Hof Kelsten — Restaurant in Montreal

Came here on a weekday morning during a recent trip to Montreal. Had the Gravlax sandwich which came on the most delicious rye bread I’ve ever tasted. If this bread is any indication of the many loaves they had ready for sale, I am sure they’re all amazing. The sandwich was delicious, with perfectly smoked salmon, capers and cream cheese. If I had more time in Montreal, I would have come back and worked my way through the menu.

Not to miss out on their many baked treats, also ordered a tasty pastry that was like a croissant with chocolate, coconut and banana. Enjoyed that so much that I got the Chocolate Babka for dessert that evening. For $15 you can’t go wrong, it’s chocolatey, flakey and just so good.

They serve Parlour Coffee here and have oat milk for those seeking a non dairy alternative. At the time of writing they did not accept credit cards. They do accept Cash and Debit, however if you’re visiting from outside of Canada, let them know it’s an international debit card as it won’t work first...

Loved stopping in here. Was excited to see Borscht on the menu and it did NOT disappoint. Being from Ukrainian descent, I’ve eaten a fair amount of borscht, however, I’ve never tried a version with what seemed like pickled beets. It was phenomenal with the pickled beets - Hof’s borscht is thick and has a tinge of vinegar and was served with sour cream on top (so they know what they’re doing). Will be back for the borscht for sure.

We also tried the cheese danish which was awesome, the homemade iced tea (which my husband describes as tasting like jelly beans), and bought a loaf of challah to bring home (which also paired well with the soup!).

The coffee was unfortunately underwhelming for me, a bit too acidic for my personal preference.

The interior of the space is a bit industrial yet cozy, it was nice to pass some time on a rainy day with a coffee and soup. Will...

Let's start with the most important stuff: the baked goods are absolutely spectacular. Over the course of just a few days I sampled the majority of the sweet ones - apple turnover, chocolatine, almond croissant, some sort of twisted cinnamon bun. They are the at the highest end of quality of anywhere I have tried in Montreal. They are not particularly cheap, but they are worth it.

The vibe is very much too cool for school with the industrial chic concrete floors, exposed pipes, and plywood and 80s music just a touch too loud for 9 a.m. The service was good when I was there by a cadre of 20th something bilingual baristas, but it was casual in a way that that might not appeal to all. It very much struck me as a place that will shortly go viral and have lines...