#mtlcafecrawl

This is how I relax during midterms: open my fairy lights for 2 seconds and look outside from my little window. Then back to studying.

I’ve been super busy with exams and will still be for the next week… Stay tuned for a lot of new posts coming at the end of February :)

IG: legendoftamar

Oui Mais Non

Location: 72 Rue Jarry E 

Metro Station: Jarry

 It’s 1:30 am and I should probably be sleeping because I need to wake up early tomorrow to go to a career fair my University is hosting. It’s 1:30 and I should be sleeping but instead I am here, writing about coffee because I prefer spending my time thinking about happy memories and sharing them with 800 of you lovely souls.

That’s right, I just hit 800 followers and I still don’t believe it. To think that even a couple of people read my posts is already heartwarming enough, but 800?! Thank you guys, really.

I am here because I love to talk about my favorite experiences (that obviously involve coffee). I am here at 1:30 am because I want to push away the anxiety of reality for a few moments. And because I dream of coffee. Always. Please tell me I’m not the only one who still wants caffeine in the middle of the night… There must be some other crazy person like me out there. Or maybe not.

This next cafe is special to me because it’s one of the few that enabled me to connect with the ‘atmosphere’ so deeply. I’m going to be honest, this isn’t a very well known coffee shop - certainly not on Instagram or social media. But it’s showed up once on my “nearby cafes” on google maps and I’ve heard about it from one of my friends so it ended up on my list.

I’m not one to look at too many pictures of the location I want to go to because I do like that surprise factor when walking in the shop for the first time.Going here, I wasn’t expecting anything. I didn’t know what Oui Mais Non was all about.

But once I walked in, it’s as if my whole reality shifted to this whole different world. A warmer, colorful world. A more unique reality. A place in a child’s imagination. A safe haven that was real and there and in front of me and smelled like coffee and pastries and … warmth. Looking around, I saw so many various vintage furniture items that decorated the cafe. Some of them looked seriously gorgeous and some of them were hilarious (especially the “it’s Britney Bitch” banner).

The shop was pretty small. It had few seating and was a bit crammed towards the back. But wait. Don’t scroll through my post now in disappointment! Not yet - because the cool thing about this place was what I discovered next. As I was sitting in my little corner with my latte, I saw a little passage way in the middle of the cafe. I left my seat in curiosity and walking towards the passage, I saw that it lead to a whole other section of the cafe. More seating, more decor, more unique details, further into a child’s imagination. More people working and talking and being happy. They all looked at me as I walked in on them enjoying their coffee and good company. I looked way too excited and might have overwhelmed them with my excessive picture taking. I’m sorry…

I went back to my seat, opened my Calculus 3 notebook and attempted studying for my midterm. After about 5 minutes of reading equations, I decided to go the bathroom as a form of productive procrastination. I looked around for the bathroom. I noticed a door that looked like bathroom door but on it, it said “Not a bathroom, it’s the efls’ hiding place. Obviously.” Ah well, better not disturb them. I then saw stairs that went down so I automatically assumed the bathroom was there. I started going down and with each step I took, I was getting more and more convinced the basement wasn’t only for the bathroom. I heard voices and glass clinging… and suddenly - before me was yet another dimension to the cafe. A basement. I invite you to please look at the huge photo set I have provided because no combination of words can describe the originality of this space! Each corner was picture perfect. I made that a point by obviously taking a billion pictures. There were so many people downstairs! How could they have known? Were they looking for a bathroom as well and suddenly stumbled upon the basement like I did? There were no signs pointing downstairs… it was as if it was the cafes secret.And now I was in on it.  

This whole experience made me realize how powerful a place can be. I realized how much a beautiful environment with friendly people can affect my mood positively. At that second, I knew my week was made. My MONTH was made.

And just as I got back to my seat, closing my Calculus notebook, I saw a sign on my table that said: “Ici, on encourage les rencontres entre inconnus. Tasse donc ton sac pis invite quelqu’un qui se cherche une place. Ca va te donner des beaux points karmiques.” This means “Here, we encourage meeting strangers. So push your bag to the side and invite someone who’s looking for a place. It gives you really nice karma point” in French. What a beautiful concept. In all aspects, this coffee shop has made me feel so welcomed and amazed.

I invite all of you to try this cafe. And please - take the time to cruise around and look at every detail possible. There’s a surprise in every corner.

Cafe 1880

Location: 1186 rue St. Denis

Metro Station: Berri Uqam (or Champs-de-Mars)

If you read my previous post, you would know that I recently bought my Indie Coffee Passport. You would also know that my first stop using the passport would be Cafe 1880…

And here we are! Why did I chose this place as the first location? Partially by gut feeling and partially because it’s on my way to school. I haven’t heard much about this place other than from the passport. Which is why I wanted to try it: pure curiosity. 

