Were To Eat Breakfast SOS

[Kenk]

I need your help,

What are your favorite places to have breakfast.

I need suggestions.

Name any part of town. I am not a breakfast resto expert.

High art to greasy spoon, whatever get your engines revving in the morning.

[MattyB]

Simple...

Greasy spoon if you have nothing else to do that day but sit and watch tv with a smile on your face: Cosmos (5843 Sherbrook West of Decarie (NDG)) - have the creation sandwich or the mish mash omlet.

Not so greasy, good for a scene and pretty creative (plus awsome smoothies) - L'Avenue (922 Avenue Mont Royal Est)

[riboflavinjoe]

oh god, not the avenue. you wait in line for attitude from teh wait staff and over priced eggs. go to style a few blocks further east. DO NOT go the avenue.

Reservoir's weekend breakfasts win the war on drugs.

[little ms foodie]

the bagel place, damn can't think of the name!!! yum....bagels!

edited to add it is St. Viatour café

Edited March 23, 2006 by little ms foodie (log)

[toto2]

La Grand-Mere Poule is one of my favorite breakfast place.

La grand-mere poule (1361 Mont-Royal E. or 3100 Masson or 2500 Beaubien E. (514) 521-4419 .) Food is fresh , good and plenty !

Saint-Viateur bagel is on Mont-royal , near Christophe Colomb

[Campofiorin]

I really enjoy Byblos on Laurier two blocks west of Papineau. Iranian restaurant with nice atmosphere, great hot chocolate and home preserves as well as a feta omelette to die for. Prices are cheap but go early as it gets pretty crowded after 10. Open for breakfast sat. and sun. only.

[Adrian3891]

I'm surprised at all the hating on L'avenue. I've never had a bad experience there and their breakfast potatoes own. I agree with Reservoir although it's a bit more of a refined breakfast/brunch and not a stick to your ribs kind of place. The coffee is great.

This brings me to my choice: Beauty's at St. Urbain and Mount Royal. The Beauty's special (lox, onion, tomato, and cream cheese on a fresh St. Viateur bagle) is my favourite breakfast ever. And it's a great Montreal institution with Duddy Kravitz and all that.

[-sheila mooney]

i'm from out of town but i sure like the eggs-benedict-on-spinach at le cafeteria (prince arthur et st laurent) and the blueberry pancakes, chockablock with fruit.

[Abendschein]

A few I like, although let's face it, while there are some breakfasts that are better than others... we're not talking re-invention of the wheel (my 0.02$). Haute cuisine? Hardly -- but fun maybe new places to try and for catching up with friends - absolutely.

Laika -- interesting without being too ambitious (I find Reservoir veers towards being more lunch than brunch and lacks a few breakfast mainstays).

Cobalt -- small small menu but just enough variety. Add live jazz and great mimosas and an uberchill jaaaaazzz, man wait staff and it's just a really nice experience

Senzala -- not the BEST place in the Montreal, but definitely fun for a brazilian twist on things. I personally prefer the original location on Bernard.

And I don't mind L'avenue one bit ... though it's not top of my list, just for the crowds. But for out of towners/ guests you like, it's a good bet... so much more representative of Montreal than the dreaded Eggspectations or Cora's.

[iharrison]

I understand that Beauty's is a staple and all but man oh man, the prices are completely irrational and insane in my opinion. When you figure out the cost of a bagel with lox and cream cheese and scan your bill a few times, you will LOSE it. So forget Beauty's. It was great when I was five and my Bubbie took me there but no more. Like ever.

I don't hate on L'Avenue as long as I don't freeze my ass off in line. The dejeuner Costaud is a great deal and the four-egg omelets rock. As do the potatoes.

Olive & Gourmando in Old Montreal of course is not a brunchy, breakfasty place per se, but damn their sandwiches and brioches and croissants and pretty much everything are great.

But my favorite, favorite breakfast place is Le Cartet, on McGill in Old Montreal. The dejeuner Canton is the best hangover cure I know of. Phenomenal.

[Chewie]

just another two cents...

I'll second Laika, I have had a couple of nice breakfasts there. Some of the offerings are a bit strange, but I have liked what I've tasted.

I haven't tried the new incarnation of Reservoir, although I would imagine it is as good as always. Far too smoky for me though, maybe I'll go back in June.

I would definetly also second Senzala. I tried to go to the Bernard location once, but the power was out that day. The De La Roche location however, is great. The space is really nice, with lots of sunshine, weather permitting, and good spacing between tables (a rarity in breakfast joints). the food is copious, especially the fruit, and they include orange juice and coffee. I quite like the fact that instead of constantly searching for a waitress to refill your coffee, the provide each table with a full thermos to refill cups at your leisure.

I remember also enjoying breakfast at Pistou Déjeuner, but it has been a while.

Finally AVOID L'AVENUE! I had one outstanding breafast there many years ago, but since then, many repeat visits have done nothing but disappoint. Mediocre food, and high prices, even in the context of the other restos I mentioned, none of which are a cheap breakfast. The bathrooms are nice though.

Edited March 24, 2006 by Chewie (log)

[grill-it]

Ok some good suggestions, so far

I always enjoy my 'Beauty's experience' but I find it a little over priced for what you actually get. There's no fruit in the classic breakfasts, and that's always a let down for me - fruit is vital. The cheese blintzes are fabulous though - my favourite dish there. Mind you, I really haven't been in a long time.

