Breton food · Paris 12
Mention Brittany and most people picture a crêpe. But Breton cooking is buckwheat and butter, meat and seafood, cider and slow stews. Here’s a quick guide — and where to taste it in Paris.
The short version
Brittany sits on a long stretch of Atlantic coast, with buckwheat (called “blé noir”) and salted butter at the heart of its cooking. That means seafood and fish, pork and charcuterie, hearty stews, and pastries built on butter — washed down with cider, not wine.
Crêpes and galettes are part of the story, but only a part. At Ty Louis we serve the rest of it — no crêpes, no galettes — sourced from named Breton producers.
The classics, explained
Five Breton specialties worth knowing — what they are, and how we serve them.
Brittany’s answer to pot-au-feu, from the Léon region: meat slow-cooked with vegetables, plus buckwheat dumplings (farz) cooked in a cloth bag, then crumbled and served with lipig — a caramelised shallot butter.
At Ty Louis · Our winter signature, on the menu from October to May. Naturally hearty, and built around buckwheat.
Breton for “butter cake”: layers of dough, salted butter and sugar folded over and over, then baked into a caramelised, soft-hearted pastry. Born in a Douarnenez bakery in 1860 — once called “the fattiest pastry in Europe”.
At Ty Louis · Served warm, with a scoop of Jampi ice cream. Our signature dessert, all year round.
Upper-Brittany street food: a grilled pork sausage rolled in a buckwheat pancake, eaten by hand at markets and football matches. Not to be confused with a crêperie galette.
At Ty Louis · We serve a revisited version — Savora chantilly, Roscoff onion three ways, homemade Beucher sausage, hand-cut fries. Knife and fork allowed.
A dense, flan-like baked custard from Brittany, traditionally studded with prunes. Simple, comforting, very Breton.
At Ty Louis · Homemade, with prunes — a classic on our dessert list.
Brittany’s drink of choice: bottle-fermented cider, dry to sweet, often organic and AOP (Cornouaille). The natural pairing for buckwheat and salted butter.
At Ty Louis · A selection of ciders from small independent Breton cider houses — the best match for the whole menu.
Good to know
Not at all. Crêpes and galettes are only one part of it. Brittany is a land of meat and charcuterie, fish and seafood, buckwheat, salted butter and cider. At Ty Louis we serve that other Brittany — with no crêpes or galettes on the menu.
Kig ha farz is Brittany’s pot-au-feu: meat slow-cooked with vegetables, served with buckwheat dumplings cooked in a cloth bag and crumbled, topped with lipig, a caramelised shallot butter. At Ty Louis it’s our winter signature, from October to May.
Kouign-amann means “butter cake” in Breton: layers of dough, salted butter and sugar baked into a caramelised pastry with a soft centre. We serve it warm with Jampi ice cream, all year round.
A galette-saucisse is a grilled pork sausage wrapped in a buckwheat pancake — Upper-Brittany street food, eaten by hand. It is not a crêperie dish. Ours is a revisited version with Savora chantilly, Roscoff onion and homemade sausage.
Cider. Bottle-fermented Breton cider — dry to sweet — is the traditional pairing for buckwheat dishes and salted-butter desserts. We pour a selection from independent Breton cider houses.
At Ty Louis, in the 12th arrondissement between Bastille and Nation. We’re a Breton restaurant with no crêpes or galettes, serving kig ha farz, kouign-amann, seafood and cider, sourced from named Breton producers.
Reservations
Tuesday to Saturday, lunch and dinner, non-stop service.
240 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, between Bastille and Nation.