In her award winning essay about living in Saudi Arabia, Hilary Mantel talks about the life of an expat—how it’s like living in a bubble with a feeding tube, disconnected from the rest of the environment. It got us thinking about expat restaurants that wash up with regularity on Delhi’s shores, and whether they too exist with no thought to the country they are serving. Most recently there was Ciro’s Pomodoro, and now, from the city of the Beatles and football: a Liverpool based creperie that serves “award winning pancakes from Brittany”.

It’s very easy to walk right past La Crepe Rit, which blends in seamlessly with its neighbors, featuring the same dark tinted windows, long bar (but no liquor license yet) and clichéd posters of Paris on the wall.  Then there’s the menu, groaning under not only a list of sweet and savory crepes but also a plethora of Italian options –“conti” to Delhiwallas, which, we’re supposed to accept, is almost French.

We begin with house-dressed garden salad, a pithy, olive-studded affair made crunchy with good quality greens; as well as crisp fried fish goujons, served piping hot on a bed of paprika and lemon tossed potato wedges with a side of tartar sauce. Both of these make for solid orders, but we’d avoid the mocktails if we were you: think clumsy chunks of cucumber and wilted mint vying for attention without even a dash of rum to liven things up. Yawn.

Next up is chicken and asparagus galette, a gentle yet delicious leading lady of a dish: here globes of tender roasted chicken and fresh asparagus are piled high with cheese on a delicate savoury crepe. In contrast is the spaghetti aglio olio – vampy and tart, tossed with whole red peppers. Not uncomfortably spicy, but too brittle; this dish would do well with some meat or vegetable to round it out.

Batter Up

For dessert there is a banana-nutella crepe – just the one since we’re warned that dessert crepes here are on the larger side, and chef recommended. In retrospect, we wish we’d started with this – a warm, chocolate-drenched, butter-soaked affair, exuberant enough to celebrate a promotion over, soft enough to comfort a broken heart. We’re quite happy with this bubble, thank you.

Getting there: La Crepe Rit, D2 Southern Park, Saket District Centre, behind Select Citywalk Mall, call 41721985, a meal for two without alcohol costs Rs 1900.

bpb reviews anonymously and pays for its own meals.