Café Myriade

Café Myriade opened its first café on rue Mackay in 2008, and it has since grown to five locations across the city. The company credits Andy Kyres and Scott Rao with creating the Canadian Roasting Society, the city's first roasting cooperative.

Most of the coffee served comes from Myriade Roasting Co., the company's own roastery in Saint-Henri, the south-western neighbourhood that is also home to Atwater Market. Guest coffees rotate from other roasters, including Colorfull Coffee, Traffic Coffee and TorQue Coffee in Montreal and 49th Parallel from Vancouver, which gives regulars a reason to come back. The baristas focus on hand-made drinks, with careful micro-foam and latte art on milk drinks.

The food is simple and local. Pastries are made in Montreal and delivered each morning, with croissants from Hof Kelsten and scones from Candeur. Milk comes from Henrietta's, and soy, almond and oat alternatives, supplied by Aurelia, Pacific Foods and Oatly, are offered for anyone avoiding dairy.

The original Mackay café, at 1432 rue Mackay, is the classic choice if you are downtown, but there are now branches at 4627 rue Saint-Denis in the Plateau, 28 avenue du Mont-Royal Ouest, 347 avenue Victoria in Westmount and 2021 avenue Atwater in Shaughnessy Village, so you are rarely far from one. Opening hours vary by location and are not listed on the home page, so check before you go.

It suits coffee lovers who want to taste Montreal roasting, students and visitors exploring downtown. A visit can be a quick takeaway or a longer stop with a pastry and a book. If you are new to specialty coffee, ask the baristas which guest roaster is on and try it alongside a Myriade house coffee.

The Mackay café is in the Golden Square Mile, which makes it a handy stop during a day downtown. The Saint-Denis and Mont-Royal branches are handy for a break during a walk through the Plateau, and the Atwater café suits anyone staying on the western side of downtown. In Westmount, Myriade at 347 avenue Victoria and Café Olimpico at number 357 are a few doors apart, so you can compare a modern specialty coffee with a traditional Italian espresso on the same street.