Snacks and Cafes
Ambiance , 1874 rue Notre Dame ouest. Old French tearoom and antique shop. Bagel Etc. , 4320 boul St-Laurent. Trendy New York-type diner. Excellent bagels from the simple cream cheese to caviar and extravagant breakfasts. Daily 8am-5pm. Beauty's , 93 ave du Mont-Royal ouest. A brunch institution with wonderful 1950s decor. Be prepared to get up early on the weekend to avoid the lineup. Ben's Delicatessen , 1475 rue Metcalfe. Lithuanian Ben Kravitz opened his deli in 1908 and his sons and grandsons still run this Montreal institution. Its gaudy 1930s interior still draws a few people in the wee hours for delicious smoked meat and diner fare, but the wall of fame attests to happier days. La Binerie Mont-Royal , 367 ave du Mont-Royal est. Four tables and a chrome counter seat the hundreds of people who visit this well-known cafe daily. The menu consists of beans, beans and more beans with ketchup, vinegar or maple syrup. Also served is pork, beef, tourtiere (a minced porkpie) and pouding chomeur - "unemployed pudding" - a variation on bread pudding. Briskets , 705 rue Ste-Catherine ouest and 1073 Beaver Hall. Plain decor with wooden tables, popular with students. Smoked meat to eat in or take away. Closed Sun. Cafe Cine-Lumiere , 5163 boul t-Laurent. Antique Parisian decor, cheap French food and a wide selection of mussels. Black-and-white films are regularly projected onto the back wall. Cafe El Dorado , 921 ave du Mont-Royal est. Coffees from all over the world, and fine desserts. Cafe Laika , 4040 boul St-Laurent. The sleek interior draws urbane hipsters from the Plateau for daily specials and cafes au lait . Cafe Santropol , 3990 rue St-Urbain. Mostly vegetarian cafe on the corner of Duluth. Spectacular during the summer when its flowered and fountained back terrace is a welcome oasis from the busy streets, Santropol still retains its charm in winter thanks to its cozy atrium. Huge sandwiches, quiches and salads are offered as well as various herbal teas and coffees. Fairmount Bagel Bakery , 74 ave Fairmount ouest. Possibly the best bagel outlet in Montreal, offering a huge variety of bagels. There is nowhere to sit, but arm yourself with a bag of bagels, a pot of cream cheese and some smoked salmon (lox), sit on the nearest curb and you'll soon be in bagel heaven. Open daily 24hr. Faubourg Ste-Catherine , 1616 rue Ste-Catherine ouest. A gigantic restored building on the corner of Guy. Downstairs is a wealth of food stalls from cookies to fresh veg; upstairs a fast-food mall to surpass all others - everything from fresh salmon to crepes and cookies. Kilo , 5206 boul St-Laurent. Creating the most divine cakes, particularly the cheesecake, this patisserie is expensive but worth every cent. Open late on weekends. Reuben's Deli , 892 and 1116 rue Ste-Catherine ouest. An excellent deli with great jars of pimentos in the window and a wealth of smoked meats. Frantic atmosphere and friendly service. A favourite with local business types, and thus packed at lunchtime. Schwartz's Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen , 3895 boul St-Laurent. Schwartz's is a Montreal institution: a small, narrow deli serving up colossal smoked-meat sandwiches, with surly service thrown in as part of the package. Line-up out the door on weekends. Wilensky's Light Lunch , 34 ave Fairmount ouest. Used for countless filmsets because the decor hasn't changed since 1932 and that includes the till, the grill and the drinks machine. The Wilensky Special includes four types of salami and costs around $4. Closed weekends.
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