My main fear when going here was its proximity to UQAM University. Although being close to a university is great for the cafe, as a cafe crawler I am always scared to show up and find 0 available seats. It’s the worst feeling when you’ve transited for a good 45 minutes only to find out even that little smaller-than-a-laptop table by the bathroom is taken. Especially, I was going to a cafe this morning mainly to work on a Lab Report and I would be “devastated” if I couldn’t find a proper seat to complete it. But I did. No excuse to procrastinate because this place was pretty empty when I walked in. 

I appreciated the seating arrangement here because they had 2 average sized tables with multiple chairs (YAS), many smaller high tables for two and a bar that goes along the window where you can enjoy sunlight. And they were close to plugs: essential when your laptop is old and dies in about half an hour. 

The decor of this cafe was exceptional. Mainly because they had drawn a caffeine molecule on the wall. I should get that tattooed to be honest. The atmosphere of the place is dark since the walls are black and has a few bright accents. One one of the walls, a huge “1880″ is painted in turquoise (like their logo). Gorgeous!

The coffee (AKA latte (I (always) order a latte (woops)) was delicious. Even my boyfriend loved it, and he hates lattes or coffee in general. Don’t worry, I still love him though (gotta accept each others’ flaws). The latte art was very well drawn and didn’t bubble up. If you think that’s a non important factor, please let me know how calm you stay when your latte bubbles before you even take it to your table and loses its prettiness and you can’t even take decent pictures. You won’t be calm. It bothers all of us. Or maybe just me, I don’t know. 

I decided to also get a croissant, which I never do but should because croissants are great and make me feel French (my priorities in life are amazing). A cool thing about their pastries is that they get them from Premiere Moisson, a well known chain bakery in Quebec.

All in all, I loved this location and will be back for sure! UQAM students - if you haven’t been here yet.. do you even go to UQAM?!

Shaughnessy Cafe

Location: 1455 Rue Lambert Closse

Metro Station: Atwater

First off, sorry for the bad quality pictures. I did the best I could do with an iPhone 5c.. didn’t have place in my school bag to carry my huge Canon. 

Shaughnessy - nope, not the one in Vancouver!

I came to this adorable semi-underground cafe on two different occasions with two different people. Both times were interesting experiences..

The first time I came here was during Fall. When we were all still wearing leather jackets since it wasn’t cold enough for winter coats. But it was still relatively cold. My boyfriend hates the cold… so you can imagine that I had to literally take him by the hand during one of our school breaks to bring him here. 10 minute walk from Concordia - oh no - how far away! It was for him. Therefore, he hated the whole experience. Well, to be fair, I also made him walk around Shaughnessy Village for an hour afterwards so I don’t really blame him. 

Shaughnessy village? Where is that, you ask? Shaughnessy Cafe is actually in Shaughnessy village (shocker), which is a small area of Montreal near Atwater metro. There’s nothing significant about the area but it’s a gorgeous neighborhood to walk around if you want to see cute houses. Which is great when you have the perfect cup of coffee to go from the cutest cafe around with you fussy boyfriend who refuses to walk in cold weather. 

And that’s what I just did. Walking in this cafe, as soon as I opened the door, I was greeted with a little staircase that took me to a semi-underground level. This is an interesting aspect of the place. I realized the cafe was packed. So many people! Some were talking with their friends, some were getting serious work done. The decor in this cafe is neutral toned with some pops of color. Most of the interior is beige except for the bar next to the windows. Honestly the best seats in the entire shop is at this bar. Unlike the bars at other cafes, this one was long and extended to a distance larger than your average laptop. Finally, a place where you have space at the bars to actually get work done. Oh right - and it’s not beige or wooden, it has this cool glossy black and white design on it which is sure to keep you happy (and slightly distracted..) during your studies. I took way too many pictures of it on my second visit. 

 I ordered a latte. I must admit, the prices here are a tiny bit higher than other places I’ve gone to. The coffee was good. Nothing too special - it tastes like any other average coffee place. Of course I got my latte to go cause my ultimate plan was to make my boyfriend model for my pictures when walking around Shaughnessy Village. Coffee keeps me warm. Guess it doesn’t work for him…

The second time I came here was on a Monday afternoon and the place was empty. Like… empty, empty. No one. Just me and my friend.. and 2 baristas. I didn’t mind cause I got to have the window seats as I wanted. My friend and I wanted to cracking on our studied so we both brought our laptops and took over the entire bar. It was as good as a Monday can get!

