Montreal Student Haunts

Let’s be honest, Montreal’s downtown isn’t usually cause for great excitement. Its impressive skyline looks much better from afar, and aside from some picture-worthy architecture, the shiny glass facades of the city’s shopping and banking district make us miss the graffiti-clad walls and artsy corners of our beloved Montreal neighborhoods.

In a city known for its charm and joie de vivre, downtown’s all work no play mentality makes for a rather harsh contrast. Here, fast food chains and mainstream store fronts cater to the hustling life styles of Montreal’s business crowd.

However, strewn in between the shops and shiny offices, Montreal’s vibrant coffee culture adds color to an otherwise relatively bleak downtown core. Congregated around the large university campuses are some of the city’s finest indie cafés, two of which, Café Myriade and The Humble Lion, we would like to introduce to you now.

Café Myriade

Thanks to its location in the immediate neighborhood of Concordia’s downtown campus, Café Myriade is almost always packed to the brim. However, at the end of the long line-up of coffee-craving students, you will be rewarded with a professionally brewed and lovingly delivered cup of coffee.

Its cozy and intimate atmosphere make Myriade a great place to study, read, or hang out with friends. Without Wi-Fi access, you will, however, be forced to peel your eyes from your phones and indulge in some of the more traditional forms of socializing. The large front windows illuminate the small but welcoming space, and its red brick walls give it a warm and rustic feel. During the summer months, a large terrace provides additional outdoor seating.

Myriade’s delicious coffee creations pair best with their heavenly buttery croissants, which, like all of their pastries, are brought to you directly by local Montreal bakers. As for your coffee, you can have that any way you like! Whether french pressed, filtered or smooth and frothy, Myriade’s baristas make sure you get exactly the caffeine fix you need.

If you can’t score a table here, don’t despair. Apart from its main locale on Mackay Street, there is another, lesser known Myriade location downtown. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of Sainte Catherine Street, you can retreat to the ground floors of Club Monaco to enjoy your espresso in beautifully designed surroundings.

The Humble Lion

Across the gates of Montreal’s grand McGill university, behind a narrow and inconspicuous glass door, lies the Humble Lion; a superb little place for your morning and afternoon jolt. Located in the heart of downtown Montreal, the smell of ground coffee beans and freshly baked goods attracts a constant flow of coffee-lovers all day long.

Under the ferocious gaze of the café’s pet lion, the always friendly baristas prepare specialty coffees brewed to perfection. And, if you would like to treat yourself to something extra special, spring for one of their freshly baked sweet or savory scones. You won’t regret it, we promise!

The Humble Lion’s industrial-looking decor, with its shiny metal ceilings and appliance-laden shelves, creates a cool yet inviting atmosphere to settle down and devour that scone! The seating area in the back of the café provides place for those who like to enjoy their coffees with their nose buried deep in a textbook or whilst pouring over their notes. Plugs and free WiFi equip you with everything you need to get, or at least act, busy.

So, if you find yourself strolling through downtown in the need of a great cup of coffee or some deliciously baked treats, make sure to pay either one of these two places a visit. They won’t let you down!

Myriade

Location1: 1432 Rue Mackay, Montreal, QC

Phone1: +1 514-939-1717

Location2: 1000 Rue Sainte Catherine Ouest, Montreal, QC

Phone2: +1 514-600-0726

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The Humble Lion

Location: 904 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, QC

Phone: +1 514-844-5466

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