Café Santropol

The sandwiches are great, the bread is amazing, the shakes are decadent, the chili is the best, but all this pales in comparison with the experience of eating there on a beautiful summer afternoon, in the shade of the lush backyard terrasse (in Montréal, terrace is not a employed word, but a terrasse, even if its just a table and chair on a sidewalk is a place worthy of pilgrimage.)  But his terrasse is truly one of the best in the city.  The lazy bohemian vibe of the Plateau neighborhood seeps into this restaurant's food, and Montreal invades you.   The one bad thing about the place is the no-alcohol thing.  What's that about?!

That title is meant with the utmost respect and appreciation for the historied Santropol. Amazing terrasse in the back and the inside is warm and cooky. The food is not as good as I remembered it (maybe it seemed that much more exotic when I was in high school?), but the atmosphere is. The cake is great and it is the place to go for tasty fair-trade coffee beans. I tend to find the soups seriously underseasoned; not sure the kitchen holds any salt or pepper. On the other hand, the bread is fabulous.