Also, Shaughnessy Cafe is right next to Dawsonso if you’re a Dawson student… what are you waiting for?!

Sundays at home <3

IG:legendoftamar

•Running away from my academic responsibilities AKA assignments for a few hours• #mtlcafecrawl

Cafe Nocturne

Location:  19 Rue Prince Arthur O

Metro Station: Sherbrooke

This next cafe is one of the most aesthetically pleasing cafes I have gone to. For all you Tumblr folk - get your cameras at the ready.

Walking in, the space is pretty small and cozy. I found myself lucky to get 2 seats for me and my friend. Everyone was working on their laptops and it really seemed like a productive atmosphere. 

The special aspect about Nocturne is its huge lit sign on the wall as you can see in the pictures. Contributing to its beautiful image is also the signature map and their vintage looking bookcase. 

We both ordered lattes and they were delicious! My friend was able to get hers with almond milk (for all you vegans out there). 

Interestingly enough, this cafe was called Kistune before it was Nocturne. The owners changed - therefore, they had to change the name but the layout is basically the same! You can find Kitsune in another location in Griffintown now (will be posting about that one soon).

This place is a charming addition to the Plateau area! It’s almost a classic despite its new name. A MUST visit in Montreal!

______________________________________________________

*Storytime***

This whole journey of cafe crawling has made me learn valuable lessons about coffee of course, but also in life.

Up until last year, I could have been the most unadventurous individual walking on Montreal ground. I would stay in my house for days, sometimes drive for 10 minutes to get take out and basically be scared of everything out there. In the city. 

I had concluded that I was never meant to be a person who enjoyed sacrificing 2 hours for transport just to be in the heart of downtown. I had concluded there was nothing even to see in Montreal - nothing to love. In all honesty, I hated my city. But all of this was because I never went out to discover anything. I never tried. I never gave it a chance. I lived in Montreal but never felt like I belonged. 

Being an Armenian, I grew up surrounded by my own in a small community. I went to an Armenian high school, spoke Armenian with everyone I knew and that’s how simple life was. I loved how close I was to my culture but the easiness of my lifestyle never helped me evolve as a person. Instead, I remained in a box, unable to grow. Fearing the unknown.

In Summer 2016, I wanted to put an end to this lack of motivation and I wanted to jump out of my comfort zone. I wanted to know what my city had to offer and I was desperate to find a way to connect with it. 

And the best way was coffee. Cafe crawling.

I made my list (about 15 places at the time) and I went to each - one by one - dragging my boyfriend along with me. Slowly but surely, my list grew and my passion for discovering new coffee shops was blooming. I started going to cafes alone - facing my fear - being independent. 

That thrill of walking in a new shop with the fresh smell of coffee makes all of my anxieties fade. 

You might be asking yourself now, where am I going with this? Why did I write this much about my life when I have clearly titled this post “Nocturne Cafe”. 

My story behind this cafe is really linked with everything I mentioned above. The reason I came here in the first place was because my friend from Cegep asked me to take her on an adventure in Montreal. She might not have noticed, but her request was an honor to me. For the first time ever, I was able to reflect back on everything I had done the past year and the places I had discovered. I had never realized that I had become some kind of ‘adventurer’: a term that was unknown to me before. All I was doing was following an activity I truly loved.

When thinking about this very aesthetic cafe, I don’t only think about its beauty but I also think about it as a marking point in my life. The start of a new ‘me’. And I’m not saying that cause we just entered 2017.. 

It goes to show that anyone can be an explorer. All you need is the passion and the drive. Look at who I was before and look at who I am now - writing on my coffee exploration blog. If you want to discover more about where you are or who you are, take that first step. Go out. Get lost. Make a list. Throw out the list. Improvise. Anything. It’s up to you - you’re in charge. Just take charge and you’re set. 

So make that leap. Who knows? Maybe you’ll make a very nice memory the next time you go out for coffee. ;)

Le Bruloir

Location: 318 Rue Fleury O

Metro Station: Henri-Bourassa

I want to start off by saying thank you so much for +350 followers. I end my holiday break by almost reaching 400 which is more than I expected for this blog.. Thank you for the support  ❤ Getting positive feedback like this means the world to me.

This coffee shop is probably one of my favorites. The best part about it? It’s 10 minutes away from my house by drive… no metro or anything! It’s as close as the Starbucks nearest to me. Win! Our own little indie cafe, here in Ahuntsic-Cartierville. But really, the distance from my house isn’t the only thing that makes this place so special. 

