With over 100 cafés listed already, the independent café culture is quickly catching on in different neighborhoods around Montréal. Here is a selection of great cafés in and around Shaughnessy Village.
1-Café Myriade — 1432, Mackay Street
Myriade on Mackay is a Montréal classic. Located downtown right next to Concordia University, it has consistently brought joy to thousands of students. A pioneer of independent coffee in Montréal, this local shop is quite charming, not to mention the outdoor terrace, which has full sun exposure right in time for morning coffee!
2-Café Myriade Club Monaco — 1000, Sainte-Catherine Street West
The new Myriade café that recently opened in the basement of Club Monaco is my new heartache! You’ll want to take a slight detour though to truly admire the beauty of its location. The New York-inspired bookstore/coffee shop feeling really got me. Comfortably seated on a velvet bench, you’ll feel elsewhere … the collection of books sparks your curiosity, jams from Pâtisserie Rhubarbe will make your mouth water, and to top it all off, a divine latte!
3-Café Humble Lion — 904, Sherbrooke Street West
Humble Lion is one of my favorite downtown cafés. Its narrow layout and attentive staff make for a very charming place. Given its convenient location, I often make a quick stop for a good cappuccino and delicious granola bar with apricot! It is also one of the only places in Montreal where you will find the famous Mast Brothers chocolate straight from New York.
4-Le Café Bloom — 1940, Centre Street
In the heart of Montréal and at the centre of it all, Shaughnessy Village opens the doors to a whole new world of summer activities! In addition to offering a great range of restaurants, shops and services nearby, you can get to the Lachine Canal and Bloom Café in less than 10 minutes by bike! At Bloom you’ll not only find a good coffee but also great homemade dishes based on seasonal ingredients, all local and organic. The right plan for this summer: coffee and a healthy ‘to go’ lunch to enjoy on the canal. P.S. ginger lemonade and soda should definitely be on your menu during this summer season!
Stay tuned … for the love of independent coffee!
If like me you frequent independent cafes, I suggest you download the Adbeus application (it’s free). An extremely useful app, it geo-locates and identifies independent coffee shops near you!
Enjoy!
Photo : Café Humble Lion, from their Facebook page.
