Barley Bar à Céréales comes across as a stylish, cozy brunch spot with a playful cereal bar and a crowd pleasing display of flavors, where the matcha pancakes, halloumi plate, Turkish eggs, and crème brûlée French toast are frequently praised, along with fresh lattes and avocado toast. The vibe and friendly service are often highlighted, but experiences vary with several notes about slow or mixed service, long waits during peak times, and occasional missteps like missing cutlery or orders. Some guests feel the portions are generous and the dishes visually appealing, while others find certain plates smaller or pricier than expected, and a few mention changes to the menu that altered favorite items. Noise levels can be high and seating sometimes tricky, though reservations help, and some would like more beverage options beyond coffee and tea. Overall, it is regarded as a standout brunch destination with a distinctive concept and strong flavors, recommended for those who enjoy a lively atmosphere and creative plates, while acknowledging that service consistency and value may fluctuate.
J'avais hâte d'essayer… mais ce n'est que tu hype. Le chicken waffle était tout sauf croustillant & la qualité laissait a désirer (surtout visuellement…)
Le service est fou fou l'ambiance non plus. Pour le prix, ça n'en vaut pas trop la peine.
We ordered falafel salad the $19 one & waffle with chicken & we had an offer for free dessert which we chose the matcha pan cakes.
We planned on ordering hazelnut latte but we were done before we reached that point.
Falafel eggs: I specifically asked wha is difference between the $19 falafel platter & $10 falafel egg I was told the platter is much more fulfilling & the description said it's felafel egg, falafel, salad & something else. Well it was just one eggs salad I paid $9 for just cut veggies. Just the egg was okay though
Chicken with waffle: that was okay it was good
Pancakes: we got burnt pancakes must taste good & that sauce is much thick see video
I know what this place can be but it's not there yet.. p.s I enjoyed it much better 2 years ago than now.
Feb 12, 2026
on Google
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This place used to be amazing, the type of place you would want to gate keep. However, my last experience was very disappointing, the main issue was our server. She did not use a pen & a paper to note my order with my friends (we are three in total). Each time we order, whether drinks or food, the server would come back at least 3-4 times for each step of the service just to verify if she took the proper order.
1. My friend A ordered a matcha. She ordered 2 because she thought that my friend B wanted to order one of her suggestions.
2. My friend A & I ordered an appetizer to share. The server never ordered it. Finally we received our main meals, then that's the only moment when the server realized we never received our appetizer. It is notable that her excuse was:'The kitchen's receipts are currently not functioning, so I must write everything for them to do the orders. I forgot to write & send the appetizer.'
3. I said I was thinking of ordering something savoury as main. She suggested the chicken with a waffle. I ended up choosing the halloumi, but I received her suggestion instead.
4. It is important to also note that we were the first & only customers at that moment. It took at least 5-10 minutes for me to receive my cereal latte, which was the first order made, nothing else.
5. When we were about to pay, there were 3 bills in total. The server forgot to take off the appetizer we never received. When she took it off my bill, she never gave me the corrected copy. Instead, she gave me the old one, & simply applied my new balance in the payment terminal, as she said:'I remember the amount by heart.'
All of these back to back issues could have been minimized if the server had a pen & a paper in the first place. It was upsetting when it happened way too much. The only reason why we even tipped 15% was because the server seemed nice, & it's a restaurant I used to enjoy visiting. I hope such calamity wouldn't happen again, specially when there's only one table in the restaurant.
The food is not bad, but not great either. A friend & I had the chicken waffle & fatteh. We had also ordered a flat white & a matcha latte which only arrived while we were already halfway through our meal. It's a shame since the place & vibe is nice.
We had a reservation at Barley Brunch for 3pm, but arrived about half an hour early. The hostess greeted us warmly-super friendly & welcoming-& let us know our table was already ready, which was a nice surprise.
Barley was on my list of top 5 must-try brunch spots in Montreal, based on Instagram recommendations. Overall, the food was decent. The chicken & waffles had potential, but the sauce was a little overpowering for our taste. The salad was okay-not particularly memorable-but the star of the show was definitely the matcha pancake. That did not disappoint. Highly recommend trying it if you go!
