His name may not ring a bell, but his gastronomic empire surely does: Breizh Café. For three decades, Bertrand Larcher has reigned over the market of modern, flavorful Breton crêpes.
Proudly born on a farm near Fougères in Brittany, surrounded by cows, pigs, and fields, Bertrand Larcher has always been deeply attached to his homeland. Trained in hospitality at a school in Dinard, he began his career in Geneva before flying to Japan in 1995 to introduce buckwheat crêpes to the Land of the Rising Sun.
From Brittany to Japan
Settled with his Japanese wife, Bertrand Larcher opened his first crêperie in Tokyo in 1996. After some adjustments and awareness-building, the Japanese quickly fell in love with the restaurant, aptly named La Bretagne. “We had to be educators to share the Breton art of living,” he explained to Le Nouvel Obs. Far from local cuisine, his concept was clear: authentic Breton galettes and crêpes in a gastronomic, contemporary version, paired with cider, and served with refined Japanese-inspired hospitality. The secret of success? Top-quality ingredients imported directly from Brittany.
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Buoyed by this first triumph, Bertrand Larcher returned to his roots to reintroduce his own version of the galette to the Bretons themselves. In Cancale, a small fishing port known for relaxation and oysters, he opened Trivabro in 2002. Yet, he didn’t forget his years in his adopted country and offered a few Japan-inspired recipes.
The Breizh Café Empire
Three years later, under a more meaningful name, Bertrand Larcher opened another restaurant in northern Brittany: Breizh Café. High-end galettes and an exceptional menu of artisanal cider revolutionized the market, which was mostly used to traditional crêperies.
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Featured photo : © Breizh Café
