Hole in the Wall

Hole in the Wall is a cute Australian cafe with a few different locations in NYC. I visited the FiDi spot for a post-church girls brunch with my friend J. They serve specialty coffee, Aussie brunch favourites and also have a dinner menu with wine and cocktails. 

We both enjoyed the flat whites and shared our pulled pork benedicts and avocado toast. This is such a geat brunch spot and I highly recommend visiting if you're in FiDi, Flatiron, Murray Hill or Williamsburg, 

Le Dépanneur Café

Le Dépanneur Café is such a cozy and comfy place in Mile End. The decor is very cottage-chic with lots of wood furniture, exposed brick walls and old signs. They serve breakfast food, sandwiches, soups, cakes and other pastries. We enjoyed lattés, and I took the time to catch up on some blogging while enjoying the live music, which was my favourite part!

We were lucky enough to see 2 different groups of performers and both were amazing. The stage area is surrounded by couches where people can really focus and enjoy the music. The whole café stopped and clapped at the end of each piece. I thought that was so nice since performers can be easily ignored.

If this café was closer to my place I would absolutely come back here more often to support other local artists and rising stars. All in all, I loved this place and would highly recommend it!

Stay tuned for more Indie Coffee Passport adventures!

Chez Boris

Chez Boris is an amazing café / donut shop located in the Mile End, just steps away from Café Résonance (another favourite of mine).

They are mostly known for their fresh Russian-style donuts and creative sandwiches. We ordered a basket of 6 donuts to share - chocolate, cinnamon and sugar. They were so warm and absolutely delicious!! Anyone that knows me knows that I don't like sweets that much, but luckily these donuts were semi-sweet and just right. I had a wonderful, perfectly-balanced cappuccino to compliment my donut(s).

The café was really busy with people taking donuts and donut sandwiches to go, and it was also filled with students studying. I really empathize with those going through finals right now! My only complaint was that the sweet smell of the donuts started getting to me after an hour so I couldn't stay too long.

If you are an early bird, they offer a free donut with coffee in the wee hours of the morning. If you're a night owl, Chez Boris has an After Dark Event on Fridays and Saturdays where they offer a dinner menu and show a short horror film.

All in all, Chez Boris really hit the spot for me! Check out their website and facebook page for more information.

Le Moineau Masqué

Hi Everyone - the ICP Coffee Crawl continues! I went to 3 different cafes today with a few friends, and am currently on a very nice caffeine-buzz! In order to give each café the spotlight it deserves, I'll write about them separately in the coming days.

We started at a cute little café in the Plateau called Le Moineau Masqué this afternoon. It's located around the corner from the Mont-Royal Metro but far enough from the bustle of the area in a very quiet corner. This spot was super cute and had a very relaxing atmosphere. I loved the exposed brick and wood furniture. We sipped on our delicious lattés while chatting about our work Christmas parties and holiday plans.

 

We noticed that there were certain tables that were specifically marked "no laptops" and soon found out it was only implemented on the weekends to encourage a laptop-free area for families. There were of course a few tables in the back where people studied and used their laptops.

I really enjoyed this café and the atmosphere and would highly recommend it if you're looking for a place to enjoy a snack or coffee with friends.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the second café!

Tunnel Espresso @ Peel

The coffee adventures continue! I previously wrote about Tunnel Espresso bar here in the underground mall connecting Place Montreal Trust and the Eaton Centre. Tunnel Espresso recently opened another location at the Peel Metro on Stanley. It's a perfect location for busy folks who want to grab a quick delicious cup of Joe without having to go out of their way.

Just like the original location, Tunnel Espresso has great lattes and pastries to snack on. they even have a small nook with benches so you can sit down for a few minutes and enjoy your coffee and snack. The only difficult part is getting there during their opening hours since it's open Montreal to Friday from 7:30 am to 5 pm.

I'm so happy that this café was included in the ICP list and would really encourage all of you to try it out if you get a chance!

LaRue et Fils

This is the second LaRue et Fils on the ICP and it's just as cute as the first one! I loved my cappuccino and had a chance to read a book called the Power of Habit (I highly recommend it) while sipping on my java. My favourite part of this café is that it looks onto a beautiful church. Overall, another great spot with awesome coffee.