Le Bruloir has caught my attention and warmed my heart in many ways. First of all, just look at the pictures. They say a thousand words: all of them being “CUTE”. Bruloir has a small town feel to it. The decor is so adorable and different than other coffee shops I’ve gone to. The space is saturated with unique corners, various seating arrangements and gorgeous little decorations. Plants, lamps and globes fill the area which makes the cafe feel home-y. The windows are huge. The light that comes in here is just all I want in life. And coffee - but we’ll get to that soon.

Second of all, this shop is ideal for many types of visits. Here to study? There’s a huge desk/table to put your laptop on. On a cute date? There are 2 seater tables along the wall with a gorgeous pattern that is sure to make you fall in love. Coming here alone to read a nice book? There are your typical white, round coffee tables accompanied by beautiful decor.

Another aspect I love about this place is the color scheme. Both warm and cold tones are all around the cafe. The blue and white walls and the reddish wooden tables give it a tasteful contrast.

But what about the COFFEE? Good question. It’s delicious - it’s amazing - it’s life and it’s also their very own. They have their own coffee beans and where do they make them, you ask? Their “labo” is right across the street. You can see it from the cafe. This makes their coffee so fresh. Roasted and straight into the cafe. A unique drink they serve is their cold brew “Nitro coffee” served on tap. 

They also have food, but I haven’t tried it yet! I’ve heard their menu is really good so let me know if you try!

As a bonus, their staff is very friendly. I feel almost at home every time I come here.

If you live around Cartierville or even Laval, try this place out! No need to go downtown to get your indie coffee anymore.. And if you do live in the heart of Montreal, well.. put the effort and travel an hour for coffee for a change ;)

Mikko Espresso & Boutique

Location:  403 Rue Main, Hudson

Metro Station: forget about the metro… this place is in Hudson!

Woah, I included a huge strip of photos for this post. But it’s worth it because this place was gorgeous.. and I didn’t drive 45 minutes to only take a few pictures. 

So I heard about Mikkothrough an Instagrammer who had been here once and loved it. I guess that’s a good enough reason to go all the way to Hudson for a coffee shop?

My mom woke up this morning and told me she didn’t have work and basically asked me if I wanted to cafe crawl with her. Anywhere.

Anywhere, mom? Fine by me! Since she was down to drive anywhere,I gave her the address of the furthest coffee shop on my list. And we commenced our adventure. 

The drive there was b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l in the winter. There was fresh snow everywhere and the trees were all covered in crystals. The snow hadn’t turned into slush yet and they were still holding on to the landscape, making the scenery a real winter wonderland. 

Finding the coffee shop, I realized it was a house. An actual house with 2 floors and everything. The door was so beautifully decorated. Walking in, the blue toned winter wonderland we had witness dissipated from our eyes and all we could feel was the warmth of the cafe. I was surprised by its little town cafe charm. 

The barista immediately greeted us in what I would think was the old living room of the house. They had a counter now though, of course. My mom started telling her that I was a cafe crawler and did the typical “I’m a proud mom” speech. It was a bit embarrassing, but it’s not like I’ll be seeing the people of Hudson any time soon. I let her talk about my not-so-famous blog and Instagram account. 

The cafe had 3 tables and a little bar. I have to admit - there wasn’t a lot of seating, but Hudson isn’t really big so I’m sure they don’t get that packed anyways. Luckily we found a table next to this young couple who were buying a little hat for their newborn baby.

Let me explain… Mikkoisn’t only a coffee shop, but it’s also a boutique where you can buy cute decorations, kitchen items and other adorable little items. Their products were everywhere in the shop, and it added a unique personal touch to the entire place. I loved it. Their stuff wasn’t too expensive either (my mom bought a reindeer tea infused - she couldn’t resist). 

The mochas we ordered then came to our table. After snapping about a hundred pictures, I took the first sip. So good! It was rich and creamy and everything you want in a drink. I wish I had ordered one of their croissants too, but maybe I’ll get some next time when I’m in town. 

I’m very glad I got to experience a spontaneous cafe crawl outside of Montreal before the end of the holidays.. I recommend it to anyone who’s down for something a little bit different.

Cafe Myriade | My first ever cafe crawling experience

Location:

Metro Station: Guy Concordia

Myriade: a classic, in my opinion. I’ve been to this location many times, however they have opened many other locations since Myriade has become very popular. I’ll be posting a separate review for their location at the Plateau in the near future.

