I have always coined Montreal as my favourite city in the world. The liveliness of the city… its abundance of art and culture… its food and drink scene. My love for Montreal means I visit the city multiple times a year (and I couldn’t even tell you how many times I’ve been to the city at this point). In late November/early December 2022, I spent two weeks in Montreal, and during this time, I made sure to dedicate time to partake in my favourite activity: visiting coffee shops.
Should you be visiting Montreal soon, I’ve compiled all the coffee shops I visited during my stay. The list of great coffee shops in Montreal is long, and I can’t wait to see what cafés I’ll hit up the next time I’m in the city. Read Part 1 here.
Structure Roasters – 460 Rue McGill (Cité Multimedia)
What I ordered: regular drip coffee
I make an effort to try locally roasted coffees in my travels, so Structure Roasters is just up my alley. Structure’s coffee is roasted and packaged in Montreal, and if you’re looking for a bags of beans to bring home, or simply one cup to try, their Rue McGill storefront has you covered. The café itself is quite small so you may miss it when walking down the street (their sidewalk signboard helps!) but the space is used well; one of their walls displays the many different coffee beans you can choose from, and in the middle of the room, there is a compact coffee bar and pastry counter. There are a few tables/seats for patrons to utilize (but given it is a fairly small café, don’t heavily rely on getting a seat).
Pastel Rita – 5761 St Laurent Blvd (Mile End)
What I ordered: iced lime latte (house specialty)
Pastel Rita has to be one of the prettiest cafés in Montreal and if I lived in the city, this would be one I’d frequent. The space is gorgeous with its large windows and pink, green, and yellow colour scheme. Despite the chilly weather on the day of my visit, I opted for the house’s specialty drink - an iced lime latte – and let me tell you… there are 0 regrets. Smooth and refreshing, this a drink is definitely one I’ll be ordering again. Along with coffee, the café also serves a selection of sandwiches and other food, making it a popular spot for brunch. If you want a seat at the café, come early as locals seem to love the spot as much as I do. (My picture above doesn't do the shop justice - check them out on IG!)
OSMO x MARUSAN - Rue Sherbrooke O (Milton Park)
What I ordered: OSMO latte, tamago sando, matcha cookie
I’ll start off by saying this café may be difficult to find on Google Maps (or at least I struggled finding it, but to be fair, navigation isn’t my strong suit) but wow, this was probably my favourite find of my trip. Executing delicious Japanese eats in a fashionable industrial-style space, the only way to describe the vibe of OSMO x MARUSAN is really, really cool. I visited the café on a weekday around lunch, and it was so busy that I had to grab my food and latte to-go as all the seats were taken; the café is popular to bring your laptop and work at. I’ll definitely be visiting again to try more of their lunch offerings, but fingers crossed I can find a seat next time to fully enjoy its space!
CAFFETTIERA – 2055 Rue Stanley (Downtown Montreal)
What I ordered: caffe nocciola (espresso + hazelnut cream), seasonal Italian cookie
Take your classic Italian café and modernize it - that’s how I’d describe CAFFETTIERA. Albeit they wouldn’t describe themselves as a café at all, but as a Bar Italiano. Serving a selection of coffees, eats, baked goods, and even cocktails, whatever you refer to it as, it’s a great spot to visit. I really like the look of the space with its bright colours, high ceilings, and vintage flairs (I especially like their seating arrangements). Even more so, I like the energy it radiates – going back to the classic Italian café vibe, CAFFETTIERA feels like a gathering space rather than your run of the mill coffee shop, which I really appreciate.
Cafe Anuja – 1448 Rue Sherbrooke O (Quartier Concordia)
What I ordered: Persian Fog (house specialty), saffron cake
Steps away from The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is Cafe Anuja, a basement-level café specializing in Persian food and drink. This eclectically furnished café has a homey vibe and offers abundant seating, making it perfect for all types of visitors – from small group coffee dates to solo laptop working sessions. Whatever you end up ordering (the Persian Fog was delightful and I’d get it again), I’d highly recommend getting a sweet to accompany it; the unique flavours of their sweets should not be missed out on, especially if Persian food isn’t a delicacy you eat often. I plan to return in the future to try their brunch.
Café Olimpico – 124 Rue Saint-Viateur O (Mile End) [multiple locations]
What I ordered: cappuccino (topped with chocolate powder)
Café Olimpico is my favourite café in the city hands down. This location specifically has my heart as it is their OG location from when they first opened in the 70s; take a look around and that fact won’t surprise you - it feels like you’re in one of those classic, infamous Italian coffee shops. Serving classic Italian coffee shop fair, you can’t go wrong with anything you order, but I especially love their cappuccinos and bombolinis. Another small thing I appreciate at the café: all prices are tax inclusive.
Éclair – 12 Rue Maguire (Mile End)
What I ordered: flat white
If you’re a thirdwave coffee fan, this is the café for you. Serving high quality coffee from Berlin, Germany and Victoria, British Columbia, the coffee shop promises to “offer good coffee with good service” and you get just that. As such, you can’t go wrong with whatever you order. The café’s seating arrangement is especially attractive; you can watch your drink being brewed at the bar from their green velvet stools, or cozy up at the front couch area (that has a very 70s sunken living room vibe). I stumbled upon this café on my walk back from another coffee shop, and I am so glad I made the decision to be extra caffeinated that day as this was a gem of a find.
Have you visited any of these cafés before? Do you have any recommendations of where I should visit next time I’m in Montreal? Connect with me on Instagram and let me know!