Farine & Vanille — Restaurant in Montreal

What a wonderful discovery! As we mourn the closure of La Gascogne, we cheer for  a new soulful bakery ,coffee and sandwich haven.  Almond croissants with almond paste both on the inside and outside warmed to a science, Mexican vanilla bread(conchas)that were so delicious that I later ate the half that my wife was hiding from me without guilt / smoked salmon or smoked meat mini pizzas and a pumpernickel bread made with molasses and even chocolate that leaves a strong tasty result with every bite . On this particular visit ,i had eggs on delicious moist Nan bread, a small portion of arugula salad and salmon of a cooked and well smoked kind.We had large lattes served in glasses that i personally would prefer in ceramic bowls because the coffee remains hotter for a longer period The Union coffee selection was good though i have had better from them (favs are Eric's Melange or a mix of Jupiter and Ethiopian)

This fledgling i bakery on the NW corner of St. Joseph and Parc is open since Nov.23/17 and is a labor of love and community spirit between two women (farine-Genvieve and vanille- Mariana) who met in a NYC baking school. As the story goes, Vanille was the nicest and best baker in the school so Farine smoothered her with farine or flowers(the English version) and convinced her to come North rather than return to Mexico City.The women are community minded. Day old bread is distributed to needy families in the area through locals and regular clients.As well and on this particular day, the driver of the bus that stops immediately in front of the bakery door was rewarded with an almond croissant having already been supplied with a baguette prior to Christmas.

Decor is modest though its just the beginning . The original red brick wall,steel joists and ventilation pipes remain with an upstair downstairs arrangement divided by an extensive display counter and baking table and oven in the middle of the area.

.As the mini pizzas were sold out while we were there ,we got to see the making of fresh ones from the upstairs. No charge for the wonderful smells and the baking lesson.

Service was excellent with a heavy accent on tell us about your experience As a measure of conscientiousness the owner waited by our table to ensure that the just heated croissant had the right texture Suffice to say that i  saw many thumbs up including mine from clients indicating their satisfaction. I definitely will return even if it means a lapsus or a violation  of my...

Their brunch of eggs with smoked salmon is truly outstanding (I’ve never eaten so slow in my life because of how much I was enjoying it!) and nothing at all close to being typical. Their chocolate buckwheat cookie (although maybe seeming a bit small for the price) is incredibly delicious, and their maple danish is to die for!! Unfortunately the coffee I had be kind of bitter, but I really didn’t care considering how amazing everything else was. Perhaps if I had only gone for coffee I would have been disappointed. Regardless, I’m still giving 5 stars for my review of his café, because not only did I go there with already high expectations which it surpassed, but the people working there have to be the nicest people I have ever encountered working in a cafe before. They are so friendly, welcoming, courteous and accommodating, truly taking the time to engage all of their customers (I was sitting there for several hours working from my laptop and I noticed this with how they treated myself and others) and give what seems like a family feeling to the place. I will certainly be...

I visited many bakeries while in Montreal, and this was my favorite. The pastries were so fresh and creative, yet simple, nothing with too many ingredients or too wacky, but such high quality. We took home a baguette, which was crunchy on the outside and light and fluffy on the outside, everything a french baguette should be. The tea was served in adorable ceramic mugs, giving the place a very homey vibe. Limited seating, we were there mid day on a Friday, so we were able to get to of the stools by the window, but I wouldn't plan on being able to sit, it's more of a to go place. There are, however, a few tables in the back where people seemed to be...