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Pourquoi Pas Espresso Bar

4.5 (93 reviews)
InexpensiveCoffee & Tea, Cafes
Open 7:30 am - 6:00 pm

Pourquoi Pas Espresso Bar Photos

POURQUOI PAS ESPRESSO BAR ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Hipster
Casual
Good for working

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Recommended Reviews - Pourquoi Pas Espresso Bar

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Reviews With Photos

Hayong L.

What an amazing cafe in Montreal. I'm so glad I found this place through a suggestion for best cafe spots in Montreal. The space and ambiance is beautiful and more importantly, their coffee is top notch. I can't believe they make their own coconut and almond milk! It's unbelievably tasty and its heated at the right consistency to get the nice foam on cappuccinos and lattes. Mum got a cappuccino and I got a cortado. Both were excellent and I would definitely recommend it to a friend who's visiting Montreal. The cafe is located in the heart of the LGBT community there and its a quiet and respectable neighborhood. Very easy to get to by the metro system. It's been a couple of months since my Montreal trip, but I still dream think about that cortado from time to time. Staff was very nice and just as you interact with them, you know they can make a mean coffee drink for you.

Open the door to awesome espresso
Ben L.

Coming up on their 1 year anniversary, Tony & his small crew are cranking out top notch espesso drinks matching the best in the city (Myriade, Névé/Flocon, Café Plume, Pikolo). Good bean, grind, machines, and baristas. All you need for fantastic espresso. Beans are from Te Aro (Toronto based kiwi Andy Wilkins), meaning Pourquoi Pas is skilled enough to earn the right to buy their roast. - Te Aro has one 24kg roasting machine = capacity to support ~ 30 cafés - Canadian roasted coffee is duty free to US So, one can infer that Pourquoi Pas is judged by Te Aro as one of the top 30 cafes in the ON, QC, and possibly IL, NY, MA area (the reasonable shipping cost area) Wow... too much caffeine = crazy tangents. If you're gonna get wired, why not do it with the best? p.s. their wifi is up and running

Antonio B.

Fabulous Coffee and Friendly Atmosphere are the answers you'll find at Pourquoi Pas. I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon treats and down time at this special little neighborhood café. This is clearly the place where regulars drop by to get the latest tea, an impressive list of coffees, and sweet treats. This will become a regular stop on my trips to this beautiful burg.

Ann T.

Location: Just off Ste. Catherine Est, in the Village. Street parking available [metered] and the closest subway stops are Berri and Beaudry [green]. The place: Very small with a communal table and bar-type seating right in front of the window. Obviously I chose the window because I like to look at people look at me when they walk by. It's a super casual atmosphere and there's no pretentiousness of any kind. Also, I didn't see any hipsters. I did stop in on a Tuesday afternoon so the place was quiet. I'm not sure how it looks on the weekend. The goods: I ordered a Macchiato with the home made almond + coconut milk. The milk is awesome and totally worth it. These guys use Pilot coffee, which I sometimes like, while at other times, it leaves me indifferent. I had a custom blend that was roasted specifically for a café in Québec City that was awesome. The blend used for this Macchiato was OK but it was a little bitter for my tastes. I still enjoyed it though, and I'd say these guys are in my top 6 coffee spots. Yes, that's right, SIX, not five! Service: The barista was so, so nice and friendly. Price point: $3.50 for the Macchiato, though I think there might be a surcharge for the home made milk. I forgot to ask. All in all, a very respectable coffee joint in this part of town. Check it!

Cappuccino
André M.

Is a good coffee to study quiet. I like coffee's like this one! And the cappuccino is delicious.

Ryna D.

I loved this place! I wanted a good coffee spot near our hotel in Montreal and I found this cute little spot thru Yelp. The set-up is really laid-back and the barista was very nice and friendly. He even gave us recommendations for our stay. And the cappuccino was great so we came back again while on our short trip.

Banana-chocolate square (rectangle). Latte.
Carolyn T.

Located a bit further east than I usually venture, I had to come here after reading the reviews... And the place did not disappoint! First of all, although I love plain ol' cow's milk, almond milk is my default for coffee, so I loved the house blend of coconut and almond milk. The coconut milk added an extra je ne sais quoi that worked perfectly with the nuttiness of the almond milk and the toasty notes of the espresso. They have a variety of baked goods on offer. I chose the banana-chocolate square, which was on the dry side, but it was pleasantly banana-y and had just the right amount of chocolate. The seating isn't the most plentiful and the arrangement isn't the most inviting, but it isn't terrible either. The window seats are perfect for people watching, but they're also up on a platform, so you do need to have some sense about you when going up and down - especially when you have one of their precious lattes in your hands! Will return for sure.

people sitting at tables
Cindy Feng Xin L.

