One of the little things my wife and I enjoyed while traveling in Paris was finding good coffee nearly everywhere we went. You could walk up to the counter in small neighborhood places and order a cup of freshly brewed cafe au lait or expresso made a cup at a time and maybe a nice pastry.

Are there many places like this in Montreal, or have Starbucks type of establishments taken over? Just wondering.

First of all, Starbucks makes a good cup of coffee.

Second of all, Second Cup makes a good cup of coffee. So does Timpthy's.

But for something less commonplace, keep you eye peeled for Cafe Vienna, which was my favorite when I lived there, and Van Houtte, which is another mid-sized chain.

And, depending on where you are, you'll find lots of small cafes selling fair, good, and excellent coffee.
BAK

There are some terrific cafes here and there, along with quite a few patisseries withe expresso machines/drinks.

As mentioned above, though, you'll find Second Cup shops all over, with magnificent cafe au lait, expresso, nice pastries.

Hi

I live in Montreal and have this to say. I find Second Cup coffee abysmal; I always have this weird aftertaste in my mouth that one should just not have after a really good cup. Van Houtte is about as good as Second Cup. Starbuck's is a step up, but frankly in my opinion overpriced for what you get, not to mention the cold, corporate service. You can do much better in Montreal.

By principle, I tend to prefer to get "fair trade coffee"...if you're at all interested in this in Montreal, look for "cafe equitable" signs on the cafe. JavaU is a chain in the city that serves this at Starbuck's prices of about Starbuck's quality. Brulerie St. Denis and Cafe Vienne I think of about on par with JavaU.

Now for the step above: the owner of Cafe Rico (Boyer, corner Rachel) is great, gets all his coffee from Central American cooperatives that paid workers decent wages, is well-informed on fair-trade coffee; I used to get a cup for a loonie with free refill of blends that were just out of this world deeeelicious. (Makes you realize how much Starbuck's is extorting money out of you!)

I also enjoy Cafe Arpi and Daskalides(Laurier & Parc)in Mile End...the latter's hot chocolate is OUT OF THIS WORLD as well. For a great Italian coffee, Open Da Night (Saint-Viateur near Saint-Urbain) is also excellent. Atlantique in Cote des Neiges is also excellent; try their strudel and cakes... a warm, welcoming ambience.

All of which to say, cafes in this city are hit-and-miss, depending where you go.

BTW, on a different subject, if you have any interest in TEA, incidentally, I've made some great discoveries of late in that department.

Just my $0.02

Best coffee in Montreal:

Café Griffintown
1378 Notre-Dame ouest

I love Griffintown and agree about their coffee; I also enjoy it when the owner starts singing, he's something else !! Lots of antique shops to browse in that area.

Cafe Presse also has terrible coffee; Java U's coffee is decent and their baked goods are excellent.

Daniel, interesting thoughts and remarks; I'll try some of your suggestions, my daughter is moving in the Plateau so I'll have a chance to explore that area also for cafes....

There's a coffee shop in Westmount that also sells machines; apparently their expresso is to die for.... I think it's on Victoria , south of Sherbrooke...

Thanks for your replies and the information. I'm planning a visit for next year and will be posting questions occasionally, the next one probably on restaurants. Will defintely try some of the coffee suggestions posted here; Cafe Vienna, Atlantique and Cafe Griffintown all sound great.

This is not really related to curiousgeo's question but i thought i'd ask as i wondering all along..

is it 'cafe au lait' or 'cafe ole'? I recall seeing the latter on a menu card in montreal.

thanks for clarifications

It is café au lait, but it does pronounce as cafe olay, cafe ole might have been in a mexican restaurant, LOL !!

The lattes in EggSpectation - a great place to eat breakfast - are quite good.

I'm looking for great hot chocolate; recently had some in Spain that was like liquid pudding. Where can I find that in Montreal?

Dan_Williams: Hi! Tell me about your "tea discoveries"!!!! I have been a coffee addict for many years but lately I find myself pulling out the old kettle & teapot! Nothing like wrapping your cold hands around a hot mug of tea (coffee never to seems get as hot as tea! And, the "teacup thing" doesn't do it for me on a cold day!)

Wow (thanks for asking!), two recent discoveries include:

Camelia Sinensis: On the little street parallel between blvd. de Maisonneuve and ave Ontario and slightly west of rue Saint Denis in the Quartier Latin (metro: Berri-UQAM). Dark lighting, burgundies and golds, with a philosopher Bohemian peaceful calm. Green, yellow and many teas from around the world served in heirloom-looking wooden or metal teapots; their menu of teas is quite extensive, good for repeat visits. Green tea truffles from Un Deux Trois Chocolat in the Jean Talon Market area were one delicious choice on the pastry/dessert plate. Prices are reasonable.

O Chai, on Saint Denis, just above Mont Royal (Metro: Mont Royal). Wooden tables, charming teapots, bohemian, Lesbian-popular establishment: good place to go with a book and sip on some delicious fresh spice chai. Their chai is so delicious; one of these days, I'll actually have to try something else .

Have fun! DAN