Café de la Troisième

Café de la Troisième is a a coffee shop inside a bookstore called Librarie de Verdun! I have recently been exploring the Verdun area a bit more thanks to the Indie Coffee Passport, and it's really cute! The streets and signs are all themed blue and white in the summer and I love all the little shops on Wellington! In my opinion coffee and books go together like peanut butter and jelly! While there are a few bar stools, I'd recommend getting your coffee to go so you can browse the book selection and check out the house ware boutique by Réunion!

Note: This is a late post, and as I write this I am craving the summer weather again!

hvmans

Hi everyone! I can't believe how close Christmas is! I've been going to Enso Yoga's community classes on Friday nights after work and I find it hard to kill the time before class since it only starts at 7:30 and I get hungry so easily!

This past week my friend C joined me for yoga and we decided to hit up hvmans for a coffee and snack before our class! I love the location of this café since it's right on St Catherine's close to Concordia. There were a few students on a Friday evening but luckily it wasn't too busy and we snagged a great spot. There is plenty of seating and plugs too.

We shared a croissant and enjoyed our coffee while unwinding from the week. My cappuccino was very good and C liked her americano as well. The best part about this café is the extended hours! This may become my new spot before yoga!

Krema Café

Krema is the gorgeous café inside Fairmont's recently renovated Queen Elizabeth Hotel. This is the perfect destination for those looking for great coffee and a chill vibe. The café offers all kinds of coffee, tea, and baked goods. There is some bar seating looking onto René Levesque which is great for people watching, as well as a comfy lounge area with a fireplace. It's a great spot to come and read or to have a business meeting!

New Humble Lion

Humble Lion has opened their second location! I was happy to walk by it the other day and see how much bigger this spot is. My first time visiting was back in 2013 when they had one small shop across from McGill's iconic Roddick Gates.

The second location is still very close to the original, and just a bit more south on the corner of McGill College Ave and St. Catherines. There is a ton of natural light and in the summer you can slide open the doors for a breeze! There are comfy tan booths along the walk, and gorgeous marble tables with cute mugs! There is also some bar seating. My favourite part is the antique map hung right above the booths. My photos didn't do it justice but you can check out their instagram page here.

Congrats Humble Lion on your second location!

Café Bloom II

Café Bloom is a gorgeous spot with great brunch! The flower tiles are iconic and I love their simple yet delicious menu. This was my second time coming to Bloom (both times for brunch!) thanks to the Indie Coffee Passport. Check out my first brunch visit here.

I had a cappuccino and got the croque-épinard which was basically toasted rye bread with spinach, feta, olives, cheese and a sunny side up egg with a maple sesame dressing. It was so delicious and the portion was really big!

I would definitely recommend this spot for brunch. The food is amazing, but try to go a bit earlier on the weekend so you don't have to wait in line!

Café Perko

I discovered another cute café with my friend C in Villeray called Café Perko. This is literally the perfect study spot!!

The owner opened this café because when she was a law student, she spent all of her time studying in coffee shops. She found herself either at a big chain coffee shop with expensive and terrible coffee, or small independent coffee shops where the coffee was great but the space was small, and the hours were not conducive to night owls. That's where the idea of Perko was born: a big enough coffee shop, open late, with good wifi and most importantly good coffee and good food at reasonable prices!

Perko offers everything from coffee and pastries to salads and sandwiches. They even have chargers that they can lend you if you forget yours - free of charge! One of the coolest perks about this café is their printing corner. They offer notepads, paper, pens, and envelopes! Finally, they even have a conference room with a large TV available for rent by the hour.

I absolutely loved the cozy and comfy vibe here, not to mention the motivation I felt being surrounded by so many focused students that were plugged in and working away! I suspect you need to come early if you want a table to work on because it was was packed when we got there on Saturday afternoon! Nevertheless, we loved our coffee and were so glad we discovered this spot.

Café Bassi

Café Bassi is a bicycle shop and cafe all in one in the Plateau, right by the famous 24/7 poutine spot La Banquise. I enjoyed a nice cold iced coffee (brewed with Dispatch beans) with a cranberry - pumpkin seed loaf. There is no seating inside - this really is primarily a bicycle shop, but I sat outside on the beach and enjoyed the fresh air while waiting to meet up with a friend. The coffee was good, but unless you're coming to rent a bike or to get your bike repaired I wouldn't go out of the way to try their coffee.

Update: The café has unfortunately closed down to make more room for the bicycle shop!

Saratoga Coffee Traders

We spent a beautiful fall weekend in Lake George, NY and had a chance to swing by Saratoga Springs on the way home! On our way back, we discovered Saratoga Coffee Traders, a local café on one of the main streets.

Their menu is extensive and includes all types of hot drinks and cold drinks and sandwiches and snacks. We chose 2 seasonal specialties to keep us warm on the drive home. I got an Irish cream and peppermint coffee and Alan got a mudslide which was a chocolate and Irish cream coffee.

You can subscribe on their website for monthly coffee deliveries which includes a pound of coffee each month with free shipping. They also sell merchandise such as mugs and shirts. I love that their website also has an option to order online. This ensures that your order is ready for pickup whenever you're ready and you can beat the lunch rush!

These guys are celebrating their 10 year anniversary next year on Aug 1, 2018 (congrats!) and to help celebrate you can compete to design their new mug! Check out the competition details on their website here.

Ginkgo

Ginkgo is a new café and bar in the heart of Montreal's quartier des spectacles. It's a beautiful and bright spot with plenty of seating! Ginkgo offers delicious food, cocktails and coffee. I found my cappuccino tasty however this spot is definitely more of a restaurant in my opinion than a café. Next time you're in the area, grab a friend and check out this gorgeous spot over a cocktail or brunch!

 

Allo Velo

Allo Velo is your one stop shop for everything bicycle rated in Montreal and inside the store there is a cute little coffee corner. This was my second time here thanks to the Indie Coffee Passport, but last time they were located in a different location in St Henri.

The new space is located in Griffintown right on Rue Shannan. It's spacious enough to house a number of bicycles and gear and it also has an awesome nook to hang out in and enjoy coffee. The coffee was delicious as always! I loved my cappuccino and my friend C also really liked her americano. Hope to stop by again sometime!

Better Buzz California

Better Buzz is a Californian coffee shop with a few different locations around the San Diego area. I discovered this café while vacationing in Pacific / Mission Beach. Alan and I ordered acai bowls for breakfast and I got an amazing cappuccino while Alan got "the best coffee ever". This was basically an Americano with hints of vanilla creamer. We loved our breakfast and the coffee helped fuel us for a day of exploring!

The cafe had an awesome open air concept and we sipped the coffee by the window while enjoying the nice warm breeze. The vibe was very "Californian cool" with surfers strolling in without shoes and shirts, just in their bathing suits, to grab their morning coffee! What a life they live!!!

I really enjoyed this cafe and have already recommended it to a friend who visited California not long after me. If you find yourself in the area, make sure to stop into one of their 7 locations!

Life is better buzzed!

 

Sunny San Diego

Hi friends! I'm back from an amazing vacation in San Diego. Some of my highlights included surfing at Pacific Beach, hiking the Valido Trail in Laguna Beach and Torrey Pines, strolling around Balboa Park, relaxing on Coronado Beach, watching the sun set at Sunset Cliffs, and crossing the border by foot to Tijuana, Mexico.