Café DAX — Restaurant in Montreal

"Darren, you and your team have done an outstanding job. Thank you."

I’m not a big fan of writing reviews about retail establishments I do business with; I’d instead continue going there an spend my money and enjoy their products and services. In my view it’s the best form of compliment. Sometimes, I’ll encourage my friends to try them out and get their feedback.

Today, I’ll make an exception, and I’ll take a few minutes to talk about a coffee shop I discovered a few months ago.

Café DAX, on Van Horne in Outremont (Montréal). First, my eye caught the name. I thought the owner was a Star Trek fan and named his coffee shop after the beautiful Jadzia Dax from Deep Space Nine… Geek alert!

What is the ultimate café experience? Each person has her own perspective on what makes a particular coffee shop her favourite.

DAX has everything I look for in the café that I’ll visit daily, sometimes more than once.

Here are a few things that I pay attention to in a café (not in order):

• An excellent selection of coffees and a wide range of preparations • A nice variety of tea and infusions, cold and hot • Consistency in taste and preparation care day after day • Impeccable customer service which exceeds expectations regardless of how busy the staff is • Exceptional waffles • Tasty hand-made ice creams • Snacks, pastries, sandwiches, and soup • Well trained barista • Great music, at the right volume • Reliable Internet • Clean washrooms at all times • Minimalist and clean location design • Attention to details and customer habits • Impeccable cleanliness of premises • Sidewalk terrasse • Appropriate opening hours and punctuality • The appropriate balance of friendliness and professionalism

DAX is a place many people visit almost every day and where they’re happy to go to because they feel genuinely welcome, regardless of how much they spend. It’s a place where customers are recognized, were their consuming habits and tastes are remembered. It’s a cool spot where they feel at home.

From my perspective, Café DAX is a new breed of establishment where the owner and the staff care about the customer experience at all levels. Although many cafés provide an outstanding experience, when it comes to coffee quality, taste, presentation, atmosphere, and service, Café DAX excels by its exceptional quality standard and consistency.

Darren, you and your team have done an outstanding...

I’m always excited to discover new coffee shops and Dax had been on my list for a while as it always looked cozy and fun whenever I saw it while driving on Van Horne.

My girlfriend and I decided to visit today to get iced drinks on a very hot summer day. When I walked in, I was super happy to see shelves of small-batch coffee beans and cute to-go cups, etc. Honestly, I just really liked the aesthetic and vibes. The baristas were also quite polite.

Where it all went wrong for me is the fact that another customer (who appears to be a regular by the name of Thierry) felt it was appropriate to look me over and say I was a “nice view” (TWICE.) What started as a friendly conversation about cortados quickly became weird and uncomfortable. When he asked me for my name and then my last name and I told him I wasn’t comfortable, he quietly cussed me out before chatting up others in the coffee shop.

Now, I know that this technically isn’t the café’s fault, but this all happened in front of the main counter and not one employee batted an eye. It didn’t make me feel safe and largely because of this I’m not sure I’d want to come back here.

Also, make sure to ask for extra syrup in your iced latte or cortado because they really don’t put a lot.

EDIT: Dominic, thank you for your reply. You must have me confused for someone else because I did not talk to any manager about this. I’m glad you told this man to leave, but that was already...

Met a friend for coffee and was my first time there. A quaint little place. Wasn’t crazy about a dog being inside due to allergies. Service was friendly and efficient. I ordered a macchiato and a plain croissant. The croissant was delicious. The coffee was also excellent. Super rich and full bodied. Once we ordered, we were told our items would be brought out to us on the sidewalk terrace. I asked the cashier to bring me extra sugar when he brought my coffee out. Coffees came and no sugar. Was quickly remedied by the waiter. A nice place with reasonably priced premium coffee. Will be back with my wife. UPDATE I was immediately contacted by the owner who was kind and gracious and wanted to make things right. I appreciate owners who value comments and strive to make...