Caffè Italia

I still like caffe italia but after going back and back, I’m dropping it because coffee is not as good as others (they use their specific blend of union) but most of all, price went up making it a round $ 3 for a cap. while it is not bitter as previously, I don’t find it that satisfying. it leaves me wanting more which means I’d have to get a second serving so we’re talking $ 6 coffee now.
mind you, I still enjoy going here for the décor and vibe of what it’s like to live in the 60s but strictly speaking coffee, there’s better

Un café qui nous rappelle l’Europe. J’adore y aller pour la crowd: plein d’Italiens et quelques Montréalais bien sûr. Une ambiance vivante, plein de vas et viens, du bon café, un service amical, et de délicieux sandwich. Il y a une game de soccer? Dirigez vous à l’arrière du restaurant, et prenez place avec l’auditoire enflammée. Une institution dans la petite Italie.

There is nothing more satisfying to me to find a Montrealer owned coffee shop! There is quite a few, however a coffee shop that is as old as the times. ,
A montreal made all italian, coffee blessing! A soccer (or is it football) fan delight
I implore you while visiting the Jean Talon market go across the street and visit this lil slice of italy.

For the price, this place is not bad! It’s welcoming, nothing fancy but I felt like I was getting coffee from mom! Enjoy!

I stood right at the counter, made eye contact with both the waiter and barista and waited as they hustled and bustled. They stared at the counter any time they came near me and I watched as no less than ten beverages were prepared for other customers, all while I was ignored.
I began to look around for a line or designated «ordering spot», but found none. I looked back at both men, looked around again and watched as someone standing right next to me, who’d come in after me, had their order taken.
I reached the conclusion that for some reason, I was persona non grata. I have literally never been treated this way in my life. I’m not sure why I was deemed not cool enough to give them my money, but luckily for me there are plenty of similar/​better places nearby, so I won’t have to find out.

such a throwback… imagine if all the chain pseudo cafes were like caffe italia. then there would be no long waits for the the skim — soy milk, iced macchiato, frappucino drinkers,… and hopefully no devices and WiFi,… just great simple «hot» coffees and conversations. one can dream.
aside from the amazing drinks and the personable barista, they also make killer sandwiches. its such a throwback that they even sell hygienic products, that’s super old school,… and we wished there were more of them still around.

Bön cappuccino + bon sandwich, un café classique de la Petite Italie ! Assez kitsch, comme déco avec des vieux cadres de la sélection italienne de soccer, des posters de Formule 1 et aussi pleins de vieux italiens qui prennent leurs expressos et lisent leurs journaux. Prix très abordables, service correct, assurez-​vous que le serveur vous vois car ça risqué d’être long, café populaire toujours rempli. Dépaysement assuré, comme si vous étiez en Italie. Ciao ! ⁴⁄₅ Visité en mars 2015.

Best espresso in town! Order it short and your caffeine boost is guaranteed. The entire coffee shop is such an experience to be in, the elderly Italians talking in Italian between each other, the beautiful coffee bar with the small stools, the old school classical tables and chairs. They even sell Italian eau de cologne, look behind the bar on your left and you will see the old fashioned packages of cosmetics. Their cappuccino is quite good too, get some biscotti along with your coffee and happiness will be upon you!

Busy, loud, lively, fast, somewhat chaotic — that’s how I would describe Caffè Italia. A café that doesn’t try to pretend to be what it’s not and stays true to what it is — a historic icon where local patrons in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s+ drop in for their espresso, dunk their panettone, watch some sports, pay (cash) and then leave to carry on their day.
Open from 7am till 11pm this place just never seems to stop. Sitting at the bar you’ll often see an order of 10 or more cups that come all at once! Amazingly no words are exchanged between waiters and the Barrista. I was trying to decode the system, a combo of saucer, glass spoons and positions that minimizes the need to talk and focus on delivery! Spoon in cup means decaf, two spoons on plate is an allongé, spoon down is double shot, etc.
Tip: Don’t try to sit at the corner table unless you’re looking for dirty looks. This where the older italian men hang out to talk about soccer, politics and sometimes about weather.
«Keep it real is what it’s all about… Montrealers like it like that» I was told by a regular. You won’t see any fancy foam art but the crema is thick, exactly what you would expect from fresh coffee beans being hit at the right temperature and 12 bars of pressure. All drinks are very reasonably priced: Espresso at $ 1.75 and Latte or Cappuccino at $ 2.75! Food-​wise staples are mortadella, capicollo or salami sandwiches, toasts with choice of jam, peanut butter or Nutella and your traditional variety of italian sweets. Interestingly enough, behind the counter, where cigarettes packs used to be displayed, you can get hard to find Italian men grooming items such as Proraso (Italy #1 shaving cream), Felce Azzura (Talc Powder) and Pastel del Capitano (italian toothpaste).
The original owner is a nice lady who just recently celebrated her 76^th birthday. She inherited the café from her parents who moved from Italy and opened this place when she was 16! The place is now run by her two daughters backed by a clever Barista (Paolo) and staff that crack you up if you pay attention to what they are saying. No frills, no fuss just good caffè — this is what it’s all about.