 The first time I came here was the first ever time I ever cafe crawled - about a billion lattes and americanos ago. It was Fall 2015. My high school best friend and I decided pretend we were university students and went to the Myriade next to Guy Concordia. We felt pretty cool, until we got there and we realized just how packed it could get on a Thursday evening…

We both ordered lattes (mine was a pumpkin spice latte) and we were very excited. Being new at this, I even told the barista to do a “latte art design” on my drink (face palm). He was very shocked at my unusual question. I don’t really blame him. The lattes did come out beautiful though; I included the picture above.

They have a few seats inside but a bunch of tables outside. Lucky for us, there was one more place left outside… allowing us to enjoy our drinks in the cold… and the wind. 

Since it was our first time having such gorgeous drinks, we obviously took way too many pictures - probably distracting the actual coffee loving students who were trying to study. Meanwhile, I was content with the fact that my pumpkin spice latte actually tasted like pumpkin (sorry Starbucks).

Now that I actually am a Concordia student, I have to say that I do go here once in a while for a nice americano before my morning classes. There’s honestly nothing better than waking up a few minutes early to come to school some time before class and relax at a coffee shop. There’s something about that morning sunshine in a newly opened cafe, with the smell of fresh coffee filling the whole room. Something about that calming swing melodies swaying in my almost empty mind while sipping a hot cup of coffee. Something about the calm before the chaos of lunch in a very popular cafe. I live for it.

I love how this place has mainly a wooden aesthetic, it gives it a cozy feel. Also, they use 49th Parallel coffee!!! Such a bonus. Favorite beans. Life. 

Also, if you guys wanna follow me on Instagram for more photos my name is legendoftamar <3

As 2016 comes to an end, I want to wish you all a great New Year ❤️ And also… Thank you so much for 250 followers!!! I’m so excited to post more about the coffee shops I’ve gone to. If any of you have suggestions or recommendations, let me know! :)

Photographed: Pista Café

Cafe Castel

Location:  1015 Sherbrooke Street West

Metro Station: Peel

Attention all McGill students. This next one’s for you.

It was a cold fall’s day… a Friday… during my 4 hour break from school. I decided to go on an excursion to a new cafe… but things started going awry… Okay, I sound way too dramatic.

But really, I was never suppose to come here in the first place. I had decided to go to Humble Lion that day. I heard its a McGill student central since it’s right next to McGill… that shouldv’e been my first warning. What was I thinking? Going to Humble Lion on a Friday afternoon in the middle of midterms (sorry for mentioning the ‘m’ word in the during the holidays, won’t happen again, I promise). It was obviously full when I got there. I walked around, pretty disappointed. It was cold. And I had a heavy bag. And was desperate for some coffee. 

On my way back to Concordia, I saw a shop with beautiful windows that drew me in: Cafe Castel. I decided to give it a try even though it wasn’t on my list at the time. It’s good to do things beyond lists sometimes.

Going in, I was surprised to see that the place offered a lot off seating.. with not many people inside. Compared to Humble Lion, it was pretty deserted. But this did not reflect the quality of the cafe. 

I obviously sat next to the huge window, below the gorgeous skylight. The lightingin this cafe is definitely the highlight,haha, get it? Anyways, bad jokes set aside, this place is seriously beautiful. And their pretty latte art just made it even better! The barista caught me taking lots of pictures of their decor and really loved my photography: friendly staff! It’s always lovely to meet great baristas.

Another great aspect of this cafe is (probably) the food. It looked pretty good and whoever came in tended to get food instead of a drink. This said, it’s not your typical basic cafe, it’s more of an eating cafe… if that makes sense? Coffee’s good though, don’t worry. And it was a great place to study. 

It’s also connected to a hotel, which is cool.

After visiting this cafe, I checked their location on Instagram and found out that it is in fact a well known cafe. Some of the pictures I saw had really cool latte art. Like bears and stuff. On your coffee. I hope I get a bear on my latte next time… Hope you get one too when you visit! ;)

Cafe Sfouf

Location: 1250 Ontario St E

Metro Station: Beaudry 

Ever since I was little, my grandmother would bake me this yellow dessert. She would call them Sfouf and would tell me she would always make them for my dad back in Lebanon. We are Armenian, but my dad’s side of the family is entirely from Lebanon. You can imagine how much of the Lebanese culture has stuck with my family and how much they enjoy recreating dishes and activities that remind them of their childhood. For me, “Sfouf” was more than just a dessert, but also a little memory I would always associate with my grand mother and my father.

When I heard that there was cafe in Montreal named “Sfouf”, I was definitely intrigued. I wondered if it was a coincidence, or if the owners intentionally wanted to name their cafe after a yellow dessert. When I saw their yellow logo, I knew it wasn’t an accident. I decided to go there myself and take a look at this original-sounding coffee shop located close to the Plateau.

