The Montreal downtown core or the Golden Square Mile as some people like to call it is lacking quality brunch spots. You have a mix of chain and some scattered spots here and there but the area oddly enough needs development in terms of more quality places offering brunch. Now Café Parvis opened late last winter and did not do brunch at first but a few months after opening, they started offering brunch on the menu. Now if you don’t know where Café Parvis is, then head down to Mayor street and look for the funky little café next to Furco, duck in for a coffee and a bite and you will soon be adding it to your list of downtown places for go to.

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Ma’tine is a new discovery on the brunch scene, located in the gay village. We were excited to check out this new brunch spot that brings some brunch muscle outside of the usual Plateau and Mile End areas. Early buzz on Ma’tine was that it was a fresh new take on brunch, with the original team that made Micro Resto la Famille one of our favourite spots. The Daniel-Six brothers (Jérémy and Maxime) have been making waves everywhere they go and all you need to do is try their food and you will understand why.

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Hochelaga Maisonneuve, or HOMA for short, is an interesting part of Montreal. Historically a working class neighborhood, it has recently started gentrifying. You will notice new condos popping up and many more cafes and restaurants that are not your usual greasy spoon. Although, HOMA manages to keep some of its working class flavour in its restaurants in the sense that you tend to get larger plates with decent value for what you pay. This is very welcome in a city where the $20 brunch is not that uncommon.

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The Old Port is a great place to do brunch with lots of options and scenic backdrops of historic buildings and the waterfront. With its rich history and a multitude of optionsspread throughout there is something for everyone’s taste and Suite 701 has some interesting options for your taste buds.

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A newcomer on the brunch scene, L’gros luxe, is getting people talking. Talking about a brunch that, by early accounts, looks good, tastes good and is well priced. There’s also the fact that they are doing some fun stuff with a variety of bloody Caesars and some impressive garnishes.

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Over on St Denis is Festin de Babette, a place that when you step into, you get transported to Paris. With items that have that oh-so-French look and feel, you think you are no longer in Montreal. (more…)

Over on Villeneuve street, just a little east of Parc, is this little café, or is it a laundromat? Or is it both… Actually Blanc de Blanc is both and a little more. One afternoon after having having spent some time on Mt Royal, we walked over and decided to try it out. (more…)

The 411 The East End has traditionally been an issue for me. Brunch places tend to be only your standard eggs and bacon spot; nothing fancy or healthy just the usual spots with menus that don’t inspire. But now, there is a bright light in the East and that beacon comes from Masson street. Here, you will find new brunch spots popping up that aren’t your everyday standard fare. (more…)

The 411 Over on Fairmount, you will find Arts Café. It’s been there for years. I’ve passed by it many times without ever having the time to try it out. One evening, I was cornered by 2 friends saying that I never went to brunch with them. I felt guilty and scared for my life a little so we decided to do brunch and one of them had heard about Art Café so I figured it was finally time to give it a try.

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The 411 Every so often I get asked what’s trending in the world of brunch; what’s new, what’s hot, what should we try? I usually reply with: “you tell me”. I’m always looking for something new that’s good. Over the last year I have been to many new places but only a handful impressed me and few have given me that “falling in love” feeling. You see, people get that feeling with other people, I get it with food. I am constantly searching for that magical place that will be my next number 1 go to brunch spot. I have even gotten burnt with some of my loves. I’ve had places close down, menus change, and some places just stopped doing brunch. I travel other countries and cities often looking for brunch love. I still have a few places back home close to my heart, but I want something new, somewhere were it just feels right, somewhere to fall in love all over again. So is Regine Café that place? Well, if I’m writing about it this way, it must have been a great 1st date.

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