Saturday morning in Montreal began with something called an Adventure Walk. "Adventure" is…read moreapparently human terminology for making a small Italian Greyhound exercise extensively before brunch. By the time we finished with our walk, I had earned a meal. Or so I thought. Next stop: Maman in Griffintown. Mom already knew Maman because apparently they have one back home on the Upper East Side. Yet somehow, despite living on the Upper East Side myself, I have never been taken there. Interesting. We will address this upon our return to New York. The Griffintown location has a really nice outdoor seating area running alongside the building, with blue café tables, big wooden pergolas and planters. Under normal circumstances, this would have been perfect for me. Unfortunately, it was raining. The staff very kindly told Mom and Dad that I could come inside as long as I remained in my carrier. Terms accepted. After an entire morning of adventuring, I had absolutely no objection to being carried around like important cargo. Mom ordered eggs Benedict and an iced latte. Dad went with scrambled eggs, bacon and toast plus a Diet Coke. I stayed tucked inside my carrier and monitored the bacon situation. Very closely. No further comment at this time. The humans declared brunch a success, and I appreciated having a warm, dry place to recover after my morning excursion instead of sitting outside contemplating my life choices in the rain. Dogba's verdict: 3 paws out of 5. Rainy-day hospitality: very appreciated Dogba welcome: kind and accommodating Carrier accommodations: cozy Outdoor patio: saving this for a sunnier day Mom's eggs Benedict: big success Iced latte: Mom approved Dad's bacon: closely monitored Classic Dad breakfast: successfully demolished Post-adventure recovery: excellent Dogba brunch supervision: impeccable Would I return? Absolutely. In fact, I've recently learned that Maman has a location in my own neighborhood in New York City. Mom has some explaining to do. See you on the Upper East Side, Maman. I know where you live now.

we managed to squeeze in one more brunch on our last day, making our way to maman in griffintown…read more walking in felt like stepping into a little rustic farmhouse tucked into the city, exposed brick, weathered wood, whitewashed furniture, vintage blue and white plates, hanging greenery and a beautiful tree like arrangement covered in delicate blooms. every corner had a story, with little details that made the space feel warm, inviting and effortlessly charming. we were a party of three and arrived around 11:00 am. before the food arrived, i couldn't resist trying one more fun drink before leaving montreal, the peach pie iced matcha latte with vanilla cloud. it was such a pretty seasonal creation, with fruity peach notes layered with creamy matcha and topped with a soft vanilla cloud. refreshing, a little indulgent and the perfect drink to sip while settling into our final brunch of the trip. for my meal, i ordered the eggs ratatouille, stewed eggplant, squash, peppers and tomatoes topped with two over easy eggs, herbed feta and served with toasted country bread. the dish was colourful, comforting and full of fresh flavours. the slow cooked vegetables gave it a homey feel, while the runny yolks and herbed feta added just the right amount of richness. it felt like the perfect brunch after days of exploring, satisfying and flavourful, but still light enough to leave me feeling good. the toasted country bread was perfect for scooping up every last bit of the vegetable mixture and egg yolk. but what made this brunch special wasn't just the food or the beautiful setting. it was the chance to slow down and take in everything we had experienced over the whirlwind trip, the neighbourhood walks, incredible meals, rainy adventures, festival memories and all the unexpected little discoveries along the way. we sat, chatted and laughed, replaying our favourite moments and realizing just how much we had packed into a few short days. our server was friendly and never rushed us, allowing us to enjoy those final conversations before heading home. there was something cinematic about that last morning, sunlight filtering through the windows, flowers blooming indoors, plates arriving at the table, and three friends taking a quiet moment to appreciate the adventure before it came to an end. a beautiful space, a memorable meal, great company and one final chapter to close out our montreal adventure. au revoir montreal...until we meet again.

