Montreal has an interesting coffee scene which predates the gourmet/specialty coffee movement in other North American cities. In part, this is due to Montreal's European influences.

No, baristas aren't seen as godlike creatures and some places even serve espresso without appropriate crema! But there's something for anyone's taste. In fact, coffee tastes in Montreal vary quite a bit and a given café's coffee may or may not fit someone's standard for great coffee. No matter, café-hopping in Montreal can be a fun experience. Many Montrealers enjoy "allongé" which is a "long" espresso (a larger volume than a single-shot espresso). Some cafés make very good allongés but not all espressos convert well to allongé and vice-versa. You're likely to be asked if you want your espresso "short or long" («court ou allongé»).

Big coffee chains (including Starbucks and Second Cup) have Montreal locations but the local scene is alive and well. In fact, several local cafés are becoming small chains, usually without sacrificing quality too much. Small Italian cafés abound in some neighbourhoods but these might be somewhat intimidating as they're mostly populated by regulars (especially during soccer games).

Neighbourhood cafés:

• Café Genova
• Caffè Italia (which gave its title to a movie)

Roasters/cafés:

• Aux deux Marie
• Brûlerie aux quatre vents
• Café grain d'or
• Café Rico Website
• Santropol www.santropol.com
• Toi, moi et café

A few local chains:

• A.L. Van Houtte Website
• Brûlerie Saint-Denis
• Café Dépôt
• Café Tribune