Le Paris Dakar (141 India Street) is a French-Senegalese crêperie and café that recently opened in Greenpoint. The small chain currently had two other locations in Bed-Stuy and offers a wide variety of crepes, as well as other breakfast and lunch items.
“I am from Paris and my husband is from Dakar,” explained Mouna, a Brooklyn resident who owns Le Paris Dakar with her husband, Thierno. “When I was younger my siblings and I loved making sweet and savory crepes on Sundays. It was kind of a hobby,” Mouna said.
After moving to Bed-Stuy in 1999, Mouna was able to turn her hobby into a business. “Crepes or French baked goods were nowhere to be found in that area at that time,” Mouna said. “So, in 2012, we decided to offer something new to our community and opened a crêperie café with a Senegalese touch.”
Mouna told Greenpointers that she and her husband chose Greenpoint as the location for their third Le Paris Dakar restaurant because the neighborhood “has a lot of small mom and pop shops and family-owned businesses” and “feels very community oriented.”
Le Paris Dakar’s Greenpoint menu will mirror the menu in the Bed-Stuy locations, offering many different varieties of sweet and savory crepes, omelette crepes and croissants, salads, sandwiches, avocado toast, pastries, and even French candy.
Mouna told Greenpointers that the most popular sweet crepe on Le Paris Dakar’s menu is the one with Nutella, banana, strawberry and whipped cream, while the most popular savory crepe is the one with smoked salmon, béchamel, tomato and spinach. Mouna added that “all of our crepes can be seasoned with our homemade spicy Senegalese hot sauce as desired.”
“Our customers also love the omelette croissants,” Mouna said, referring to the croissant sandwiches with egg. Other sandwich options include the Thon with tuna, tomatoes, mayonnaise, onion, and lemon; and the Poulet with chicken, onion, tomato, Swiss cheese, lettuce, and béchamel. Visitors can also opt for a French classic with the ham and butter baguette or have a vegetarian version with just brie.
Examples of salads include the Goat salad with spinach, tomatoes, honey, strawberries, walnuts, and goat cheese; and the Salmon salad with spinach, smoked salmon, and tomatoes.
The sizable menu also includes pastries that are baked on the premise every morning. One of the most popular ones is the Jumelle croissant with chocolate chips and almonds. The beverage menu is extensive, as well, and includes several varieties of smoothies, juices, and coffee drinks.
In a section of the menu called “Refreshing Drinks,” one highlight is the bissap, which is known as the “national drink of Senegal” according to Mouna. It is made from dried red hibiscus flowers and fresh mint.
Le Paris Dakar is currently open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The crêperie café is currently closed on Tuesdays but the owners said they are “planning on expanding the hours,” hopefully by the beginning of spring.