We also ordered some teas, & one person in our group who can't have milk was a bit disappointed to find out they only offered milk & not cream as an alternative. It's a small detail, but worth noting.
All in all, the service was fantastic, the vibe was great, & the matcha pancake alone makes it worth a visit.
Finally getting around to posting a review after I tried this place a few months back. The food was not super memorable, but still happy I tried after passing this place a few times.
I found the service to be quite slow & even though there were a bunch of tables open inside we had a bit of an issue with seating. Although it may have been because we were only 2 & the other open tables were for larger parties. I got the chicken & waffles. I found the spicy maple to be an interesting twist. Overall, the food was pretty good & I would say around 3.5 stars.
Looooove the labne toast, the pomegranate molasses gives it the perfect acidity & taste the waffles+chicken was also amazing! The service took some time but it's understandable, it's crowded. Will definitely come back
We walked in with birthday balloons, & right off the bat, Youssef was so accommodating - suggesting where we can put them for the birthday girl. We felt right at ease, with his kindness & banter. Once the birthday girl arrived, he offered her a birthday drink. It was very sweet & thoughtful. We ordered our food & drinks & everything was absolutely amazing. I had the fried chicken waffles, while the rest had the fried halloumi dish & the avocado toast. The coffee was also so delicious. Afterwards, Youssef brought over a taste of their caramel-hazel nut pancakes, & the matcha pancakes. It was such a wonderful treat. It was so wonderful feeling their hospitality & their attention to detail, & Youssef just wanted us to have a great time. He also gave us a tour of their speakeasy - we can't wait to come back!! We had the best experience, highly recommend!!
I recently revisited this establishment after a positive experience last year when I ordered the Gaufre Farcie au Halloumi avec Poulet. On my previous visit, the dish featured delicious sweet potato waffles with cheese in the center, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Naturally, I expected the same this time, but to my disappointment, the menu had changed, & the price had increased significantly. What I received instead was a regular waffle with chicken, which was underwhelming at best. For the same price, I could have easily gone to another breakfast spot nearby & received better quality food. The flavors were bland & did not remotely compare to the original dish I had previously enjoyed. Furthermore, I noticed that when ordering online, the price for the same dish is even higher. I fail to see what justifies this increase-there was nothing special about the regular waffle with a meager portion of chicken & eggs that I was served. To add to the frustration, the restaurant's website still shows the dish with the original, correct waffle, which is misleading & only adds to my disappointment. The quality of the food has noticeably declined, & the changes to the dish are baffling. What was once an exceptional meal is now a subpar offering at an inflated price. This establishment needs to reassess its menu, pricing, & overall quality if it hopes to retain customers.
The matcha pancakes that I got was pretty good, I only came here for that because I saw a TikTok on it. I would get it again if I come back to Montreal since I'm not from there. But my friend got the chicken & waffles & it was ok, not the best. The chicken was too crispy that it was kinda hard to eat & the waffles was too fluffy that it was hard to swallow. Service was questionable, as when we walked in, they said there was a group of 13 about to come & denied us a table without reservation. After like 3 minutes, they came back outside because we were still there & said they had 2 tables open for 2. We went in & there were many tables open.
I used to go every week for their sweet potato waffles, since they've changed the recipe to regular I haven't enjoyed it would go back if they put the waffles back on the menu.
I used to go there all the time for the sweet potato waffles which were excellent & very unique. They've since been removed from the menu. They also removed most of their'bols'. Score used to be much higher.
Jun 30, 2024
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Went few times already, it was always great service wise & food was good. Unfortunately I went recently & food's quality went down, pretty down... The old avocado toast was outstanding, the new one is pretty classic & « boring ». The chicken change on the chicken waffle. Feel like they don't own their hype anymore
I got the chicken waffles & they were amazing. The waitress was lovely & super friendly. The music was a bit loud which definitely, as one of the older customers in the building at the time we went, makes me feel old to say.
Tried Barley twice for brunch Cute interior! Their waffle & chicken with maple syrup is delicious. To die for. Their latte is not bad! Super tasty pancakes! Huge portion. Very slow service but its always crowded. A little bit Expensive but we enjoy going to this place! Follow @ayahayek_ for more on instagram
