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Old Montréal is home to some of the city's hippest and most charming bistros and fine-dining restaurants—all tucked into heritage buildings. Foodies eat wild game and fresh seafood while drinking imported wine. Many of the better restaurants have a reasonable table d'hôte at lunch. Daily changing menus written on chalkboards are a common sight, since market-fresh food is popular.
Influential types arrive at lunchtime en masse for a table at this bustling bakery and sandwich shop where vegetables are organically grown in a nearby garden. Crowd pleasers include the Cuban panini sandwich and the #24 salad with pickled daikon, peanuts, roasted marinated tofu, fresh herbs, and soba noodles. There is now a second location in the new Royalmount mall.
Undoubtedly the most strikingly beautiful café in Montréal, perhaps even in North America, Crew Collective and Café is housed inside a former 1920s-era bank that's fitted with 50-foot-high vaulted ceilings, multiple arches, marble flooring, intricate tiling, and bronze chandeliers. It's no wonder Forbes named it one of the five most beautiful coworking spaces in the world. The café doubles as a coworking space for Web start-ups, so it’s only fitting that patrons be able to order their coffee and nibbles directly online, in real time, without ever having to queue. Expect barista-approved brews, gourmet sandwiches, and an appetizing range of baked goods, including vegan, soy-free, and nut-free options.
