Aside from devouring a delicious gyro, no trip to Greece is complete without ordering a crepe done Greek-style, wrapped and held in the hand for a moreish midnight snack.

Brothers Michael and Nick Kondilis know this all too well. Their relatives own a creperie in Athens, and on their annual visits to Greece they always looked forward to indulging.

“We really enjoyed that handheld sweet or savoury crepe experience in Greece, whether it was a late night or lunch,” Michael told Neos Kosmos.

Having grown up in a family of hospitality aficionados, upon their return to Sydney in 2010 from a visit to Athens, the brothers, who had been talking for some time about bringing the Greek crepe experience to Sydney, decided to get the ball rolling.

Not a popular choice in Australia at the time, with crepes typically served the French way with a knife and fork, they decided they would introduce their concept, Love Crepe, at local festivals and markets, which saw the humble beginnings of what is now a popular brand.

After a few years of doing the circuits, in 2015 they reached a pivotal moment: either throw in the towel, or expand to bricks and mortar in Pyrmont. Since deciding on the latter, the pair haven’t looked back.

“It’s been really positive; people liked our batter, they thought it compliments sweet and savoury [flavours], which is what we thought it did. They’re enjoying the handheld experience and how we put the ice-cream inside it; we’ve married our gelato with the crepe, and that’s really kicked off.” So much so, that earlier this month they opened their second Love Crepe shop in Drummoyne, the brother’s old stomping ground.
“We get people coming from all over Sydney to Pyrmont and a lot of people were coming from the inner west. Plus we grew up in Drummoyne, so it felt right,” says Michael.

“We saw the space, the site, and it had a really nice courtyard in the front and we thought if we put some nice tables and some little chairs and pillows, it’s almost like a plateia, it’s really cool. It was almost by fluke how it scrubbed up. It’s very European,” which is what Love Crepe is all about.

While the crepes are done the way they are in Greece, they also specialise in house-made gelato, just like in Italy – and that’s no exaggeration. In 2015 Michael travelled to Italy to spend two months learning how to make gelato at the Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna, which he says was a real highlight.

“It’s like going to Brazil to play soccer; you’re going to the motherland of the origin of gelato. It was really fun,” he says.

“There was a bit of a language barrier. You’re not understanding each other but you’re understanding your hand gestures because Greeks and Italians like talking with their hands anyway. It was really funny at times and an awesome experience.”

But he says the real work started when he got back and had to put everything he had learnt into practice. He spent a couple of months perfecting his recipes, and since the brothers opened their doors in 2016 it seems customers wholeheartedly agree.

While Love Crepe offers the classic favourites such as salted caramel, tiramisu, and salted pistachio, Michael makes a point of being experimental with the flavours on offer, and has come up with his own creations. One that has really got people excited is the rizogalo gelato.

“I did an infusion with lemon, and cinnamon, and vanilla and cooked it with the rice. When you’re eating it it’s just like frozen rice pudding! That was probably one of the unique ones. I don’t know many people that do it, if anyone,” he says.

Meanwhile for special occasions, like Greek Independence Day last weekend, Love Crepe are known to mix it up with some unique Greek-inspired creations. This year they had Cretan Olive Oil gelato and the Ouzo Sorbetto.

“Some people actually bought a Coke, and they did the ouzo and Coke. I made them like a spider, and that was quite cool – I thought that was pretty clever. When I saw that happen, I thought ‘Yeah! People get it,’ having fun with our product,” enthuses Michael.

And fun is what their menu is all about with delicious crepe combinations such as the Mila: white chocolate, custard, apples, caramel, crumble; the Kiki: bueno cream, Nutella, hazelnut wafer praline; and the Elle: strawberry praline, Nutella, strawberries, crushed Oreos.

There’s also a host of savoury options on offer, or customers can get creative and make their own savoury or sweet combinations.

In just over two years, Love Crepe has grown beyond what the brothers had imagined, but Michael says a big part of their success has been their commitment to a quality product and consistency.

“It’s harder with Greek cooking, because with our mums and dads they just put a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar here and there, and sometimes the pinch can be heavier than not. But we try and be more strict with our recipes, trying to follow them vigilantly, to keep a consistent product so that every time they come they know they’re getting that,” he explains.

With their family originating from the island of Kalymnos, their origins, Greek upbringing and the hospitality for which Greeks are renowned has also undoubtedly played a role.

“From what I’ve grown up learning, it’s about looking after your customers, but without realising it – it’s not forced, it comes naturally. Shouting something here and there at the right time without knowing it was the right time to do it, and taking the time to talk to your customers,” he says.

Meanwhile taking their hospitality to the next level in a bid to recreate that European experience, they also offer coffees – even iced Greek ones the likes of Freddo Cappucino – until closing time, something parts of Sydney, and the Australian dining culture as a whole, has yet to catch up with.

“It’s hard to get a coffee at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, let alone at night. Put it this way, we’ve packed up, said goodnight, and they’ve got their takeaway cup and they’re enjoying their conversation, that’s how relaxed it is. People just want to hang out with their friends and chat over a coffee, and there’s only a handful of places you can do that.”

Now you can add Love Crepe to your go-to list.

Love Crepe is located at Shop 1, 104 Miller St, Pyrmont, NSW and Shop 10, 216 Lyons Rd, Drummoyne, NSW. For more, get social on Instagram @lovecrepe and on Facebook @lovecrepedrummoyne