Cafes & Lunch in Montreal | QC, Canada

More than dining in Montreal, I was super excited about the daytime meals… going to cute little cafés, eating croissants, drinking coffee & cappuccino, and strolling the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal.  If you find yourself in Montreal, at the very least make sure you take the time to enjoy a croissant, a cappuccino, and a cup of hot chocolate.  On my very recent trip, my absolute favorite places to eat in Montreal were Olive et Gourmando and The Mon Café coming in second place.  Enjoy!

1. The Mon Cafe (early lunch + coffee)
Cute cafe in Old Montreal with excellent cappuccino.
My husband and I started with a cup of cappuccino each, excellent.
We then split a warm Tuna Panini Sandwich and Cream of Broccoli Soup.  The sandwich was so delicious made with mayo, lettuce, tomato, and boiled egg.  We both really enjoyed the sandwich and were pretty full with just half a sandwich each.  The soup was good, not overly creamy, and it didn’t have a prominent broccoli flavor… it wasn’t amazing. 
LOCATION: 376 Notre Dame St. West, Montreal, QC.
MENU: The Mon Cafe menu
COST: $$
CUISINE: Cafes/Breakfast & Brunch
VERDICT: 4 / 5
The Mon Cafe was the first place my husband and I ate at, and also my husband’s favorite place on the entire trip.  We were both excited to eat the famous The Mon Café (TMC) croissants, however by 11 am all the croissants were sold out.  See, this is the kind of stuff I have issues with… clearly a good café, but when you’re famous for something, why are you sold out of that particular item by 11 am?!?!?  Make some more!  There are barely any veggie options on the menu aside from delicious & greasy Grilled Cheese, but luckily there was tuna and we opted for a Tuna Panini which was delicious.  Dropped a point due to the croissant issue and average soup!  Recommended.
Food: Good | Drinks: Good | Décor: Good (charming) | Service: Good | Value: Good

2. Café CC (snack break)
An average, random crepe cafe on Rue Saint Catherine.  It was okay food in a cute setting.
While I went for a cup of hot coffee which was yummy, my husband went for a beer.  Ahem, clearly I put on some weight.  🙂
We also split a savory vegetarian crepe made with spinach, zucchini, and cheese.  The crepe was pretty ordinary, and not too bad.  It was just okay.
LOCATION: 374 Rue Saint Catherine, Montreal QC.
MENU: n/a
COST: $
CUISINE: Crepes/Cafes 
VERDICT: 3 / 5
Since we had a 10 pm reservation at L’Express later that night, my husband and I stopped for savory crepes around 6 pm to hold us over.  We randomly picked a spot on Rue Saint Catherine and it was just okay.  Skip this!
Food: Average-Good (ordinary) | Drinks: Good | Décor: Good (charming) | Service: Good | Value: Good

3. Olive et Gourmando (bakery + sandwiches)
A highly hyped up cafe on Rue Saint Paul in Old Montreal with quick service.  A must do in Montreal!
First, check out the variety of baked goods.  I was soooooooooooooooo excited! 
I started with a cup of coffee, whereas my husband went for a cup of cappuccino.  The coffee was okay, maybe a bit stale in flavor, the cappuccino was legit, check out the color… so yummy!  I loved how they served water in what appears to be a bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Olive + Gourmando as the label… very cool.
After reading rave reviews about the Almond Croissant, I had to get one.  It was delicious and so buttery and moist on the inside.  The best Almond Croissant I’ve ever had. 
We also ordered a Snickers Square (bottom right), a blondie loaded with lots of nuts… it was good, although it could have been a little more moist.
Since we weren’t in the mood to eat cold meat, we opted for the Viva Las Vegan, a cold vegetarian sandwich served on homemade organic grilled bread.  The contents of the sandwich included hummus, dill pickles, grilled tofu, caramelized onions, green olives, tomatoes, and arugula.  How delicious does that sound?  This sandwich was really tasty and I loved the scrumptious combination of green olives and hummus, not to mention tofu is a great source of protein for vegetarians.  Delicious for me, just okay for my husband.
LOCATION: 351 Rue Saint Paul W, Montreal, QC.
MENU: Olive et Gourmando menu
COST: $$
CUISINE: Bakeries/Cafes/Sandwiches
VERDICT: 4.5 / 5
So my husband thought this adorable cafe was just okay and all fluff.  Say what?  I live for fluff.  Well whatever.  As I did my research, Olive et Gourmando was one of the most talked about cafe to visit.

In terms of ambience, I loved the look of this adorable and charming bakery, it just has so much character… love the reddish brown paint color and branch twigs all around.  Olive et Gourmando offers coffees and sandwiches, in addition to a gamut of baked goods to choose from.  I was in heaven!

Now the downfall, Olive et Gourmando does not take reservations so be prepared to wait, but it’s worth it.  The first time I visited I was asked to wait 40 minutes, hence we left.  The next day we stopped here for a quick bite and we were asked to wait about 20 minutes, and thus we waited.  Although there is a wait, this cute bakery is worth visiting at least for a delicious almond croissant.  But, but, but… if you can’t wait, just take it to go.  Highly Recommended.
Food: Very Good | Drinks: Very Good | Décor: Excellent (charming) | Service: Very Good (prompt) | Value: Good

4. Suite 88 Chocolatier (hot chocolate + coffee break)
Awesome hot chocolate and amazing biscotti.  Prices a little higher than the norm.
I had a cup of Cappuccino which was just okay, yes, a lot of foam, but it was okay.
My husband had a cup of Dark Hot Chocolate which was really well made, the perfect blend of chocolate and milk.  Delicious.
We ended with 4 little pieces of Almond Biscotti, a little pricy for what we got, but also hit the spot.
LOCATION: 1225 Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, QC.
MENU: Suite 88 Chocolatier menu
COST: $$
CUISINE: Chocolate Shop/Desserts/Cafe
VERDICT: 4 / 5
Referred to as the Chocolate Lounge, I adored the atmosphere at Suite 88 Chocolatier… a cute little upscale coffee place with higher than usual prices, but so nice.  This lovely café offers hot chocolate, coffees, ice cream, cookies, cakes, and more.  If you’re in the mood for some hot chocolate, this place is worth checking out.  Mildly Recommended.
Food: n/a | Drinks: Very Good | Décor: Trendy/Chic | Service: Very Good | Value: Average

TELL ME: Have you been to Montreal?  What is your favorite bakery/café/lunch place?