Le Falco — Restaurant in Montreal

I tried Le Falco recently. It’s a nice café with great potential, but there’s room for improvement.

First, the positive: all my stars go to the atmosphere. It’s a great spot to work or have lunch. There are plenty of seats and outlets, and it’s easy to focus.

Now for the negatives. The barista at the cash could have been much friendlier and more helpful. When we arrived, the place was empty. The counter is set up at a 90-degree angle, with one side for food and the other for the cash register. Since there was no lineup, we went straight to the cash and completely missed the food display. The cashier didn’t mention any food options, and I only noticed them when I walked toward the washroom.

There were a few pastries near the register, so my friend asked about one. The barista just pointed and said, “It’s that,” without explaining anything. It came off as rude.

We were also excited to try the siphon coffee. She just poured us pre-brewed siphon coffee, which took away from the experience. I didn’t like the taste either. They do have other options.

We stayed a couple of hours and enjoyed working on our laptops. It’s a great space, but the customer service definitely needs...

VERY YES.

Went there this morning for the first time ever, expecting something lightly reminiscent of a real Japanese cafe.

Nope. This is the REAL DEAL.

First, the coffee. The Hario syphon coffee is superb. Let is settle to the right temperature and you have a remarkably light yet massively flavorful coffee.

Next, the onigiri. Best I've had outside of Japan. Admittedly, I was there early enough that they were just being made. But WOW. The shiitake and salmon was so very fresh and tender. A perfect snack and even though the onigiri don't appear very large, they're very dense and filling.

Really, if you're into Japanese coffee shops, this is...

food is tasty but everything about how this place operates is weird.

they have delicious drip coffee, but no espresso. they have sandwiches, but won't heat them up for you. the bowls are tasty, but they're an odd mix of Korean and western food culture and they're hard to eat with chopsticks.

the only reason I go here is bc I work in the same building. also the place closes right at 5, and the kitchen closes earlier, which means I can't even pick up a snack or a coffee on my way out of work.

all in all better than having a presse café like all the other office buildings in this city but that...