Montreal is known for its food scene but also for having the most amazing coffee shops with even better views. From Old Montreal to the Mile End, you can spend hours in these cafés with friends, working, reading, or just taking in the vibes. Here are the perfect places to stop for an unforgettable café experience in Montreal.
Crew Collective Café in Old Montreal
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The award for the most awe-inspiring coffee shop in Montreal goes to the Crew Collective. Located in a beautiful building of what used to be the Royal Bank of Canada headquarters, this Old Montreal coffee shop has you walk the marble stairs where you can look up and admire the neoclassical ornaments, complete with a 50 foot-high ceiling and copper chandeliers. One of the best coffee shops in Montreal where your coffee, homemade tea or drink can be ordered online without even having to get up from your seat. This café is highly very popular amongst freelancers who spend the day here enjoying the good WiFi and healthy meals.
Le Darling
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Le Darling is the meet-up place in the trendy Portuguese district of Montreal. With its 150 seats, it definitely is one of the biggest Montreal coffee shops. Between steampunk and art deco, green plants and big windows, this brasserie-style space offers amazing coffees and lattes with beans from Toronto’s Pilot Coffee Roasters. The brunch menu here has a wide selection of smørrebrød, open sandwiches with toppings such as beef tartare, mackerel or salmon. Sink into the comfortable sofa overlooking Saint-Laurent Boulevard and just take it easy. Bonus for you night-owls out there: this cafe is open very late, until 3 a.m. every day. You can’t get more Montreal than that!
La Graine Brûlée
Head to the Village to enjoy an amazing coffee at the very brightly coloured La Graine Brûlée. Complete with a carousel, giraffe patterns, Ferris wheel, yellow and turquoise colours, picnic tables, garlands of lights and even an arcade corner with Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64, this is not your ordinary café. Don’t forget to check out the toilets (yes, the toilets!), as they’re quite the sight to see. Its proximity to UQAM (Montreal’s main French university) makes it a place of choice for Montreal’s huge student population. Enjoy the outdoor patio during summertime, ideally located right on Ste-Catherine Street.
Arts Café
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Walking on Fairmount Avenue in Montreal’s historic Mile End district, you will stumble on one of the most photogenic cafés of the moment: the Arts Café. A truly organized bazaar, the Arts Café is a pretty jumble of books, light bulbs, and furniture, all enhanced by beautiful daylight. As soon as you walk in, you are struck by the peaceful and arty atmosphere of this space. Instagram aficionados will love the large windows facing Fairmount Avenue and the many green plants and light bulbs hanging at different heights. The Arts Café is as pleasant for coffee as it is for brunch, which it offers every weekend. As a bonus, a pretty and very cozy terrace on the Avenue de l’Esplanade side each summer.
Pikolo Espresso Bar
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Located slightly north of the popular Quartier des Spectacles, Pikolo Espresso Bar is a true Montreal institution with coffees prepared to bring out the intrinsic character of each cup. This Montreal downtown Coffee shop has you taste the delicious pastries from Hof Kelsten and Godley & Crème or grab one to go. As its name suggests the place is small and crowded, but its worth a stop before exploring the rest of the city!
Paquebot
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Le Paquebot Café now has three locations for the best coffee: its first location, in Rosemont-Petite-Patrie on Bélanger Street, in Old Montreal on St-Laurent Boulevard, and in the Plateau on Mont-Royal Avenue. At each address, find a décor that suits you: lush greenery, an array of record jackets and retro accessories. Paquebot Café was also recently named the top eco-friendly coffee shop by Th3rdwave Coffee! People are always coming back here for the outstanding service and to buy their house products like their homemade kombucha.
180g
This is probably the most well-hidden coffee shop in Montreal. Le 180g is a café-slash-record store located in Rosemont, where you’ll find a throwback music store vibe with rows of vinyl displayed near the coffee counter. Browse through their collection of old, new, or used, and listen to a vinyl or two while tasting a classic cappuccino or cortado from the Montreal roaster St-Henri. From jazz to funk, soul, disco, and hip-hop, this is the kind of coffee shop where you can hang out all day. Keep on digging and you might find CDs, movies, and old-style posters; 180 g is the perfect hipster and musical-lover coffee shop in Montreal.
Montreal Travel and Good Guides
What’s your favorite coffee shop in Montreal? There are so many of them, we want to know which ones you go to when you’re in town! Looking for more inspiration for your trip? Make sure to read our guide on the top things to do in Montreal and our Montreal nightlife guide.
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