Village Café

The ICP coffee adventures continue at Village Café! We stumbled upon this café on our way to a Odessa (also on the passport) and decided to park ourselves at Village instead for another cup of joe!

Village was not at all what we were expecting! This spot is catered to families with young kids. It's a very cute place where parents can meet each other and recharge while their kids play. This café even had stroller parking section in the back.

We sat by the main window in a little nook that was perfect for getting cozy with a good book!

I immediately loved the set up of the counter, especially the way they designed the menu with colourful magnetic alphabets! I ordered a decaf latte and we sipped on our coffee while enjoying the music and watching kids be kids. It was hilarious to see how they played and also interacted with each other.

While I enjoyed my coffee, I don't think I would come back here. I do like the idea of family friendly cafés and Village is unique since it brings together the community through their play areas and their yoga classes! They say it takes a village to raise an elephant and this café is a testament to that!

Brunching at Café Fixe

Hi Everyone - the ICP Coffee Crawl continues! I went to 3 different cafes today with a few friends, and am currently on a very nice caffeine-buzz! In order to give each café the spotlight it deserves, I'll write about them separately in the coming days.

The morning started with a delicious 4 course brunch at Café Fixe in the Rosemont area. The brunch was table d'hôte style and every single choice sounded so delicious. It was hard to pick just one!

The meal started with a fruit cocktail which was basically a smoothie shot. I also got a regular coffee to sip on (of course). Next, I picked baguette with lomo (Spanish deli) and brined tomatoes. For my main course, I chose roasted potatoes with caramelized onions, chorizo and sunny side up eggs. Even though they were out of the braised lamb and poached eggs (my original choice) I was ultimately very happy with my choice. To finish, off I stuffed myself with a delicious crême brûlée for dessert. 

The brunch was such a fun treat, and we took a coffee to go after our meal. I enjoyed sipping on my latté while browsing the famous shops in Plaza St-Hubert.

Another successful café outing in my opinion! Stay tuned for more adventures coming in the next few days!

L'Artiste Affamé

This past weekend I went with two other friends to L'Artiste Affamé, my 6th coffee shop out of the 29 cafes listed on my Indie Coffee Passport!

L’Artiste Affame literally translates to the Starving Artist. It’s the cutest little hole in the wall coffee shop located in the Plateau on the quintessential Rue St. Denis. This café is so unique since it has a laundromat attached to the back. It’s tucked away in a basement so you have to be careful not to miss it! The only marking was the cutest little sign indicating the Baunderie (Laundromat) saying “Le Petit Bas Perdu” which means the Missing Sock! How could you not want to go into this coffee shop after seeing that sign?!

Once inside, I felt like I could’ve been hanging out in my friend’s basement. My friend, of course, being a starving artist. There was a huge sectional couch and a TV with video games in one corner. For those who wanted to study or read, the other side was full of table and chairs. It housed students, couples and even a family. Personally, I loved the glazed coffee bean table tops which added such a unique and personal touch. L'Artiste Affamé was a very spacious but also cozy.  

I ordered a cappuccino and I absolutely loved it! The coffee beans are always in rotation at L'Artise Affamé so you never know what you'll get! My only complaint would be that there was not much to snack on and I didn’t feel like ordering a full meal. The owner made it a point to chat with us and he did mention that there was a bakery next door if we felt like getting pastries which I thought was nice.

Overall, this café is a very chill hipster place if you want to study, read, play video games or just hang out. Bonus if you don't have washing machines and want to sip on some delicious coffee while doing your laundry!

Follow my Indie Coffee Passport 2015 adventures here.

Café Parvis

Café Parvis is a super cute café and restaurant. When I first walked in, I thought Parvis was mainly a restaurant, but there is also a lot of counter space at the bar which is perfect for coffee drinkers. I went for lunch with a few colleagues and we all ordered different kids of pizza and salads to share. I loved the home made pizzas, but the beet salad was my absolute favourite.

After we finished our lunch we all grabbed coffee to go. My latte - courtesy of my Indie Coffee Passport - was delicious! Perfectly balanced and added a well needed kick for the rest of the work day.

I loved the food, the homey feeling, and the green decor. There were plants hanging everywhere which added a lot of life to the restaurant. I will definitely come back here for lunch and coffee since it's close to my office! Thanks Parvis!