Indie coffee shops in Montréal
From third wave coffee shops to hidden gems serving espresso, Montréal’s indie coffee shops have it all. Any true coffee connoisseur knows that this city’s got a wealth of places to enjoy with their fresh pastries, carefully chosen coffee beans, and atmospheres worth a coffee date or break. Whether it’s for a cup of joe to start the day, an iced coffee to keep it going, or an espresso after the sun’s gone down, you’ll enjoy any one of these multiple locations.
OLD MONTRÉAL
Le Petit Dep
Café-Épicerie Fine du Petit Dep is a place where you can discover the essence of the local community. The Café prides itself on using ingredients sourced from meticulous producers, enabling it to offer an assertive taste that simply has no equal. The menu offers a variety of coffees and beverages. In addition, the restaurant offers an assortment of quality pastries and groceries.
179 Saint-Paul Street West (and other locations)
Website
Café Olimpico
Its Mile End address may be the original local institution, but any one of Olimpico’s locations throughout Montréal carry its torch well. Wherever you go, you’ll find espresso and cappuccinos with the café’s own roasts from morning until late at night, all served with an unwavering consistency.
419 Saint-Vincent Street (multiple locations)
Website
Crew Collective & Café
Located inside an old Royal Bank of Canada branch that dates back to the 1920s, this expansive café’s 100 seats are regularly filled with locals and visitors from abroad who gawk at its marble floors and vaulted ceilings of painted plaster. While the coffee is a drawcard, be sure to pick up one of its pastries sourced from bakeries across the city.
360 Saint-Jacques Street
Website
DOWNTOWN
Café Constance signé BAZIN
This café, located in the iconic Wilder Building in downtown Montréal's Quartier des Spectacles, is the perfect place to enjoy a delicious meal. Chef Bertrand Bazin invites guests to savor French-inspired delights like croque-monsieur, French toast, fresh viennoiseries, and the Opera. With its welcoming ambiance and prime location, it's an ideal spot for people-watching.
1430 Balmoral Street
Améa
Derived from the word "âme" (soul) in French, Améa is a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant and coffee shop. Located in Maison Alcan, this cozy place offers homemade pastries and delicious food. Their menu is designed by Chef Michael Coppa, who once was the pastry chef at Ristorante Beatrice for a decade.
1188, Sherbrooke Street West
Website
Bar Caffettiera
Taking cues from Italy in the 1990’s, this espresso bar pulls its shots with coffee beans roasted by Flavio from Caffè Fantini in Rome. They’re also ready for a solid aperitivo with classic Italian cocktails and a bunch of snacks both salty and sweet—that includes a lot of fresh pastries. A Downtown Montréal hidden gem!
2055 Stanley Street
Website
Shaughnessy Café
This reliable sub-basement haunt for Concordia University and Dawson College students keeps its patrons awake by serving as many as seven different roasters at one time, and that’s quite a lot when considering its 20 seats. It’s small, but comfy, just as the owners intended it to be when they opened it in 2016.
1455 Lambert-Closse Street
Website
Café Myriade
With now five branches scattered across Montréal, Café Myriade is not only beloved by Instagrammers thanks to the Nordic-inspired décor of their locations, but also by local coffee aficionados, as their grains are sourced from the fair-trade 49th Parallel Roasters in Vancouver as well as all kinds of guest roasters across North America and Europe.
1432 Mackay Street (multiple locations)
Website
Pikolo Espresso Bar
A student favourite because of its central location between McGill and UQÀM universities, Pikolo is among the most picturesque shops in the city. This two-level café is mostly famous for its miniature 3-ounce creamy lattes, made with single origin beans from Heart Coffee Roasters in Portland.
3418B du Parc Avenue
Website
Osmo X Marusan
This Japanese-style café for sipping and noshing is the result of a merger between the student haunt of Osmo Café and the Japanese restaurant Marusan when the latter left Old Montréal. The result is a sleek space that’s audiophile-friendly, as good for a cup of coffee and it is for a glass of sake when listening to its DJs set the mood.
51 Sherbrooke Street West
Website
Café SAT
This non-profit café connected to the Société des arts technologies (SAT) is just as much of a reliable study space as it is a hangout for those whiling away hours with drinks and snacks until they can catch a audio-visual performance upstairs. Its bright interior and upstairs terrasse set it apart from the pack, but the address keeps things humble with its relaxing, take-your-time vibes.
6 Place du Marché
Website
Café Sfouf
Open since 2014, this café serving coffee beans from Saint-Henri Café is a beautiful space full of natural light, plush sofas, wooden detailing, and large garage door windows. Named after the traditional Lebanese cake, you’d better believe they make good on their food offering.
1250 Ontario Street East
Website
LITTLE BURGUNDY AND SAINT-HENRI
Café Saint-Henri
From its original location in Saint-Henri to headquarters that feature a coffee lab, classroom, state-of-art café bar, greenhouses, and on-site roastery, this pioneer in micro-roasting is a must for coffee nerds looking to taste the work of a micro-roasting progenitor. Each location has its perks, but their latest opening designed in collaboration with Allied and Moment Factory at 1001 Robert-Bourrassa near downtown’s Gare Centrale is especially stunning.