I LOVE THIS CAFÉ! I saw that they were doing personalized latte art (basically they would make a tulip and write whatever word you want inside), so I got my "Cindy" latte from them and it was amazing! The café is really cute and has great ambiance, the interior decor is lovely and there are plants everywhere. I would come back to study and talk with friends!

Need coffee first thing to make sense of the map!
Keith O.

As good as Piccolo's Espresso Bar, and slightly cheaper. My go to coffee shop if I'm staying in hostels around St Catherine's, or indeed when I'm willing to walk for it. Choice of daily roasts (Ethiopian and Colombian when I was there). Serving staff were great, and price was right ($2.75). Had free wifi and you could sit at the window looking at the world, or at the bar chatting. A must go.

Maddie M.

Such a cute little cafe! Loved my hot coco! It was fairly priced and tasted delicious!!! There are cute little pastries. And gluten free options!!! Cáfe had a clean restroom and free WiFi! The owner helped me and my friends find a place for dinner and was so kind! Loved this place!

Lovin' my office this morning... No more meetings in monotonous conference rooms.

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Best oar flat white with a wheaty perfume. A regular here for a while. The shop is cozy as a working place as well.

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Pourquoi Pas Espresso Bar Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Pourquoi Pas Espresso Bar

I think what really set this one over the top was that they had "house milk" that was a combo between coconut and almond.

Mentioned in 4 reviews

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La Graine Brûlée - Dinner at 11 p.m. because of a snooze after arriving late to YUL: a vegetarian burrito and tea the more complicated way.

La Graine Brûlée

4.3(72 reviews)
0.1 kmVille-Marie
$

Independent - and very different - coffehouses in the Montreal area - 1 of 2…read more A hectic transition to Montreal - first arriving at YUL and then on to Centre-Ville - called for a rest - a nap - which then brought on the need for a snack and coffee/tea late at about 11:00 p.m. Looking at the phone didn't provide much in the way of choices, and, at that, a place where one could sit. I looked at the listing for La Graine Brulee more than once and had to think about it. I finally went in. This place is indeed weird. However, it all turned out to be better than I thought. There are all these seating areas, with some on either side of the front door and then several on a circular bench radiating from the center and making for quite a few tables. That's where I sat. Take note that there is also a big wooden cube with a lot of graffiti on it. The service was pleasant. I ordered some hot tea and they made a vegetarian burrito for me at late hours. (There's no way in hell you'll find something with meat or poultry in here.) I'm glad I was able to eat something before turning in. The prices were acceptable for what I got and its location, between 2 and 3 blocks east of the city's main Metro station at Berri-UQAM. In looking around, there was a good cross-section of people. It's more about nearby UQAM (translation: students) than it is "Le Village," which is now mid-rise and high-rise condos ... and the cranes that go into making them. Tables with books and laptops were the norm which, in my mind, is a good thing. Either way, there wasn't anyone over 40 here as far as I could see. That said, I don't know how willing I'd be to go back, unless in the same situation, and I have to joke that I don't know if personae who are middle of the road, and right of that, would like it here. However, if you are cut from the same cloth as the ownership and the other patrons, meaning bohemian and "new age-y," then I would strongly recommend it. I'm talking tribe! I will rate it within that context since they are not looking to serve the "mom, apple pie, and Chevrolet" crowd. Also, being on Saint-Catherine Est might foretell its personality, since Est and Ouest along this major thoroughfare can be two different worlds. However, La Graine Brulee delivered on a (vegetarian) burrito and some hot tea that I needed before turning in and did it well.

Sometimes when I travel, it's hard for me to branch out into the unknown, especially when it's in…read moreFrench. Luckily, this place was down the same street as my hostel so I made the trip and was greeted in French but they quickly made me comfortable when they realized my native tongue was English. How freakin' cute is this place ?! SO CUTE. So much to look at and do. Great place to dine alone or with friends. They have Nintendo that you can play with many games, fun booths you literally have to climb into and just so many apparatuses you can check out. Oh yeah! And my chai latte and breakfast burrito (suggested by the lovely barista) tied it all together to make a perfect experience here. Unfortunately, I lost most my photos from this trip but just trust me on this. Reasonably priced food for how dang delicious everything was! Can't wait to return back to Montreal one day, if I do, I'll have to bring in some of my friends to experience such an awesome, sweet place!