Walking in, Sfouf looked like a normal indie coffee shop. Obviously, it looked unique with its beautiful decor but nothing too extravagantly different. It blended in nicely with the Montreal coffee scene.

I especially loved the plants that were decorating each corner of the cafe. Plants are very important to me as they liven up a space and make it feel like Summer despite Montreal’s cloudy weather.

There were many corners to this coffee shop. They have your usual huge desks that were filled with students &amp; their laptops (including me). They have couches, great to hang out for some chit chat. And… they had a little corner for children! They call it “Le Petit Sfouf” and they have provided toys for kids to play with while their parents enjoy a nice cup of coffee. Very nice addition!

I ordered a cappuccino off of my Indie Coffee Passport and quickly opened my laptop to get some work done (AKA pretend to work while I take at least a hundred pictures of the coffee shop).

As I was “working”, the barista brought my *beautiful * cappuccino.. along with a piece of Sfouf! That’s right - they offer a free sampling of Sfouf with their drinks for those of you who are curious. And it was delicious.

I deeply appreciate coffee shops like this one. They have created a wonderful spot for Montrealers to hang out, all the while keeping their culture and spreading it around. Now more people will know about Sfouf! It definitely feels like the world knows about my little family story now. I will for sure bring my grandmother here one day.

Small tip: When you go, make sure you take a picture of their “corner” pictures below; it’s their most photographed corner!

Visit my official Montreal Cafe Crawl website to discover my cafe explorations!  

Insta:legendoftamar

Hello beautiful people!!!

So… I have some pretty big news for you.

As you may know, I’ve been using Tumblr as my primary blog but I’m so happy to finally announce that I have made a Montreal Cafe Crawl blog online!!!!

It would mean the world to me if you checked it out <3

www.exploringmtlcafes.com

Insta:legendoftamar

Facebook:exploringmontrealcafes

Cafe Perko

Location: 753 Rue Villeray, Montréal

Metro Station: Jean Talon

Hello lovely people!!! I have finished finals and am currently in my summer semester (already, I know). I’ve been in the process of also applying to almost a 100 internship positions for Fall 2017 as a “software engineer intern”. It’s been hard. It’s been tiring. Exciting, but energy sucking. What could possibly help me in these stressful times? What could possibly fuel me up to be motivated and alert in my job application process? 

You guessed it. Coffee.

I came here last weekend and it was a true refresher. My cousin drove us in this lovely spot in Villeray since she wanted to work on her writing (she’s amazing by the way, you should check out her poetry on her account @doekent). 

In contrast to other coffee shops in Montreal, I hadn’t heard of Perko too much. I had stumbled upon it on a few posts on Instagram but hadn’t noticed any hype. So why did we go? By the time she picked me up it was around 5 and almost all coffee shops close early - except Perko, which closed at 9. So we went for it. And I’m VERY glad we did. 

This is how you discover hidden gems. And it is the best feeling. Stepping inside this relatively big coffee shop, I immediately noticed the one table that was open. The place was packed. We bolted for the one table. The picture I took and posted above is from right before their closing time and does not represent the amount of people that fills the cafe on their regular times.

The space was gorgeously decorated and felt almost home-like. There were cute signs and sayings all over the place. The baristas were very nice too. 

I ordered a latte (obviously) and my cousin ordered a chai latte. Both were very delicious and my latte definitely fuelled me up and motivated me to continue writing my cover letters. 

One thing I noticed was that there were a lot of kids and babies around. Some really loud… I wondered why there were so many babies in this one coffee shop. I got my answer when I saw that Perko had a little section for kids where they put many baby toys and couches for parents to relax on. I found it very cute and inviting for families. There were also changing tables in the bathrooms. 

Another cool aspect about Perko is that it’s a student friendly coffee shop. There are many plugs, AMAZING wifi, a room you can rent (I think for 10$/hour) to study in… and they even have a PRINTER. Isn’t that unusually cool? And very nice of them? You can donate some money if you do print but they’ve made it completely free which is… amazing. And generous. 

In conclusion: I got a lot of work done here. I loved the vibe of the cafe, I loved the coffee, I loved the people, I loved everything about it. I will definitely go back. And you should too!!!

Darling

Location: 4328, boul. St-Laurent, Montreal

Metro Station: Mont Royal

End of April… marks the end of finals. School’s out!… Well only for about 3 days until I go to summer school. 

Nonetheless, gives me enough time to explore my city without any pressure from my academic responsibilities!