3632 Notre-Dame Street West (multiple locations)
Website
Cordova
For a slice of Saint-Henri’s lackadaisical lifestyle, grab a spot on this café’s terrasse in the summertime and watch the hours melt away as you sip a cup of roasts from both Montréal and afar in Canada. If hunger strikes, dip into their selection of conservas or split a sandwich.
4606 Notre-Dame Street West
Website
September Café
Originally opened in 2018 as a surfboard shaping room, this café is a local favourite for great eats and even greater coffee. There’s nothing quite like ordering up an iced coffee or espresso and pairing it with their classic breakfast sandwich—it’s one of the best in the city.
2471 Notre-Dame Street West
Website
Dreamy
Anyone who considers themselves to be coffee afficionados would do well to visit this café and bakery alongside the Lachine Canal. Dreamy’s coffee inventory is sourced directly from the Canadian Roasting Society, the city’s first co-roasting facility where coffee roasters come to prepare their product for the market, making it perfect for tapping into both the local and international coffee scene.
3780 Saint-Patrick Street
Website
Club Social PS
Serving coffee and fresh pastries by day plus wine and pizza by night, this 13-seat indoor space with an English-courtyard style terrasse of 15 seats is a hidden gem in the neighbourhood. Connected to the popular Elena, you’ll thankfully not need to make a reservation to be here.
5090A Notre-Dame Street West
Website
POINTE-SAINT-CHARLES
Café Bloom
Good for coffee any day of the week, this address doubles as a brunch destination with a French toast locals swear by. This café took its name from the main character of James Joyce’s Ulysses, and true to form, artist-types tend to flock in each day for its bright and colourful interior and cups of coffee made with Montréal’s own Kittel roasters.
1940 Centre Street
Website
Clarke Café
Don’t be spooked by the lineups outside this Italian café; service at this revived Mile End haunt transported to southwestern Montréal is lightning quick. Order up one of their ‘sangwiches’, a strong espresso or two, and round it all out with zeppole or cannoli for the full experience.
2483 Centre Street
Website
Café Redwood
Across from the Lachine Canal and just a few minutes' walk from Atwater Market, Café Redwood's elegant, minimalist design makes it a perfect spot to relax, read, study or get a little work done on your laptop. The friendly baristas make every coffee (or matcha or London Fog) with loving care and the pastries are decadently delicious.
2604 Saint-Patrick Street
Website
Ma Bicyclette
If you’re one to think of grabbing a good coffee as putting fuel in your tank, Ma Bicyclettewill make for a perfect destination: Offering a range of finely tuned bicycles for rent, this outdoor boutique doubles as a great open-air pit stop for those looking to kickstart their rides along the Lachine Canal, or before they embark on a grand tour of biking in Montréal.
Currently closed for renovations until March 2, 2025.
2985 Saint Patrick Street
Website
VERDUN
Station W
Whether it’s the location in Verdun or in Angus, Station W excels at serving up a tried-and-true café experience. Sunny interiors are filled with coffee lovers noshing on their in-house menus of sandwiches and pastries as they sip at pour-overs made with Montréal’s own Kittel coffee roasters.
3852 Wellington Street
2600 William-Tremblay Street
Website
Pavillon Snack Bar
This new, caffeinated blood on Montréal’s café scene may seem way off the beaten track to some, but it will invariably feel like home after that first sip. Fashioned after Verdun establishment from the old days, it’s been a resounding success with locals who flock for their banana bread, breakfast sandwiches, and coffee made with Montréal-based Escape Coffee Roasters.
5200 Wellington Street
Website
NOTRE-DAME-DE-GRÂCE
MELK
This Monkland Village essential is just as well known for its home-baked sweets and latte art as it is for quality craft coffee, where you’ll find local, students, artists, and more collecting to sip, snack, and luxuriate in their simply and effectively designed interior.
5612 Monkland Avenue (multiple locations)
Website
Café de’ Mercanti
Another Monkland Village coffee shop is Café de’ Mercanti, an Italian coffee shop that creates its own blend of coffee. They became a NDG landmark after opening back in 2012. Grab a biscotti while you’re there!
6132 Monkland Avenue
Website
HOCHELAGA-MAISONNEUVE
Les 3 Patapoufs
Located in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve along Ontario Street, Les 3 Patapoufs is a bakery and café that offers a wide variety of delicious, freshly baked pastries and piping hot coffee. The menu features a great selection of prepared meals, including quiches, pâtés, charcuterie, cheeses, and much more. Freshly made sandwiches are particularly popular among customers and can be made to order. The café showcases specialties from the regions of Brittany and Alsace, the home regions of the three founders.
3227 Ontario Street East
Hélico
Created to be the daytime counterpart to the neighbourhood fine dining establishment Hélicoptère, this is where fresh pastries like kouign-amann and croissants hit a high note. When they come fresh out of the oven in the morning, pair them with a cup made with Montréal roaster Kittel, and it’s bound to set a pleasant mood for the rest of the day.