Photos
La Graine Brûlée - You order up the front.  Service was polite.  Radiating small tables in pinwheel form.  (Interesting hat on that urban(e) customer.)

You order up the front. Service was polite. Radiating small tables in pinwheel form. (Interesting hat on that urban(e) customer.)

La Graine Brûlée - Grilled cheese apple and onion

Grilled cheese apple and onion

La Graine Brûlée - Here's the graffiti box, with bench seating to its left, telling you that if you're not hippie-dippy or young, you're not tribe.

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Here's the graffiti box, with bench seating to its left, telling you that if you're not hippie-dippy or young, you're not tribe.

La Finca - Yogurt Granola

La Finca

4.5(206 reviews)
1.5 kmVille-Marie
$$

Best espresso in Canada yet, friendly welcoming service and copious seating available. Went back…read morethe day after for breakfast; better deal and coffee quality than hotel haha. Recommended

What a little oasis in the city, loved my experience here!…read more I stumbled across this cafe while visiting and I could tell it looked like a popular local spot. There was a small line but the wait was short. I ordered a cappuccino and a BLT bagel sandwich. Both were really great. The cappuccino was one of the best ones I've had on my trip. The beans they picked were good, and the milk was steamed perfectly. The BLT bagel sandwich really caught me by surprise. I honestly wasn't expecting too much. They did such a good job balancing all the flavors and it didn't feel like a heavy sandwich like some BLT sandwiches can be. The general feel of the cafe is very cozy and comfortable. The window in the front let in amazing light, making the cafe such an inspirational spot (would be amazing to spend a day in there working). There were also plants everywhere and the greenery is such a nice touch. They even had fresh flowers on every table (so rare to find these days). The staff were super friendly. You ordered at the counter, get your number for the table, and the staff members would bring you your food. I was there in the morning and everyone had a smile on their face. The space seemed to uplift everyone's mood in there. I had such a great first time impression of this place and I will definitely be back the next time I'm in the area.

Photos
La Finca
La Finca - Bundt cake and soup

Bundt cake and soup

La Finca

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Marché Vieux Montréal - Salmon avocado toast

Marché Vieux Montréal

3.5(19 reviews)
1.3 kmVille-Marie

Best way to describe this place is 'lovely'. Amazing attention to details and full of design…read moretouches in every corner, including the ceiling. It's almost being in a museum. The food was excellent, great healthy selection focused in breakfast and salads (they also have a selection of sandwiches). Breakfast plates come with fruits. Polite and helpful staff.

After walking around old Montreal for two hours, my husband and I agreed we could not walk another…read moreblock without some coffee and refreshment. We had a list of cafés that were highly rated on Yelp, but none of them were right in front of us, and this one was. So we walked in without having checked any reviews first. Sometimes we get lucky that way! This time, we did not. First, we really just wanted a cup of drip coffee. That was not offered here. The only options were various espresso drinks, starting at $4.50. We each got a café Americano. They were ok. None of the food in the display cases looked that appealing, so we picked a large chocolate cookie with a fudgy center to share. Can't go wrong with a chocolate cookie, right? Wrong. It was dry and lackluster in flavor. There was only one person working there, and he was surly. We thought perhaps he was just annoyed with us for asking for wifi (not offered) and regular non-espresso coffee, but we listened to him interact with customers who came after us, and he was short and abrupt with them too. The back part of the store sold souvenirs, but nothing unique or exciting, just mugs and magnets and stuff you could get anywhere. The decor was eclectic mix of antique furniture, which seemed kind of funky and fun, until I sat down. The seat part of my old wood stool wobbled and tilted and I slid right off because some screws were missing. I had to catch myself along the counter and regain balance. I was fine, but this would not have been a safe situation for someone less steady on their feet! I liked the pressed tin ceiling and the chandelier. There were different books on the counter available for public browsing while we drank our coffee, which was nice. The windows were large and the potted plants seemed to be doing well in their sunny spot. I liked looking out at the sidewalk passersby. I would not come here again.

Photos
Marché Vieux Montréal - Ceiling

Ceiling

Marché Vieux Montréal - Egg avocado toast

Egg avocado toast

Marché Vieux Montréal - At entry point

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At entry point

Pourquoi Pas Espresso Bar - coffee - Updated May 2026

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