This is the legit shit. Serving up espresso that makes my people proud. Where the nonnos go for an espresso. That’s a sign right there. Straight up, honest, like your nonna made it. Basically, the original hipsters right here. More like original coffee gangsters.

After a week in Montréal and trying about 7 different coffee places, if have to say that this was the best out of all of them. Unfortunately, it’s not the best I’ve ever had.
It’s so unfortunate to be spoiled by such great coffees and espressos! The ambiance is like that of a sporty café where elders and men stop by to watch a soccer game, read a newspaper, and enjoy a nice cup of latte or cappuccino.

Location: On the main, in the heart of Little Italy. Street parking or transit.
The place: It’s one hot mess and if I were to use one word to describe the place, that word would be ‘chaos’. On one hand, the bar area reminds me of Rome, where one tosses back their caffé like a shot while observing the baristas hone their craft, then quickly hit the road. However, Café Italia lacks the organization of Italian caffés. Over there, you order at the cash, take your receipt then walk over to the bar and wait for your coffee. Once you’re done, off you go. At Italia, it’s one big free-​for-​all where patrons come in and huddle around the bar without any order whatsoever. So you can be there for ten minutes while some guy walks in off the street and places his order in ahead of you. It’s a survival of the fittest kind of situation. I hate inefficiency. Also, people actually do sit at the bar and linger rather than leave once they’re done. But that’s fine — I mean, I personally think coffee should be lingered over anyway. They do have tables if you’re not a fan of the bar.
The coffee: Ordinary and a bit too bitter (I had a Macchiato). I prefer Olimpico or Myriade.
Service: Grumpy. That’s really all I have to say about that.
Price point: Excellent — it cost $ 3.50 for a Macchiato and an Espresso. Can’t beat that!
Would I go back? Maybe I’ll give them another go on a quieter day but I won’t go out of my way to do so.

Bien que ce soit une institution, l’endroit offre également un café exceptionnel. Les weekend l’endroit est bondé.

Great Italian café that still looks like it’s in the 1960s with old Italian men at the bar sipping their espressos in the morning. I ordered an iced latte and it was good!

This café has a special place in my heart. It is not only where I had my first date with my first boyfriend (now first ex), but it is the very place that made me turn into the die-​hard biscotti and coffee lover/​aficionado that I claim myself to be now.
Seriously, the best espresso is served here. I have a piece of Caffe Italia in my home, a bag of their home roast beans. Some people can’t stand Italian coffee for its strong bitterness, but I enjoy every sip of it. The biscotti comes on a small heated plate, dare I say, saucer. The original is usually chewier, owing to its less-​hard texture. I believe this café is where I first ate a whole biscotti, and from then on, I began to express my devotion and love to biscottis by ordering them in any café across Montréal that sold them.
Without a doubt, Caffe Italia will be one of the landmarks of Montréal that I shall miss after this year. I shall miss the drinks and sweets, but also the wood panelling, the multiple photos of the café’s interior and exterior since its founding, framed posters of famous F1 competitors, the Crucifixion cross above the unisex washroom, Italian men crowding around the TVs, the outdoor tables, and even the occasional man in the back writing away like some serious poet or philosopher.

Well well, Caffè Italia is one of those places you have to go! Once you walk through the door, you’ve left Montréal behind, and have stepped into a scene from Italy.
Friendly staff, and the coffee is obviously fantastic.
You can always grab a cup of coffee and since you are almost next door to Ducati Montréal, swing in there and enjoy some beautiful Italian machinery.
This place really deserves a 5 star but I do really think that 5^th star is in the smallest details, and unfortunately the styrofoam to go cups don’t do it for me.

Absolutely amazing Italian coffees. The atmosphere, set-​up and clientele remind me of being in Italy.