As for Avenue, the breakfasts there are HUGE. Plenty of fruit usually, and most of the time the plates are well prepared. I don’t like the crowds and I don’t like to wait. I don't usually recommend this place to friends/visitors despite that it's (almost) a Montreal icon.

I’ll second Olive & Gourmando – everything is excellent, however I haven’t tried Cartet for breakfast just yet.

A couple of suggestions from my nick of the woods:

La Petite Ardoise on Laurier has some decent brunches and a nice quiet terasse in the back. Don’t expect classic bacon and eggs, though.

If you like a more bohemian feel, try the Arts Café at Fairmount & Esplanade. Be prepared to wait a while, but enjoy a nice coffee while you do. Ramshackle furnishings thrown about and a real casual approach – makes everyone feel relaxed and at home. Brunches are decent as well – all named after famous artists. My preferences are the Kilmt and the Wood.

A tiny place I discovered recently is the Mille et un Saveurs on Fairmount near St-Urbain. They have a ham & eggs crepe that’s super – they don’t scramble the eggs either, so you can enjoy the perfect eggs inside your crepe. Steer clear of the potatoes (*see note below).

Vaudeville has a nice brunch. The benedict is nicely prepared, but in general it’s a bit more pricey albeit the fresh squeezed juice is included.

Finally, as far as greasy-spoons go, I've always like Dusty's - though it had a nicer ambience before the expansion.

Definitely avoid Eggspectations.

*BTW, I don’t like fried potatoes in my breakfast, IMO they just don’t belong. So any of the above suggestion may/may not have good potatoes.

[poutine]

My greasy spoon recommendation would be Cosmos and Dustys. I second Vaudeville for their quality food, white linens & great service/ambiance. Beauty's had it's day in the 70s/80s, time to move on. And for cheap eats, we had brunch at the Nickels in St. Laurent & considering how inexpensive it was, we did not walk away disappointed (or hungry).

[mizzjessica]

I think Beauty's is offensively expensive for what it is - overrated greasy spoon food.

L'Avenue is definitely a staple, and I think for what you pay for it, it's worth it. Omega 3 eggs, a heap of sublime potatoes...and yes, perhaps the staff can be a little tedious but not the the point it's worth avoiding. While Reservoir is my favorite on the weekend, L'Avenue is my favorite on a weekday. Hate the lineups, yes, but on a weekday if you go later than 11 it's fine. They serve brunch way into the afternoon on weekdays, a rarity.

Cora and especially Eggspectations are just gross.

Someone was telling me about somewhere in town with a duck confit and caramelized onion omelet on the breakfast menu...can''t recall who told me or where it is. I've since started making said omelet but would like to know where it's being served. Anyone know?

[anachemia]

If you're in the mood for a classic Québecois diner breakfast, I highly recommend Patate Rouge on Crémazie near Saint-Hubert (north side of Metropolitan). Potatoes are perfectly cooked and seasoned, the sausages are tasty, beans are out of this world. Complete absence of pretension here, which is especially nice first thing in the morning ;-)

La Binerie on Mont-Royal just west of St-Denis is another fairly humble place with great beans. I've only been there for dinner grub myself, but their breakfast menu is quite extensive and seems to offer a good value. Dining room only seats about 15 people though, so I'd imagine the place fills up fast on weekends.

[riboflavinjoe]

im glad to see that others also feel that beauty's is overrated. it's decent bacon and eggs, but give me a break, coffee is not included, and 2.50 for syrup? sheesh. overrated greasy spoon, for sure.

[grill-it]

Has anyone ever been to the diner that's in a pharmacy? I think it's called "la Pharamcie" and it's actually INSIDE a pharmacy in some mall in Anjou/St-Leonard. I went there once years ago, and it's a typical greasy spoon, but just the location is worth it for the novelty - I'm not even sure if it's still open... interesting in any case.

[Vanessa L.]

Best greasy spoon, Cosmos or Moe's corner snack bar on the corner of Lambert-closse and de Maisonneuve, right across from the old forum. It's open 24 hours and if you're not in the mood for eggs, get a Big Ed burger and strawberry milkshake (drool!).

Best breakfast potatoes in the city belong to Le Petit Pistou on the corner of Mount Royal and de la Roche.

If you want meat for breakfast and are into NDG, go to Mesquite. This place does some great southern style BBQ dishes for lunch and dinner (pulled-pork, brisket, etc.) Their breakfasts include some of the same stuff and are reasonably priced.

For fun decor, I love Bagel's etc. Their blintz's are great. And there's always Chez Claudette if you need a poutine to accompany your eggs.

Lastly, Sala Rossa does the best Huevos Rancheros! Make sure you get it with a side of chorizo sausage. I think they only do brunch on Sunday though.

[allan]

Nobody seems to really wqant to say it - Montreal does not, unfortunately, have any great breakfast spots!

[grill-it]

Nobody seems to really wqant to say it - Montreal does not, unfortunately, have any great breakfast spots!

←

That may (or may not) be true; however we're lucky to have a plethora of very decent breakfast spots

[coalex]

By far, the best breakfast spot in town is in the La Potion Magique on Mason (not far from St Michel). They have a great menu of inventive items with high quality ingrediants. Try it out.....

[Vinfidel]

expensive: renoir in sofitel. but amazing.

medium: vaudeville eggs bendict

cheap: COSMOS heartattack in a plate

[moose1111]

cafe melies has IMO the best breakfast..

i have a weekly residence at the bar there