Today, my boyfriend and I were planning on having a lunch type date in the Mile end until our plans miserably failed when we realized our chosen restaurant wasn’t going to open for another 4 hours. We decided to hop on a random bus on the corner of the street since it was pouring like crazy and we didn’t feel like staying out in the rain. We got off a stop when we started feeling like we knew the neighbourhood and ended up in the Plateau… again. 

After finding a place to eat, we decided to walk around some new areas in the Plateau we hadn’t discovered yet. Although it was raining, breathing in fresh air was so refreshing considering we had been locked in our room the past 3 weeks trying to stuff 5 courses worth of information in our heads. 

I felt like I was in a European dramatic movie - walking in the rain with a little umbrella with my favourite person, discovering places with nothing else in mind. Queue the Parisienne music. 

We suddenly stumbled upon an exotic looking shop on the corner of a street. From the outside looking in, while we were dripping with water, we could see plants and wine and bright lights and greenery and comfortable couches and… coffee! Sold.

We went into the coffee shop and was immediately warmed with welcomes from the waiter. A coffee shop - but a different kind at that. The first thing that caught my eye was with no hesitation the lights on the ceiling. I don’t really know what the letters spell out, but they sure look aesthetically pleasing so I rolled with it.

The section next to the windows was very casual with the couches. There were mini candles decorating each table and plants flowing around every corner, making the space extra inviting - battling the coldness of the weather outside. As the Jazz music was playing in the background, we took a seat on the couches, avoiding the tables since we didn’t have laptops since we didn’t have school. Emphasis on the comfort!!! No school equals we can sit on the nice couches and relax. 

I saw students around me on their laptops still working very hard on their studies… accompanied with their glasses of wine instead of the usual latte. I liked it. I love coffee but i live for these different little details in shops. 

Let me explain the wine though, because it is a very important part of this “coffee shop”. It’s not really a “coffee shop”. It’s a hybrid. Half coffee shop, half bar. You heard that right. It’s also a bar. Order food, order alcohol, order coffee - sit at the huge circular bar for a nice glass of wine or beer or anything else, or sit on the couches like me and still order your usual. I got a chai latte this time so I tried to be a bit different than my regular latte. And it was delicious! One of the best I’ve ever had.

I felt like I was in a different country in this cafe. With decorations like mini instruments on the walls, to the candles on the tables, to the vintage looking decor, I also felt like I was in a Jazz club. Everything was so perfectly shaped together. 

I know I say I love all the cafes in Montreal - and I do, don’t get me wrong - but this place is really one of my favourites now. It made me feel like I’m in 1920s Paris and I lived for it. Next time, I’ll even dress for it.

Sometimes, your plans might go awry and your chosen restaurant will open only 4 hours later. However, sometimes… those moments are calls for better adventures and more exploration with improvisation. Let the rain guide you to beautiful shelters.

Café Reine Garçon //
•Here’s a nice place to visit on a rainy day. I love cafés that make you feel at home with their decor & hospitality•

HVMANS cafe

Location: 1455 rue Sainte_Catherine Ouest, Montreal

Metro Station: Guy-Concordia

Hello hello!!! I have officially closed all my school books and made myself a nice cup of tea. I am ready to tell you about the all new coffee shop that literally opened about a week ago and how it quickly turned into my favorite spot near school. 

But let me start with a little background story (obviously). So Monday around noon, I came to Concordia for my class. All along the metro ride there, I was wishing I was home instead, drinking coffee, doing something relaxing. Monday blues had hit me hard. Even though my first class started at 2. And I only had one class. Okay… not the worse Monday you can have, but it was still Monday. And I walked into school unhappy. But my bitter unhappiness suddenly turned into confusion.. 

As I walked up to the second floor, I realized that none of the lights in the school were turned on. It took me a while to realize that Concordia was having a power outage. Cherry on top of all the issues this school has been having this semester.

They evacuated the building and my class got canceled. My Monday was getting  a bit better and a little more interesting.

I’m in downtown at this point - with no laptop or notebooks. I can’t do any school work. What do I do? Yap, you guessed it. 

I decided to try HVMANS cafe that just opened next to the EV Building. Let me tell you - every single cafe crawler I know had tried this place within days of its opening. And fell in love. So yes, I was excited to see it for myself.

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I walked into the cafe, immediately greeted by beautiful sunlight entering from their huge windows. 

I noticed their decor was mainly concentrated on a very pale color palette - mainly white and pale wood with strong greenery accents. The windows amplified any light that came in, and the white-ness of the entire place reflected even more brightness and made the space shine. I’m a huge believer of light and its benefits to our mood. I was instantly happy. My Monday blues were cured.