4255 Ontario Street East
Website
LITTLE ITALY AND VILLERAY - SAINT-MICHEL - PARC-EXTENSION
Café Paquebot
Paquebot has seen an exponential expansion since its beginnings in 2015. What began with a specialization in nitro cold brews has since expanded into serving draft lattes and coffee-based cocktails like a café-lemonade fizz, all made with Montréal-based coffee roaster Zab.
2110 Bélanger Street (multiple locations)
Website
Saison des pluies
The name says it all: From its minimal, broody interior design to its stay-all-day menus of coffee and crafty menus, this café is happy to host those looking for a place to while away a rainy day. It was tough times for this spot when it opened in 2020, but its charm and attentive service have made for a winning combination.
301 Guizot Street East
Website
Café Larue & Fils
This established name in local coffee has three locations across the city and is widely recognized for its third-wave coffee beans turned into delicious lattes, espressos, cappuccinos, and more. Bright and social, many love its minimalist décor.
244 de Castelnau Est (multiple locations)
Website
L’artisan délices sans gluten et sans lait
For some delicious gluten-free and milk-free options, L’artisan délices sans gluten et sans lait is a great option. Located in Villeray, this shop offers a surprisingly tasty choice of pastries, breads, baguettes, quiches, pizzas and sandwiches - all gluten and milk-free.
7700 Saint-Hubert Street
Website
Caffè Italia
Caffè Italia, an emblem of Little Italy, is a must when you’re in the neighborhood. Its 50's decor is the perfect inspiration to have a good espresso or even a latte, not to mention a delicious Italian pastry.
6840 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Website
Café Odessa
Café Odessa, a hidden gem located in the heart of Little Italy, offers delicious coffees and pastries. To cool down a bit after taking a scroll in Little Italy, it also offers tasty iced coffees, which is a good companion during the summer season.
65 Beaubien East Street
Website
PLATEAU AND MILE END
Café Bravo
Located in the Plateau Mont-Royal, Café Bravo is the place to go to sip a good cup of coffee while listening to music by artists from Bravo Musique, the record label company launched by Cœur de Pirate. Coffee lovers keen on music can savour coffee from Fantôme and PS Coffee roasters, as well as some delicious pastries and sandwiches. The record wall and beautiful orange accents add a nice minimalist and eclectic touch to the place!
4577, Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Website
Le Darling
Darling’s plant-filled and vanity light-riddled interior with leather fixtures excels as one of the city’s most Instagrammable places to grab a café au lait and pastry. Fashioned as an all-day locale, feel free to switch from caffeine to cocktails as the sun goes down and bar service picks up by night.
4328 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Website
Café in Gamba
Café in Gamba, Montréal's first third-wave café, opened its doors in August 2007. The café's name, taken from Italian, translates to "a well-made coffee". Their team of nearly 25 expert baristas, specialize in latte art. They proudly serve coffee from 8 exceptional roasters from Québec, Canada, and the United States: Traffic, Structure, Escape, Zab, Detour, 49th Parallel, Counter Culture, and Intelligentsia. They personally select their favorite coffees from their offerings, which are roasted and delivered weekly to their two cafés.
5263 du Parc Avenue (multiple locations)
Website
Café Névé
This Plateau café and its small grab-and-go offshoots excel at well-done coffee sourced from Pilot Roasters that’s served in comfy, worn wood décor. Whichever location you go to, they’re all well-positioned to spend hours there with a novel or good company.
151 Rachel Street East (multiple locations)
Website
Café chez Téta
Combining the offerings of a third wave café with the kind of establishment you’d find on the streets of Beirut, this Lebanese establishment serves all the usual suspects, plus bona fide strong kahweh (Lebanese coffee) made with fine grounds in hot sand with just a touch of cardamom.
227 Rachel Street East
Website
Le Falco
Le Falco, a hidden gem in the neighbourhood, has an airy and industrial interior. People love collecting here for specialty coffee drinks, from aeropressed cups to iced coffee. Its co-owners Yuko Toda and Frederik Froument aren’t just good at drinks either; check out their menu’s Japanese delights.
5605 Avenue de Gaspé
Website
Dispatch
We love a great iced coffee from them in the summer, and a hot cup in the winter: Dispatch is great for coffee connoisseurs looking for baristas to discuss the intricacies of whatever they’re whipping up. Dispatch’s cafés also host tastings and workshops on brewing techniques.
4021 Saint-Laurent Boulevard (multiple locations)
Website
Sophie Sucrée
This vegan bakery offers delicious deserts, ranging from vegan cookies, vegan cupcakes and vegan scones. They even have gluten-friendly options, such as cheesecake and brownies. This pink-colored shop even has iced coffee and other refreshing drinks, not to mention good coffee.
3770 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Website
JP Karwacki
JP Karwacki is a Montréal-based writer and journalist whose work has appeared in Time Magazine, the Montreal Gazette, National Post, Time Out, NUVO Magazine, and more. Having called the city home for over a decade and a half, he regularly focuses on spreading the good word about the amazing things to eat, drink and do in Montréal. One half raconteur and the other flâneur (with just a dash of boulevardier), when he wasn’t working on the frontlines of the city's restaurants and bars, he spent his time thinking about, reading about and writing about restaurants and bars.