We were visiting Montreal from the states and staying nearby. Breakfast sausage in Montreal is kind…read moreof like a hotdog. And I'm sure the bagels are traditional Montreal bagels but I'm used to a New York bagel and these are kind of airy. Everywhere else we ate in Montreal used our debit cards, but not here. We needed to use the ATM machine and get cash which wouldn't have been a huge deal but the waitress went from being very nice to being very not nice about it. And the restaurant itself is kind of quirky. Narrow mirrors partitioned.

A quaint place which is deceiving from the outside. The food was fantastic and the service was…read moregreat. We were seated immediately and our server was friendly and fast. No empty glasses here. I ordered the Western Omelet and the portion size was very big. I barely finished it. The prices were very reasonable.

Omg the reviews here weren't lying - the crepes are SO good! The smoked salmon Atwater crepe is…read moredelectable, the OJ in the mimosa tasted fresh-squeezed, and the flat white was so smooth I didn't even need to add sugar. The ambience is lovely with a French soft rock station playing in the background, and the service is friendly and prompt. A+

We did not plan to eat at Spanel. Montreal was raining. We were hungry. Mom spotted a crêpe…read morerestaurant. And thus another carefully researched Dogba travel experience was born. Spanel actually has two outdoor spaces -- a surprisingly large street terrace out front and a smaller backyard patio tucked away behind the restaurant surrounded by greenery. Both looked excellent for dogs. Unfortunately, it was raining. Fortunately, I am adorable. The lovely people at Spanel kindly allowed me to come inside with Mom and Dad, where I settled into my carrier by the window and immediately began supervising brunch. Then Mom discovered the menu. Every crêpe is named after a different Montreal neighborhood. Oh no. This was no longer brunch. This was research. Mom chose The Village, which came with Toulouse sausage, scrambled eggs, caramelized onions and strong cheddar, all tucked inside a buckwheat crêpe. She also had an iced latte. Dad ordered a croissant and Coke. I ordered nothing, despite being Head of the Canada Research Department. Once again, the organizational structure of this family makes absolutely no sense. The restaurant itself is exactly the kind of little neighborhood place we love finding while traveling -- cozy, casual and full of personality, with chalkboard menus covering the walls, exposed brick, plants and even a piano. It feels much more like a local café than a tourist brunch stop. And sometimes the places you stumble upon turn out to be the ones you remember. Dogba's verdict: 4 paws Dog welcome: rainy-day exceptional Letting a soggy traveling pup inside: above and beyond Hidden backyard patio: tiny green oasis Big front terrace: excellent people-watching potential Crêpes named after Montreal neighborhoods: brilliant Mom's iced latte: apparently necessary Dad's croissant: dangerously within sniffing distance Canada Research Department opportunities: extensive Crêpe allocated to Dogba: 0% My only concern is that there are enough neighborhood crêpes on that wall to require several return visits. I am willing to make that sacrifice. For research.

This is a very casual place to get a decent bite to eat. We weren't very hungry so we just opted…read morefor soup and fries. They have French onion soup and soup du jour, which happens to be minestrone today. The French onion was really good and the minestrone was not bad, maybe a little bland. The fries were crispy and good. Yes there are bees around, but I seen them at every restaurant we visited in eastern Canada this fall.

I ordered a combo which is a sandwich fries and a drink. It's mainly a beef sandwich but didn't…read moreseem heavy. Bread was soft and you could easily bite into it and enjoy it The waitress over heard our conversation and gave good input about what we're discussing, spoke of her own experience and the culture of Montreal which was very much appreciated One of my favorite places to find while visiting Montreal's old port

What a beautiful little spot! It was a nice day so we sat on the terrace in the back and it's like…read moreyou're transported into garden! Our coffees and sandwiches are were incredible. The basil and tomato cream cheese was a fun flavor to try. I added the chicken salad onto my sandwich and it was delightful. We splurged and got the carrot cake at the end and wow was it a treat! Definitely would try this cafe if you haven't been yet.

