In one origin story, what assistant waiter accidentally created Crêpes Suzette?
Answer
Henri Charpentier
Answer
Henri Charpentier
In one origin story, the assistant waiter who accidentally created Crêpes Suzette was Henri Charpentier.
The best-known version says that Charpentier, then a 14-year-old assistant waiter, was preparing dessert in 1895 at the Café de Paris in Monte Carlo. A liqueur sauce caught fire in the chafing dish. Rather than discard the dessert, he tasted the result and served the flambéed crêpes to the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, whose party included a woman named Suzette.
Charpentier later claimed that the prince suggested renaming the dessert Crêpes Suzette. The dish is now associated with beurre Suzette: caramelized sugar and butter combined with citrus juice and zest, traditionally finished with an orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier, triple sec or Curaçao.
The story is not settled history. Larousse Gastronomique questioned whether Charpentier was actually serving the prince at that age, and another account credits the dish’s naming or flambé presentation to the actress Suzanne Reichenberg and restaurateur Joseph. Because the question specifies “one origin story,” Henri Charpentier is the canonical answer for that particular version.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026