welcoming.
I especially loved the little garden in the back-perfect for enjoying a quiet moment on a warm day.
Highly recommend for anyone craving a delicious sweet or savoury crêpe.
Enjoy!
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!
IM TELLINGG UU THEIRR CREPES ARE DELICIOUS!!! I took the one with steak & my bf got the NDG. The first bite was like woahhh!! & thennnnn, the dessertt onee, ooofff!!! so light, sweet but not to sweet, & hot & just melts in your mouth. It was soo goodd, i wanted to cry. It was the first time in a while that food started fooding. we also got the potatoe but it wasnt that good:(. But thats okkk!!! Will come back!!! Andd easy parking too
Feb 5, 2025
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Delicious crepes with a good selection to choose from sweet or salty. We were there during the holidays, so possibly the staff were tired but we could have done with a more patient & attentive waitstaff. Will absolutely recommend to others & return again
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!
Life changing crepes! We had Westmound & Petit Italy & had to come back the next day for seconds. Polished it with a sweet crepe loaded with whipped cream & mangoes. Superb!
Sep 28, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
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.
The maître D was so nice. She gave my son some ice for his knee after falling from a parcours. She took care of us & we had the best crepes- my son & I had the Sweety & my daughter had the Nutella & strawberry crepes. AMAZING! 🖤🖤
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 🫶🏽
Place has a nice ambiance, though probably the worst crepes I've ever had. Dry & flavorless crepes. The sweet crepes were packed with so much brown sugar it was all you could taste & left me with aching teeth. Savoury crepe contents were lackluster with half a spoon of salsa & loaded with uncooked spinach.
