Caffeine City

Mariella Castro

NOCOCHI café is located in the Concordia neighborhood in Mackay Street near Sherbrooke.  This white colored café shop provides Montreal with the best Arab cookies anyone will find in the entire city.  These out of the ordinary cookies melt in your mouth and they are the best complement to a latte, an espresso or a cappuccino made with the finest Illy coffee.  Don't be surprised if you start ordering five cookies and end up eating ten.

I have not figured out how does the addiction start but you should do yourself a favor and stop by.  You will be nicely surprised by the warmth of the café. Moreover, the service is impeccable, having the store manager or the owner treat their customers like family. 

Don't worry if you are not a coffee lover, they also have a tea menu and will leave you surprised by the exclusivity of their products.

Image source: Flickr, Cafe Nocochi, 2005.

On the touristic street of Crescent we find the well-known NESPRESSO BOUTIQUE BAR that delights tourists and Montrealers with the different arts of espresso. There are two sections to this place: on the first floor you find the boutique bar where you can enjoy a complete coffee menu with different intensities and aromas. The coffee treat can be matched by the best macaroons you will find downtown. Do not miss the opportunity to try the crème Brule or the caramel ones, they are flawless.  These are options that can't go wrong and you will not regret it. You will also find a simple food menu but do not expect these plates to be big! Nesspresso is minimal with its dishes.  If you like making your own coffee at home, you can buy the best coffee machines on the top floor. So you can enjoy a good coffee during your stay and leave with a prime coffee maker to continue this experience at home!

VASCO DA GAMMA is a Portuguese café located in Peel Street.  This café will make you feel like you took a flash trip to Portugal.  The background music will feed your soul and will re-energize you. After soaking yourself in the environment you will be able to boost your energy levels, being in the morning, afternoon or evening.  They also serve illy coffee and they provide wonderful desserts.  If you are a lemon lover, you should definitely buy the lemon tart.  It is the perfect combination of citric and sweet flavors.  If you want to have a bite before savoring a  cup of coffee, they serve tapas after 5pm. 

If you decide to go during the weekend, they have great omelets and wonderful mimosas.  The right amount of alcohol to make your day go in the right direction!

Café VERITAS, located in the Old Port, not only provides Montreal with a high quality of coffee but it also offers the city a new concept of coffee called "the third wave".  If we travel back in time, the first wave was the time where coffee was only produced but not enjoyed and the second wave was when people started appreciating different types of roasting.  This café sells the idea that coffee is no longer just a standard drink but a connoisseur beverage, "the third wave".

There are times when we all feel lost in the sea of cafés in the city and cannot decide where to go to have a good time with friends. I hope these options bring new ideas to your Café experience. Yes, we all know and recognize the great coffee big chains provide us but every now and then it´s good to change and experience something new.  Open your mind; open your eyes and you'll see and hopefully enjoy the rich and delicious coffee culture in Montreal!