We waited about 15-20 minutes without anyone acknowledging us or the people in front. I layer…read morelearned thay was because they assume you want to sit int garden area and just wait to talk to you until a spot opens up but im use to waiters at least letting you know the wait time or checking if you want to sit inside. Either way I see why the garden is the assumption. Its peaceful and funky with nice water features, art, and plenty of natural cover. Tones of birds fish and squirls are right next to you all the time and most of the seating seems like it has a good view of it. The coffee itself was pretty good as well. The iced late was a nice fresh drink on the hot day and they even had a little strawberry on the straw. Overall if you want a cute garden and dont mind a wait, its a good spot.

I was trying to find a coffee place with some food using the maps app and I got so confused…read more Finding this massive underground mall with a ton of choices was a lot to take in at 7am. Thankfully after walking around and checking out the option I settled on this place, it had a decent crowd so I figured it was promising. They were very quick with their services having multiple people on coffee and pretty much one handling food and one floating between the register and everything else. Pretty quick service. Coffee was good, not bitter. The Lox Bagel was pretty good, although it got smashed a bit when they cut it. Pretty fresh, though the tomato wasn't ripe. Definitely a good spot to start your day.

Went to this place on a total whim, as we were staying at a connected hotel, and was pleasantly…read moresurprised. The food looks great in the case and fortunately tasted about as good. Also, the staff transitioned from French to English with ease and no fuss. Also, it was great for my kids because of its proximity to the vortex fountain. If you are looking for a super quick and delicious breakfast, this is a sold option.

We are tourists and got this place recommended by the staff at the restaurant where we had dinner…read morethe night before. All I can say is WOW! The front area is a bakery with beautiful dessert displays. I wish I had a room for dessert. We came for the Quiche Lorraine, and the portion was huge -- probably enough for 3 people, I would say. It had a lot of meat, with some kind of special ham/bacon, and the flavor was delicious. If you like meat, this is the dish for you. I definitely recommend it! Personally, I would have liked a little more egg custard in the quiche. The Eggs Benedict was delicious as well. The drinks were great and the service was top-notch. Highly recommend!.

I absolutely loved their desserts. I will say though, they are pretty expensive. the pear dessert…read morealone was $15 before tax. We got the pear dessert, lemon meringue, and Ferrero chocolate cake, and together the three desserts came to around $45. Honestly, I didn't want to like them as much as I did because of the price, but they were all so good that we immediately wanted more. The pear dessert was light and delicate, while the outer white chocolate layer added a really nice crunch. I was super happy to see them because they were viral on TikTok lol. The Ferrero chocolate cake was super creamy and rich, and even the base had that delicious Ferrero flavor throughout. The lemon meringue was also light and refreshing, while the bottom crust still had a nice firmness to it in a good way. Every dessert was super flavorful and tasted amazing. The staff greeted us right away when we came in for takeout, and everyone was very friendly. They also helped pack our desserts, although I personally would have preferred if each dessert was packaged separately. The shop itself is really cute too. They have an adorable heart and rose sign outside, and all the desserts are displayed at the front. They also sell croissants and other little pastries/snacks as well.

I was very disappointed at Ange today. I remember their quality pastries where the dough was…read moreflaky and buttery. Just look at the pics of chocolatine from 2022 and 2023....very different from the pic I took today. Today I got a chocolatine (pain au chocolat) and the dough was bread-like. The dough used to be more buttery and flaky before, this time, it was like eating a bread roll filled with minimal chocolate filling. The staff was always nice and helpful but the quality of the pastry was a bit of a let down.

We popped in here for a snack. They have a clean storefront and the employees were helpful. They…read morehad some different combos that you could order. Apparently they were color coded so you can see what options you can mix and match. We ended up doing a petite combo that came with a small sandwich, small pastry and a drink. It was a pretty good deal. We got the jamon LT (JLT) on croissant and an apple tart. Both items were ok and pretty basic and simple. But it was a good price and had lots of seating area.