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Montreal is my favourite city in Canada. It has the perfect blend of history, culture, and affordability. There are so many interesting neighbourhoods with amazing restaurants and independent stores. Plus, Montreal’s coffee scene is one of the best in the world.
My wife and I are coffee lovers and spend a lot of time in cafes, so I’m guessing we’ve tried more than 40 of the best-rated cafes in the city.
Unfortunately, many of the commonly recommended cafes online don’t serve quality third-wave coffee. Most ‘best cafes in Montreal” articles share the popular cafes instead of the best cafes. All the cafes I recommend on this list have high-quality third-wave coffee and espresso, which means you can’t go wrong by choosing any of them.
When it comes to choosing the best cafes in Montreal, my criteria are based 50% on the coffee and 50% on the atmosphere. Cafes have to serve good espresso and they need to have a lively atmosphere. My criteria disqualifies popular cafes like Cafe Olimpico and Cafe Club Social in Mile End. Both have great outdoor patios and are very lively spaces to meet, but that old-school Italian espresso is not much above instant coffee in quality. Plus, they are lacking in decor and basic cleaning. With so many coffee choices in the city, life is far too short for mediocre coffee. You also won’t find Tim Horton’s or Starbucks on my list.
Good coffee, in my opinion, is third-wave style coffee with higher quality beans roasted lightly to bring out the distinctive flavour. Cafés must offer a variety of espresso-based drinks and latte art is expected. If you are paying $4+ for a cup of coffee, it should be presented well.
But without further ado, here are the 13 best cafes in Montreal!
13. Café Myriade
Location: 4627 Saint-Denis St (Multiple locations)
Cafe Myriade is a growing chain in the city, so that takes away some of its appeal. However, the coffee is good and the atmosphere of the cafés is nice. They now have five locations, which makes it convenient for many people in Montreal.
My favourite location is the St. Denis location just off of Mont-Royal. It has long tables and benches that encourage interaction rather than working.
If it’s a nice day, you might want to try the Mont Royal branch because of its bigger outdoor patio. It’s only a few minutes away from Jeanne Meance Park at the base of the mountain and once you have a caffeine kick, you should definitely hike up Mont Royal. The views of the city are amazing.
12. Le Grand Cormoran
Location: 1034 Avenue du Mont-Royal E
Le Grand Cormoran is one of the newer cafés on the list, but the coffee is great and they really did a beautiful job on the interior design.
It doesn’t have the public square vibe that I cherish in a cafe, but a lot of time and money went into the furniture and decor. In the summer, they have a big outdoor patio to enjoy Avenue du Mont Royal when it closes for cars. This is a great place to stop when you are walking around the Plateau.
It’s also a little pricey, but the quality of the coffee is very good, so it’s worth it. You can pay extra to get their recommended beans, but I prefer the nuttier standard espresso.
11. Café Neve
Location: 151 Rue Rachel East
Café Neve is a cozy spot right next to the popular bike path on Rue Rachel, which is very close to the Jeanne Mance Park at the base of Mont Royal mountain. They have delicious home-baked sweets and good lunch options. The espresso is good and it’s always a lively place to hang out.
The lack of an outdoor patio makes it less attractive, but it’s still one of the best cafes in Montreal.
10. In Gamba
Location: 5263 Avenue Du Parc
In Gamba is a great café not far from the mountain on Avenue Du Parc in Montreal’s Mile End. They have a nice outdoor space that is great for people-watching on the busy street. The modern minimalist interior has comfortable sofas and chairs that make this a great place to hang out with friends in a less hurried setting.
It’s not my favorite place for pastries but they offer a large selection of coffee beans from different roasters.
In Gamba also has a new location in nearby Mile End on St. Viateur. It has a very cozy atmosphere with a couple of nice big sofas.
9. Crew Collective & Café
Location: 360 Rue Saint-Jacques
Crew Collective is a huge co-working space in a downtown Montreal heritage building. It’s a former Royal Bank of Canada Building, retaining the original high ceilings, marble mosaic floor, bank counters and chandeliers from the 1920s. It’s a truly beautiful space and is a typical stop on some of the best Montreal tours. By far, it’s the nicest building of any cafe in the city. It’s a massive space that is generally full so it feels like you’re in an exciting 19th century train station or bustling Parisian hotel. I love the feeling of cafes like this. It’s definitely worth a visit.
Crew Collective offers a very unique experience compared to all the other cafes on this list and is also very close to the Old Port if you are in the area.
8. Merchants Pinsons
Location: 1546 Laurier Avenue East
This is a small cafe on Laurier that has great coffee. I love the natural wood counters and tables. This is another cafe where the owners obviously put some thought into the design. Merchants Pinsons is the only cafe on this list that has a no wifi policy, which is something I really love. More cafes should do this. With no internet, you might just have to talk with some locals. The cafe is small but it’s nice to sit on the benches outside and people watch on Laurier Avenue.
This area of Laurier is known as the Petite Plateau. There are some great local restaurants here and Laurier Park is just up the street. It’s a lively park with lots of music performers, summer events and a perfect place to enjoy a day under the trees of Montreal.
Some of the good restaurants nearby include Nikkei, a brilliant Japanese Peruvian fusion tapas restaurant, Antipode, a popular brunch restaurant and TriExpress, one of the better sushi restaurants in the city.
