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.
In a city with so many food & coffee options, this place still manages to offer its customers an incredibly unique experience.
The owner, being of a marketing background, has mastered the art of'eating with your eyes'; this is visible in the fun & colourful dishes & beverages that is offered through the menu.
The quality didn't stop at the appearance. It carried through to the flavour of each item we ordered.
J'ai adoré bruncher ici!
Le pain doré crème brûlée était délicieux sans être trop sucré & joliment apprêté. L'assiette halloumi était très agréable à partager, tous les ingrédients étaient frais & les quantités balancées.
Le service était excellent avec des check-ups réguliers & un ajustement de l'assiette.
Je vais absolument revenir ici & essayer les autres items sur le menu!
Jul 21, 2025
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The food was fantastic. The Turkish eggs were delish! Service was nice & friendly & answered all our questions! A bit of a delay because a rush of orders but it was a nice space & atmosphere.
Was quite disappointed :( Ordered the matcha pancakes but they didn't have the white chocolate sauce to go with it & didn't tell me until the pancakes came out with another sauce. I asked for maple syrup instead as I didn't like substitute. They were slow to bring the food but then many times asked to clear the plates/glasses while we still had food or drink left.
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.
Le service a vraiment diminué. Les serveurs ne sont pas venus nous voir pour prendre notre commande & faire de suivi une fois que nous avions commandé. Il manquait aussi des ingrédients dans nos assiettes.
Jul 1, 2025
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You have to reserve to get a spot here but it's worth it. The menu is very varied & everything is delicious. The coffees are great & really big. Service however was great, but extremely slow. We waited for like 30 min for our food, in the meantime we had finish our coffee. Still recommended to try though. It gets super busy & loud so it's hard to talk.
Good but nothing amazing. Matcha pancake was good but labneh dish had barely any pita to accompany the dips. Practical to be able to make reservations since so many brunch places don't take any.
went this morning with a group of 5 people. the menu has DRASTICALLY changed. there are only around 9 ish items on the menu (individual) & 4 that are meant to share. the portions are ridiculously small & expensive for what you get. i.e 19$ for thé Crème brûlée french toast (you get ONE slide of toast) & the 16$ Turkish eggs. The waitress advised to get the extra smoked salmon (+5$) since the portion was small for the Turkish eggs, which turned out to be a waste. I received 4 mini slices (no more than 2cm x 3cm) added to my meal. crazy. 2 stars only for the matcha. that was pretty decent. not coming back though.
Jun 8, 2025
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Nous y étions quelques jours après la réouverture officielle & c'était déjà bondé, donc assez bruyant pour un samedi matin mais ça ne nous a pas empêché de passer un bon moment. Pain doré à la crème brûlée pour moi & la gaufre avec poulet frit pour mon copain & nous avons tous les deux adoré notre plat! Super bien balancé & pas trop lourd pour un brunch :)
The avocado toast was super normal, nothing wow about it.
The pancake which comes with dulche de leche was super super sweet! I know you are going for something sweet, but then it's 1000 times more than highest sweet you ever tried!
Coffee was very normal too!
Nothing special to pay 70$ for these plus an orange juice!
Obviously you pay for influencers fee!
This place has changed so much since I last been & I was informed that it will change more. I went specifically for a plate I had tried & loved 2 years ago but unfortunately it wasn't available anymore. The other option was also delicious but the salty plate my friend took was merely passable.
The vibe changed a lot from before, no more ranges of cereals on the wall for you to choose from.
I was told the restaurant & menu will be revamped. I'm curious how it will be but I already miss how it used to be :(
The service though was good, any questions were answered to the best of their knowledge, & kept being welcoming & smiling.
May 22, 2025
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Très bruyant, on ne s'entend pas vraiment parler. Le service est amical. Cependant, les plats mettent en général 30min à sortir - allant jusqu'à 40-45min lors des moments de rush. Il ne faut pas être pressé. J'ai pris la tartine aux champignons qui n'était pas franchement bonne, accompagnée des pommes de terres qui semblent être du surgelés. & puis malgré l'attente, les plats n'étaient pas chauds.
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.
