The Top 3 Brunch Places in Montreal

[ChanneLing]

Brunch, a combination word of breakfast and lunch, is usually had in the late morning. Nowadays, many people love having brunch together on the weekend, so do my friends and I. After tiring workdays, what can be better than sleeping in, having brunch, and hanging out with friends? However, to have a good brunch time, there’s one thing in the abovementioned sentence needed to be corrected, guess which part?

Since having brunch has become a trendy act, getting a table at a popular brunch restaurant isn’t as easy as we thought. Who’d wake up early on Saturday or Sunday mornings for food? Well, foodies like me would! (Raised a hand) It’s not unusual to see diners queuing for a great plate of food, even though it’s in the morning. So wake up early and get ready! Below are my 3 favorite places to have brunch in Montreal, Canada.

1. Olive et Gourmando

As one of the most popular brunch spots (or the most popular one) in old town Montreal, Olive et Gourmando is always full of diners not only on weekends but even on some weekdays. My friend and I once went there on Sunday around 9 am, pretty early right? But we still waited for almost an hour to get a table. Lesson learned: it’s always better to go early, especially on the weekend. They also sell tasty bread and pastries, so if you don’t have time or don’t want to wait, you can also grab a croissant and go.

2. Le Passé Composé

Le Passé Composé is located in Montreal’s Gay Village, an area not far from downtown. The time I went with a friend was a Wednesday morning so fortunately, we didn’t wait long. My friend is a vegetarian, and she likes their food a lot. The only pity is that the waiting time was a bit too long. I guess they missed our orders since the place was only half full when we arrived (by the time we left, the place was already full and there were people waiting outside).

3. Arts Café

Last but not least, Arts Café, a vintage style artsy cafe located in Mile-End, my favorite neighborhood in Montreal. I had passed by this place many times and wanted to visit but never got a chance because it’s always busy during weekend brunch time. A Tuesday noon, my friend and I finally made our visit there, and we had such a great time. Good decor, good atmosphere, good service, and great food, what more can we ask for?

Nomnomnom!

Do you like brunch? What’s your favorite brunch place in the city you live?

[MoniDi]

Hey @ChanneLing ,

I just had my lunch and I still drooled a bit just by seeing your photos and the description of every meal. The look awesome and I am sure they don’t stay for more than 10 minutes in the plate. I won’t be able to resist them, that’s for sure! Thanks for sharing your experience but I am eager to know which is your favourite meal if you have one?

In the recent two or three years brunch became popular in Bulgaria too. I know of several places where one could enjoy various dishes and they are One More Bar, Rainbow Factory and Boho. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any photos when I visited those places but you could check their menu on Google Maps.

[marcorp]

@ChanneLing loved the post! quality pictures, great presentations of those dishes! thanks for sharing!

[ChanneLing]

Hi @marcorp , thank you! It’s always nice to share good stuff with people.

[ChanneLing]

Hi @MoniDi , thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Omelet and Benedict eggs are my two favorite brunch options. These two dishes are just so typical that almost every brunch restaurant serves them. However, I also like to try new menus and new food. If I must choose one dish as my favorite among the three I share in this article, I would say the poutine (the one shown as the cover photo) since I like boiled eggs, cheese, meat, and potatoes. What a combination, right?

Also, thank you for sharing these fancy brunch places with me! The Eggs Benedict Boho serves looks so divine. As for Rainbow Factory, I notice that they have some special pastries. Is this a Bulgarian specialty? Hope I could travel to Bulgaria and visit these places one day!

[MoniDi]

Hey @ChanneLing ,

Thanks for your reply. I also liked the eggs Benedict at Boho. They served them with some salad and chorizo.

To answer your question, yes, this is a traditional Bulgarian dish called “тиквеник” which best translated as a pastry dessert filled with pumpkin, walnuts and raisins. The white sauce could be on the base of cream cheese but I can’t be sure as I haven’t tried it, what a shame.

By the way, have you stumbled upon this post The time I was defeated by poutine. It was the first time I heard about poutine when I read it.

[ChanneLing]

Hi @MoniDi ,

Awww that pastry does sound delicious! Nom nom hope I could have the chance to try it someday.

Thank you for sharing this post with me! It’s fun reading it.

Poutine is indeed a heavy guilty pleasure lol. French fries, cheese curds, gravy, and topping choices like bacon and guacamole, it’s impossible not to taste good!

[Jesi]

I thought a long “Oohhh myyyy godd” since I saw the first photo to the last. That’s how good everything looks. Thank you so much for sharing this, @ChanneLing .

You included very useful information for anyone in Montreal, even if I don’t usually have brunch, if I ever go to Montreal I would love to go to this places and order these.

[ChanneLing]

Hi @Jesi ,

Thank you! I’m glad you like the post!

Brunch is indeed one of the most eye-catching foods to capture.

[AdamGT]

I enjoyed your post @ChanneLing and like most enjoy brunch, especially on weekends. I’ve never had brunch in Montreal but did very much enjoy it in Quebec City.

[ChanneLing]

Hi @AdamGT ,

Thank you! Quebec City is such a beautiful place to visit and stay. I wish I had brunch when I was there, but I was still quite lucky to have dined at some restaurants there. Like The Famous Rabbit in Quebec City and Quebecois Cuisine to Ancient Canadians (and All of Us).

[AdamGT]

Totally agree @ChanneLing , Quebec City is a beautiful place to visit and stay. I rate it as one of the most beautiful cities in the world…oh and yes, the Famous Rabbit in Quebec City!! You tried it!!!

[ChanneLing]

Hahaha yes, @AdamGT it was my first time trying rabbit meat. The flavor is a bit hard for me to describe since I had never tasted anything like that. Indeed a special experience.

[AbdullahAM]

Thank you for sharing your post with us @ChanneLing

[Melissa_Langlois]

Those places seems to be pretty incredible! it’s such a shame I don’t hang out as much in Montreal as I used to. The pictures are wonderful

[ChanneLing]

Hi @AbdullahAM ,

Thank you! I’m glad you like the post!

[ChanneLing]

Hi @Melissa_Langlois ,

Merci! Montreal is a wonderful place for all brunch diners. I remembered I was so surprised by how many brunch places it has when I first arrived.