Le café est excellent et l’endroit totalement typique! Le service est n’est pas très sympathique et si vous n’êtes pas un habitué… vous pourriez attendre! Mais bon, ça demeure un moyen d’être témoins de la vielle faune de la Petite Italie

As a 2^nd generation Italian, you know you’re stepping in an authentic Italian caffe when it’s 7:30 AM and 15 elderly Italians are sharing the place with you speaking to one another in different dialects of Italian with plenty of hand gestures to go around about «La Seria A» (it was Monday).
I ordered a cappuccino to go and was immediately received in a very friendly fashion despite on how busy it was. The quality of my cappuccino was exceptional and served quickly.
The price tag is a bit higher than some other places I know (with an extra fee of ordering to go?) but you’ll pay for it and accept it. There’s no denying the quality of this place and you pay more for quality.
La qualita e la.
Will visit again.

One of my favorite spots for coffee. I’ve yet to have any food but ooooouufff! The coffee is amaaaaaazing. Forget Star$$$ucks and $econd $up. Toilet water compared to Caffè Italia.
The atmosphere is old school and unpretentious. I believe they’re open to 10pm every night. Perfect for that evening java craving. Bring a book, a friend or watch a game on the tvs. It’s worth a detour to check out.

De l’extérieur ça n’a rien d’attrayant, il né s’agit pas d’un de ces cafés modernes qui ressemble à tous les autres. Ici on boit du caffè et on aime l’authenticité. On se retrouve en plein cœur de l’Italie avec son folklore, son ambiance et son bon caffè. Un excellent détour pour ceux qui veulent se dépayser quelques instants.

I love stopping here when I’m in Little Italy because they have great coffee for reasonable prices. I can’t comment on the food because I usually get coffee only. The espresso is of high quality and is not bitter like at some coffee shops. It goes down smoothly. Also their cappuccinos are always worth getting.
The place has the feel of an old school Italian espresso bar which I love and there is a TV which broadcasts Italian football matches on the weekends.

delicious perfect coffee.
The sandwiches are also absolutely delicious and so worth the trip. PLEASE TRY THEM. They are perfect.
You will find soccer, race cars, Jesus, and nutella.
What more do you want?

I noticed a while back that below the back counter they have bags of Caffè Italia home roast espresso beans. $ 14 for a chic little white bag of hefty nutty flavor, these beans make some good brew. This is now my caffeination of choice — fresh ground at home and bubbled up in my caffettiera on the stove top, it’s like having Italia in my apartment any time I like. Minus the swarthy, serious baristos.
Sidenote: the Mayor of Montréal walked in here the other day followed by a photographer, shook everyone’s hand while the pap snapped and left quick. Paying homage to the real powers that be in MTL? Maybe! Looking for a friendly neighborhoody photo op while dealing with ongoing student strikes? Golly gee, seems likely.

C’est dans un microcosme italien sans présomption que vous prendrez un espresso digne et crémeux à souhait. Le cappuccino est évidemment autant prisé. On a le droit à quelques beaux spécimens de stéréotypes: vieillards italiens attablés en rond, s’exprimant dans leur langue maternelle avec vivacité, tant avec la voix que les mains, décoration murale exagérément élogieuse à l’égard des voitures Ferrari, et un «rush» continuel, causé par une affluence d’habitués et de passants curieux (moi). C’est sans conteste l’un des points de rassemblement fort estimés de la communauté italo-​montréalaise. Les télévisions nous présentent le sport à la journée longue, surtout lorsqu’il s’agit de foot…
On y sert de la cuisine modeste: paninis, tartines au Nutella (très aimées), quelques sandwichs de charcuteries et autres petites spécialités aux piments et aubergines marinées. C’est un excellent emplacement pour prendre un café à la hâte, un peu désinvolte, assis sur un tabouret donnant au comptoir. Mon espresso né m’a coûté que 1,50 $, prix très avantageux étant donné qu’on y boit pas de la lavasse torréfiée. Le service a été un peu lent, mais c’est tout à fait compréhensif puisque le serveur était aussi le cuisinier… Tout seul le monsieur…à servir cafés par-​ci, paninis par-​là, faire payer les clients… et, bien-​sûr, piquer des jasettes avec sa loyale clientèle…
Avis, tant aux lève-​tôt qu’aux couche-​tard: le café est ouvert tous les jours de 6h00 à 23h00…

Definitely a mom-​and-​pop kind of place. Seems like it might be family run? The guys behind the counter were friendly to the customers. Very modest décor (some chairs and tables with a TV). They sell a hodgepodge of Italian things from coffee to sandwiches to toothpaste and lotions.
Amazing expresso there! I don’t know what is unique about it, but it was one of the best cappuccinos that I’ve had in a while. Had a nutella toast to go with the capp, and it was enough for a morning meal. Plus it was cheap too ($ 5 CSD)!