Rue du Montparnasse Paris

The rue du Montparnasse, located in (surprise, surprise) Paris’ Montparnasse area, is home to over a dozen crêperies (La Crêperie Bretonne is the one I like best). Forget the so-called "crêpes" you can find on street corners or in front of the Eiffel Tower. I am talking about traditional savoury buckwheat galettes, the way they are made in Brittany. Get a "galette complète" (ham, cheese and egg) if you want to go the traditional route or opt for the "galette à la guémenoise" (with andouille de Guéméné aka tripe sausage) if you are feeling adventurous. The latter is my boyfriend’s favourite!

The explanation for this plethora of crêperies is that in the 19th century, the railway connecting Paris to Brest was completed; it left from the Montparnasse train station and served the whole of Brittany. Upon their arrival in Paris, Breton travellers were naturally hungry for a hearty galette and a bolée (little bowl) of cider or some lait ribot (buttermilk). As a result, the street now has a very Breton feel to it but I must also absolutely recommend to you Toritcho, one of Paris’ oldest Japanese restaurants (their toro tuna, when available, is TO-DIE for).

The rue du Montparnasse is also famous for the highly selective private catholic school Collège Stanislas (known as just “Stan” to the locals) which is surprisingly huge: I recommend watching one of their video presentations on YouTube just to catch a glimpse of the inside!