Antipode — Restaurant in Montreal

went on a tuesday midday in january, was seated immediately, went alone bcs i'm not waiting for my friends to free themselves up for me and sure it was not busy and the volume was nice, had a little read and it didn't bother me, given i was wearing noise-cancelling headphones. very pretty café! nice waiting staff, on their shit, no note for them.

i noticed on the menu was a distinct lack of descriptions for the meals - who cares for the drinks but the meals? it's... rare, let's say. am i supposed to know the menu already? right. so i went with the dutch baby pancake which i know as pannenkoeken. (i was expecting poffertjes from the name bcs i'm not familiar with the english version of dutch dishes). i couldn't finish it, too full of crumble, apple mash and apple slices and the added caramel was unnecessary - just too sweet overall - and i wished i know there was caramel bcs i really hate caramel. and it's like... here i was expecting the classic pannenkoeken, but it resembled more of an apple crisp that was never heated - which leads me to add that i think it took too much time for the dutch baby pancake to come out. i'm not sure if it was intended to be cold or hot but i'd reckon that it was supposed to be hot bcs there was a ice cream scoop on top and it definitely did not melt and the pancake was definitely cold... i mean, isn't it the gimmick targeted in adding ice cream on top? the clash between hot and cold?

i also noticed was that the chai latte i had was not a f**king chai latte, thank you. literally 80% of it is foam, no milk in the actual chai, tasted like hot water with a mini spike of cinnamon bcs there was some of the ring of the cup. there was also lavender added in - another thing a description on the menu should have mentioned. didn't even drink 20% of that, left it alone, for god's sake.

in the end, very lackluster, down right disappointing. for the price and alledged popularity, i'd look elsewhere or make it myself at home (def doable) bcs who the f**k cares if it's pretty and instagrammable if the food isn't doing it? right. maybe the other things on the menu are good but... i sure won't be...

It’s not every day you stumble upon a brunch spot in a city you’re just visiting that not only serves incredible food but also embodies true hospitality.

It was a cloud-covered Saturday afternoon when we joined the line outside this restaurant. What truly left an impression was how thoughtful and organized the staff was. They personally handed out umbrellas to everyone waiting in line, making sure no one was left standing in the rain unprotected. Despite their efforts, we still ended up drenched when it started pouring. To my surprise, even though we were dripping wet, the staff didn’t hesitate to invite us in. Rather than turning anyone away, they welcomed every guest with genuine warmth. They made sure the chairs were dried, offered towels, and seated everyone with a smile. It’s the little things like this that go a long way.

It was honestly the complete opposite of what I’ve sadly come to expect from other places in Montreal. At most spots that I have been to, if you don’t speak French fluently, you’re either ignored, hung up on, or politely (and sometimes not-so-politely) asked to leave. This restaurant did not have a hint of that coldness. The staff spoke both French and English effortlessly, and treated everyone, locals and visitors alike, with respect and care.

The food was just as comforting as the service. Every dish was perfect, and the coffee felt like a warm hug. The Yuzu French Toast was absolutely unforgettable. I had never tried vegan shakshouka before, but this one was truly exceptional, rich, flavorful, and utterly delicious.

This spot is truly extraordinary. I would return again and again, not just for the food, but for the hospitality....

Was recommended this place but unfortunately I arrived a little late (3:25~PM) due to parking spot issues and was informed the kitchen was closed and that only take out drinks were available. I thought this might happen so I was totally okay with that and was glad I could still try their “instagrammable drinks“. ✨The manager? ( male peppered hair) told me as I was browsing the menu that they could do drinks cold with an extra dollar for the ice and shaker. Found that interesting and questionable because I never encountered this before and felt like a tourist scam. 🤔 I asked the barista if Americano was also going to be an extra dollar for cold version to which she replied “ probably because of the ice and shaker “ 😗she sounded unsure in my opinion which made me further question the extra charge. I ended up only ordering the pistachio latte cold and as she was ringing it up on the counter she did not know how to input the extra dollar charge and that was when the manager stepped in to help. 🤠👀

Then the nail in the coffin was when I was leaving the manager made a comment in English saying “only one drink ?” To the barista which rubbed me the wrong way. ( my mom later came in to wait with me after I ordered) 🤩

I am sure the food would have tasted great but I won’t be coming to find out or recommending it. 💅Not worth the condescending comments and negative energy. 🙅‍♀️💔😢

Wish I took a photo of the iced pistachio latte but warning the takeout version is not instagrammable ! Literally swamp green WITHOUT any pistachio pieces. Tasted pretty good but not a 10.93CAD...