Chocolate (and hidden banana) crepe
If you're looking for French food in Melbourne without the terrifying price tag, try
Breizoz Creperie in Fitzroy. It calls itself "the home of French crepes in Australia" for good reason. There is nothing soggy or rubbery about these delicious, inexpensive morsels. They're crunchy, buttery and made freshly to order. And the toppings are a whole lot more imaginative than lemon and sugar.
This laid-back little place is a far cry from some pretentious French restaurant. There are no white tablecloths or attitude. They specialise in galettes – savoury crepes made with buckwheat, originating from Brittany, on the west coast of France. Creperies are the Breton equivalent of pizza parlours – delicious food that's fast and inexpensive. At Breizoz you can have a savoury galette, followed by a sweet crepe for dessert.
Their range is extensive – you can see the menu
here – and easy on the pocket, with many galettes under $10 and most under $12. Sweet crepes cost from $5.50 to $9.50. And they have specials that change regularly.
I had the mushroom galette – the mushrooms were cooked in a peppery, creamy sauce with a little parsley and placed on the crunchy galette. Delicious.
Mushroom galette
We also tried the goat's cheese, the chestnut and rum (mandatory flames atop, of course) and banana and chocolate. Each one was faultless. The banana was fresh, slightly warmed, not mushy, and the chocolate dark, not too sweet.
There's a range of wines and French cider, along with decent coffee.
Breizoz also make their own ice-creams and sorbets. I'd recommend the pear and lime – it's wonderfully dual-personality – tasting at first of fresh pear, then suddenly switching to lime. And the mandarin had a delicious mix of bitter and sweet.
Sorbets at Breizoz
The Bretons have much in common with the Scots and the Irish, with their Celtic language and traditions. So it wasn't too surprising to find a galette at Breizoz called Boudin Noir (black pudding and onion). I'll admit I wasn't brave enough to try it – let me know if you are, I'd love to hear what it's like...
