Montreal coffee shops

Today is less of a blog, more of a reblog. A late one at that. I went to Montreal at the beginning of October with work and was lucky enough to get a few days to explore the city. With time being of the essence, I was very lucky to be able to rely on Brian (of Brian's Coffee Spot fame) for some recommendations. His excellent and detailed blog post and personal tips on Twitter saved the day, letting me enjoy some of the best coffee the city has to offer even on my tight schedule.

Pikolo Espresso Bar

3418B Parc Avenue, Montreal, QC, H2X 2H5

With tables full of students tapping furiously away on their laptops, my friend and I felt a little out of place chatting in this tiny espresso bar. Cleverly installed seating alongside the narrow, galley-like counter and a mezzanine level gives some extra seating but at 11am on a weekday we were hard pressed to find a seat! Ordering a flat white and eponymous piccolo, we soon realised why the place is in such demand. 

The coffee was smooth, expertly poured and came with free wifi and a soundtrack which incorporated two of my favourite artists (Lykke Li and First Aid Kit) in the short time were were there. Result. Would definitely suggest you give this a try if ever in the area. pikoloespresso.com

Le Conteau (The Knife)
4627 Rue St Denis, Montreal, QC, H2J 2LA

We sought this place out for a well earned rest after a morning 'stroll' up to the top of Parc du Mont-Royal. We were hungry, thirsty and tired, and the laid back aesthetic of Le Conteau turned out to be the perfect tonic for our fatigue. Self-described as an artisan cafe, we were greeted by friendly service, amazing (gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free) brownies and B-E-A-UTIFUL coffee with beans from 49th Parallel. I went for a piccolo latte (which was basically a flat white) and enjoyed it so much I bought a bag of beans to bring home with me!

It's a fair way up Rue St Denis, but definitely worth the walk and there's some other great restaurants and shops around the top end of St Laurent Boulevard and Mount Royal Avenue. lecouteau.ca

Humble Lion
904 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, QC H3A 1G3

Another student haunt, Humble Lion is directly opposite McGill University. Lovely and spacious with plenty of free seats and homely touches like bookshelves and school desks, the place feels like a labour of love. We went mid morning on a Saturday so it wasn't too busy with the students mostly off-campus.

I went for a latte, which was well poured with silky smooth milk but a little over-extracted which meant I was looking around for the sugar bowl. My friends had hot chocolates and, clearly,  someone was in the mood for showing off because they looked stunning and I am reliably informed tasted great too.

Humble Lion is close enough to town that it's easy to get to and chilled out at weekends (I imagine it gets pretty busy with students in the week) so worth a visit if you're going to take a look at the University Campus or on your way to Mont Royal. cafehumblelion.com

A review of Leila's Shop

15-17 Calvert Avenue  Bethnal Green, London E2 7JP

I'm in love... with Leila's.

Tucked away between Shoreditch High Street and Columbia Road, Leila's is the perfect pit stop for a mid afternoon snack and beverage to warm the cockles at this chilly time of year. Relaxed, homely and not too full at around 2pm on a Saturday afternoon, we slipped in on our way home to grab a cheeky hot chocolate and olive oil biscuit.

Made the traditional way in a good old saucepan on the hob, the hot chocolate may come in a thimble-like glass but believe me, any more of this rich nectar and you would feel decidedly sick. It was the perfect tonic for a freezing afternoon stroll and I'm already planning the next time I can fit a visit into my schedule to have another hit.

The olive oil biscuit was something I'd never tried before and was light, predictably oily, but delicately flavoured with fennel cutting through, giving it a fresh savouriness which I couldn't get enough of. The counter top was piled with pastries, brownies and other goodies so there was plenty of choice. And if you go for the panettone you'll get a slice generous enough to feed at least two!

I love the open plan kitchen where you can watch the chef and waiting staff pottering around and get your taste buds tingling looking at all their fresh produce. Everything on the menu can be cooked up using ingredients bought from the deli next door so you can even take your inspiration home with you!

I can't comment on the food as we'd already had lunch, but I'm more than happy to have an excuse to come back for brunch at some point at by the looks of their menus I won't be disappointed:

Leila's shop are on Twitter and Facebook.