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!
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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?
Akila says
I think you are a great coffee lover... You tasted so many varieties... Love the first cup of coffee with loads of foam...
honeywhatscooking says
Definitely a coffee lover, but outside the home. I can't make good coffee for my life. I love lots of foam too.
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker says
I am hungry just looking at your food photos Honey! The tuna panini sandwich looks delicious!
honeywhatscooking says
Thanks Anne... glad the pics made you hungry. The tuna panini was very good.
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
Girl, i don't know what made you think that you've put on weight.
And I love that you guys are coffee aficionados. Can you sense my inner-coffee-lover excitement?
Delicious eats! I'm too smitten with cute quaint cobble-stoned cafes. Need to move to NYC soon, me thinks 😀
honeywhatscooking says
Ohhhh... just a little chubbiness on my face.. I can tell, other people probably can't tell. Yup, definitely love coffee outside, but I don't ever make it at home, I think my coffee maker sucks or I just don't know how to make good coffee. Love cobblestone streets.
Khushboo says
Is it weird that I want to lick the foam off the screen- yum! I need to stop ordering my cappuccinos with soy milk- it doesn't seem to be able to produce as much froth as cows' milk! I remember brunching at this place called Eggs-pectations in Montreal which was awesome...a whole menu based around eggs- I was in heaven :)!
honeywhatscooking says
No, it's not weird. I have to try cappuccino with soy milk and see the difference, I love coffee with cow's milk. Yes, I saw Eggs-pectations, it is a chain in Montreal, I should have gone there 1 day, had no clue it was just around the corner from where we were staying. Looked good.
Alexis @ Hummusapien says
I've never been to Montreal, but I love seeing all of your delish food pics! That tuna sandwich and broccoli soup combo sounds fabulous!
honeywhatscooking says
It's a cool city to visit, cafes are fun, I didn't care for the dining experience though. Tuna sandwich was really good. 🙂
Tara says
You are such a jetsetter! I would love to visit Montreal one day, especially because it's so close to America and doesn't require a 10+ hour plane ride.
honeywhatscooking says
Haha... I wish, but I can see that. Love traveling and exploring new cultures, but definitely need a good break before the next adventure. It certainly helps when a city is only an hour flight, but I don't mind the 10 hours if the country I'm visiting is gorgeous. 🙂
Parita says
Mouth watering. Everything looks SO good. And what is up with the restaurants running out of their claim to fame items!?
honeywhatscooking says
Thanks... the cafes were really good. I know.. who runs out of croissants at 11 am???? Dude, that's the time I wake up!
Asmita says
Hi Nisha,
All the food looks incredibly delicious! The snicker square look yum! I definitely need to visit Montreal soon.
honeywhatscooking says
Thanks Asmita.. the snicker square looked better than it tasted... too many nuts and not enough moisture. Definitely worth visiting Montreal, it's a cool city.
Georgia | The Comfort of Cooking says
How fun! Looks like you've had such a great time in Montreal and visited some really sensational little places. Thanks for sharing!
honeywhatscooking says
Thanks.. it was a nice time, loved the cafes.
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
I've never been to Montreal but I'd love to visit someday. I love croissants and hot chocolate anywhere so I'm sure that will be part of my itinerary, too 🙂
honeywhatscooking says
It's a nice city to visit... love croissants too.. the almond croissant was like the highlight of my trip.
Amelia Grace says
I love a cafe In Delhi called 'Mocha' (have you been there?) according to my husband they have a great selection of coffee...and I love their chai latte...it's real chai with milk and they serve it in a really big mug.
I like the almond croissant in your pics !
honeywhatscooking says
YESSSSSSSSSSS.. I've been to Mocha in GK, it was amazing! There is this cake there that is similar to the Molten Lava Cake, it may have been called Lava Lava. Phenom! Actually, I love the coffees and cappuccinos in India, being that it is a tea lovers country, I find their coffess to be milder and I prefer that. I can't wait for my next trip... we have to meet up!
Asha Shivakumar says
It's been exactly 12 years since I visited Montreal and memories are fresh. I enjoyed the history and the beautiful bright cafes around. We would've chugged on so many croissants, I don't remember, but it was all good. Just looking at all the coffee, makes me wanna make one now..
Nice to meet you..
honeywhatscooking says
Thanks Asha... glad you enjoyed the post. I loved the cappuccino in Montreal.
Tina @ Tinas Chic Corner says
That dark hot chocolate looks amazing! My husband and I traveled to Canada back in 2011. Montreal was one of our stops, amongst other cities, and we really enjoyed our time there. Gorgeous city. The food was awesome and we hope to return some day soon. 🙂
honeywhatscooking says
Thanks Tina. I liked Montreal, but I didn't love it. I hope to visit Quebec City sometime next year, I hope. 🙂