Bureau de Poste at 441 rue Saint-Gabriel in Old Montreal occupies a vaulted stone room in a 19th-century building — the kind of setting that makes good coffee taste even better. The espresso is precise and the filter options are chosen with care. The space is small, the light is good, and the neighbourhood outside is among the most beautiful in the city.
Good coffee in Old Montreal is rarer than it should be, given the tourist foot traffic. Bureau de Poste is the honest answer to the question of where to go. Order a flat white, find a stool in the vaulted back room, and watch the rue Saint-Gabriel through the stone window. It opens early enough for a morning caffeine fix before the crowds arrive on the street outside.