This real deal patisserie is worth the trek across town, and makes their delectable baked goods…read morefrom scratch; by hand - daily. The decor is nothing to rave about, but their tartelettes and entremets (rectangle shaped pastries) make that point mute. You can really tell the difference between their offerings and bulk made or industrially made treats with their attention to quality and detail. It seems by the line-up in front of the display case, this may not be a secret - at least to locals who seem to know where to pair up hot beverages with sweets in a cozy ambiance (even if a little dated). They also have some dry imported treats on wall shelves across from the pastry case, and several chalk boards listing the coffees and various other menu items. The service is also quite prompt, welcoming and friendly. It may seem obvious, but come early to get the best selection, or risk missing out.

So Sundays are my days off training at the gym. One Sunday I didn't have raw materials to make…read morebrekkie. paltoquet opens at 9 so I decided to walk up there. For context I live near the tam tam mountains closer to Ave Mont Royal. My walk up Cote ste Catherine to Paltoquet took me 30 mins or so. I was told about their croissant " français de France" so I ordered 2 and coffee......lemme tell ya, les French were right, their croissants are WAY better than what we get in Montreal. So after consuming my Breakfast, off I go back home walking. All in all it was a good hour of walking with an excellent meal as my pit stop! Thank you for attending my Ted talk on planning your trips!

Pour des beignets de fantaisies très originaux c'est ma place…read moreQue se soit le smore ou la nouveauté du jour.

Great place to find european products, I found there the Speculoos! Great location, prices are not…read moregreat but are not very high either, so in general are ok for being imported products. The attention from the cashier excellent. The only thing I didn't like (where they lost my 5th star) was that I felt being followed by the manager and not in the "can I help you way" but in the "what are you doing" way.

Great spot just across the street from LeMeac. Fantastic coffee selection including recently…read moreroasted Blue Mountain and a number of local providers, a huge chocolate selection including many of the best hard to find artisan brands, a diverse collection of coffee grinders and brewing mechanisms from Siphon to Chemex to French Press, and a helpful staff more than capable of discussing the virtues of their various sources of maple syrup, vinegar, olive oil, meats, and cheeses. Prices are high end, but worth it.

Heard about this place on social media, it seems quite popular as they were recently awarded an…read moreinternational pastry prize. We arrived before opening around 9:45AM on Friday September 20th. There was already a couple people in line, we were 3rd. As we got closer to the 10AM opening, a line of about a dozen people formed. Doors opened at 10:05 AM, they were still not done setting up pastries in the display. Only 5 people were allowed entrance at a time due to limited space. First impression is that it looks very elegant, high end, beautiful little cakes and pastries that are almost too pretty to eat. We ordered 4 different cakes: the black forrest cherry, yuzu tart, a chocolate/caramel mousse, and the rapsberry/pistachio cake, along with 2 of their stuffed croissants. Most cakes were around $9 a pop and I believe the croissants were close to $5 each. Considering the small size, these are not cheap. Service wise - there were only 2 employees, they were slow to take the orders and prepare the boxes, which needed to be set up and taped. This should have been done ahead of time as assemblings boxes for all customers on the spot really slowed down the process. I have seen reviews of people waiting upwards of an hour, I can understand why. It takes an average of 5-10 mins per customer, since people always have questions on the products, then take their time choosing and paying. Flavor wise - our favorite was the yuzu tart and raspberry/pistachio cake. The black forrest cherry cake was lacking flavor and seemed kind of wet in the middle. Their cakes are made with real fruit or purees so if you don't eat them right away they tend to get soggy. The croissants were filled with cream inside, they were a bit too heavy and sweet for my liking. Other than aesthetics, I am not sure what is so special about this place - I am not a big cake or pastry connoisseur but I can't say I was blown away. They make a nice gift since they are beautiful and I can tell they are fresh and well made but they cakes were not delicious and not worth the price or wait times.

It's a good thing for my health and for my wallet that I don't work or live too close to Farine &…read moreCacao. I've been 4 times now, and they have the best viennoiseries (croissants) I've ever tasted. I've tried their chocolatines, pistachio croissants, chocolate-hazelnut croissants, raspberry croissants, and their seasonal strawberry rhubarb filled croissant. My favorite was definitely the pistachio, which is filled with a light pistachio cream (the raspberry was also a light cream, while the chocolate hazelnut was a ganache, and the strawberry rhubarb--my second favorite because of the fresh tartness--was a smooth compote). The pastry itself is crisp and flaky on the outside and soft on the inside. It is and lightly sweet, with a nice flavor of yeast and butter. I've also tried a few of their mini entremets (the pistachio raspberry and the lemon yuzu). They were absolutely beautiful and delicious, but I would still say that they're outshone by the viennoiseries. This is one of the places in Montreal that everyone (lifelong Montrealers, newcomers, and tourists alike) should try.