7. Café Reine Garçon
Location: 611 Duluth Avenue East
While not much money went into the decor of this cafe, I really like the artsy atmosphere. This cafe gets bonus points for being on Duluth, one of my favourite streets in the city. The street has cobblestone blocks with limited traffic, making it the perfect spot to cycle or walk.
After coffee at Reine Garcon, check out one of my favourite restaurants in Montreal, Jardin de Panos. This is an old-school, bring-your-own-wine Greek restaurant with no corkage fees. The calamari is amazing.
6. Café Larue & Fils
Location: 244 Rue de Castelnau East
This is a cozy cafe on Rue de Castelnau in Villeray, which is close to the Jean-Talon Market. Café Larue & Fils offers a good cup of joe, but what I like most is that Rue de Castelnau is closed off to cars in the summer months, making the benches outside a great place to enjoy the vibes of a popular Montreal neighbourhood.
Villeray is a cool area of Montreal with many old-school ethnic shops and stores. Skip the busy cafes of Jean Talon and chill out here for a while.
5. Croissant Croissant
Location: 2270 Avenue Mont-Royal East
Up the street on Mont-Royal, you’ll find the Croissant Croissant bakery cafe started by a French couple. While the atmosphere is not quite on par with some of the other cafes on this list, the coffee is delicious and they have some of the best croissants in the city. It’s worth making the trek up here just for the croissants. We love the chocolate croissants but the almond ones are also amazing.
They sell coffee beans from many of the top roasters in the city. The espresso they serve changes regularly but it’s always great. It also happens to be one of the least expensive cafes in the city. Espresso drinks can be a dollar cheaper than some of the pricier cafes in Montreal. While you are here, check out the T-shirt printing shop on the same side of the street. You’ll find many hand-printed Montreal T-shirts that are perfect souvenirs from your trip to Montreal.
4. Cafe Pista
Location: 1587 St Laurent Blvd
Pista is a local coffee roaster that also has some great cafes. The location in Rosemont is nice, but my favourite is the one on St. Laurent Blvd. in the Quartier des Spectacles. That particular part of St. Laurent is a little sketchy, but the interior of the cafe is large and very welcoming. It has a mid-century modern feel that is warm and creative. It feels great just walking in there. It’s only a short walk to Place des Arts, so Pista is a great starting point to explore the shops on St. Catherine Street and it’s not too far to Old Montreal.
3. Cafe Alphabet
Location: 5765 rue Clark
This is another newer cafe on this list. It just opened last year on the corner of Clark and Rue in Mile End. This is Ambros Coffee Roasters’ first cafe and they executed it brilliantly. I love it when the owners put this much care and design into their business. Since this is their first cafe, the owners are often on-site. Two brothers run the business, along with help from their father. That gets bonus points. It’s a different experience when someone with stakes in the business is working there every day. Unfortunately, laptops generally occupy all the tables and counters indoors but the outdoor patio is great to get some sun and talk to locals.
2. Ohayo
Location: 145 Mont-Royal Avenue East
This is not only one of the best cafes in Montreal but also the newest cafe on the list.
The corner location is fantastic with huge windows that open wide in warmer weather. It’s such a bright and open space, which has helped to make it very popular on Mont-Royal. It is in the perfect spot in The Plateau just down the street from the mountain.
They serve Monogram coffee from the Calgary coffee roasters in stunning, thick, translucent green glasses. It’s great espresso in beautiful cups surrounded by the perfect environment. They also have some delicious modern-style Japanese food including katsu curry, tantanmen ramen, karaage burger, ebi burger, tomago sandwich, and dorayaki. After all, the owners also own the neighbouring Japanese restaurant, Otto. Ohayo is their latest offering of both delicious coffee and delicious Japanese food. Ohayao means good morning in Japanese.
They have daily specials so the menu rotates regularly. My Japanese wife loved the Hotaru Ika pasta special the last time we visited.
Come for lunch, but make sure you stay for the coffee. This is truly a beautiful cafe worthy of your visit.
1. September Café
Location: 2471 Notre-Dame West
September Cafe is easily one of the best cafes in Montreal. It has excellent coffee and the best atmosphere of any cafe I’ve visited in Montreal. The owner is a surfer, so the cafe has surfing magazines and memorabilia. The name “September” apparently pays homage to the best month for surfing.
It can get really busy here, but that is part of its appeal. Many local workers come here for lunch so you might want to avoid noon. The best time of day to visit is around 10:00 am.
I love the big windows of the old-style shop. You can sit right at the window and get some sun. The food and drinks are a little pricey, but they are also first-rate.
In the summer, there is a big outdoor patio that gets lots of sun all day. It’s also very close to Atwater market, so you can make a day of it and explore the market and the canals after your coffee.
After Enjoying a Great Cup of Coffee in Montreal
Take it from a local. These are the Best Cafes in Montreal. If you’re really looking for the best coffee, a great atmosphere, and a wonderful location, add these 13 coffee shops in Montreal to your list. They will not disappoint. I frequent all of them regularly. September, Ohayo, and Alphabet are my top three, all for different reasons. For lunch, I’d go to Ohayo. To sit outside on a beautiful day, I’d go to Alphabet. September is great all the time, not just in September 🙂
Unfortunately, Old Montreal doesn’t have any cafes worthy of adding to this list. The Old Port is a great place to visit, but if you want a good cup of coffee you’ll need to explore the city. Have fun!
For more things to do in Montreal, check out these guides below:
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