Although the cafe was mainly white, they had decorated the space with many little plants (including cacti), which provided a beautiful contrast and amazing prop for those Instagram latte pictures. Plants are becoming a trend in Montreal cafes and I’m absolutely loving it. More please!!! They add so much life, yet have a subtle elegance.

The chairs here were extremely comfortable and they have many tables - and a lot of window seats. I don’t know about you but window seats are my absolute favorite spots in coffee shops. I sometimes hunt for those seats when entering a coffee shop and have my eyes set on the window seats. It’s a bit stressful. But not here, because almost their entire cafe is windows. Chances are - you’ll get the exact seat you want. They have many individual tables and a big desk at the very end if that’s what you prefer. I think I changed my spot about 3 times so I could experience different settings in the cafe. 

Let’s talk about coffee. First of all, I don’t think I’ve ever stayed so long at a coffee shop before (6 hours) and I don’t think I’ve ever ordered so many drinks at once! I took a chai latte (which was recommended by my cousin), a regular latte and a matcha latte. And a croissant on the side.

Ok, let’s start with the chai. Heaven. and gorgeous. and heaven. Best chai latte I’ve ever had in my entire life! The cinnamon wasn’t too empowering, the spice wasn’t too much and the amount of milk was just right. I think I finished it in 5 minutes. I didn’t even take a bite out of my croissant in between sips like I normally do. I need to go back there for another chai. Soon.

The regular latte was my friends’ and she loved it. The latte art on this one was really nice. I need go to back to try their regular coffee since I didn’t this time (oops). 

And the matcha - delicious matcha! Matcha lattes are one of my favorite drinks and not a lot of cafes do it right. It’s really easy for matcha to taste like fish (it’s not suppose to) so I really try to look out for coffee shops that get it right. And HVMANS did. I go to Leaves cafe for my matcha but now this place is a good competitor. And you can see that I had a lot of fun taking pictures of it too.

Another aspect I loved were the people. The barista was super nice and forgave me for my broken french (I really tried). And since this cafe was all new, and right next to a university that lost power for  a few hours, a lot of Instagrammers stopped by at my same time. I was able to meet/see some of my favorites, which made my experience here even more exceptional. 

So, hvmans of Concordia, if our school ever has a power failure again, you know what to do. You know what the real drill is!!! HVMANS: the perfect hideaway on a Monday. 

IG: legendoftamar

Leaves Cafe

Location:  2051 Rue de la Montagne

Metro Station: Peel or Guy-Concordia

Hello!!! I know I’ve already posted about this spot, but since I come here a lot, I felt like updating my pictures for you guys! I first came here when it had just opened and it has evolved since then. 

If you haven’t read my old post about this place, worry-not! I’ll give you a nice little summary of this wonderful cafe. 

First off, this cafe is located very close to Concordia University (and relatively close to McGill University). I enjoy the short walk through downtown to get here from my school. Especially if you have classes in Hall building (Concordia students), Leaves is about 3-4 block away. 

What I love about this place is its peacefulness. Every time I come here, I feel instantly relaxed. Their playlist includes relaxing acoustic songs (a lot of them I listen to regularly myself). Their simplistic and minimalist decor strips down your stress and reveals peace of mind. Almost everything here is white, with touches of pale wood and plants. So many plants. And cacti. Leaves is here to satisfy your love for cacti. Mini plants fill the cafe and introduce color and nature to their little space. A lot of the plants are planted in little white coffee cups with their logo printed on them. Perfect for Instagram.

An interesting aspect of this cafe is that it is the only all vegan cafe in Montreal. Yap, no milk. Any lactose-intolerant person’s dream. And paradise for vegans too, of course. But don’t worry, if you order a latte, you won’t just get latte minus milk (basically an overpriced espresso). They have some yummy substitutes: Almond milk, Soy milk and Coconut milk. I find that the coconut milk tastes best but almond milk results in better latte art. So for your Instagram junky (like me), get the almond milk!!!

My absolutely favorite drink here is also the favorite of almost all their clients: MATCHA LATTE. If you have never tried matcha latte, I’m sorry but I cannot be your friend. Please come here and try it and then maybe I’l consider talking to you. That’s how good it is. And what is matcha latte? (If you don’t know, please don’t even approach me) It’s basically powdered green tea that’s mixed in with milk (in this case, substitute milk). It tastes a lot like green tea. It’s very good and it’s very healthy! If you don’t like coffee, this could be your go-to coffee shop drink. And possibly your go-to cafe.