Café Humble Lion is celebrated for excellent coffee, friendly staff, efficient service, and tasty treats like cookies, scones, and carrot cake, with seasonal drinks such as chai and a maple syrup latte frequently highlighted as favorites. Experiences range from standout beverages and warm vibes to inconsistencies, particularly with matcha where one order can be rich and well balanced while another tastes milky or off in size. Seating is often cramped and daytime noise can be high, making it less ideal for work, and wifi is commonly reported as poor. A number of reviews describe a shift toward a colder, less welcoming atmosphere and a sense that hospitality has faded, with a couple of baristas seeming more distracted than attentive. Still, many visitors continue to come for the coffee and the overall vibe, considering the drinks among the best in the area and valuing the spot for catching up with friends or a quick visit, even as some feel the price is high and the energy has changed.
I've been here many times & have always enjoyed the coffee, which is consistently great. Unfortunately, my most recent visit was very disappointing due to my interaction with the barista. This barista in particular is consistently rude.
I placed my order politely, but she repeatedly said'huh?' & asked me to repeat myself several times in a rude manner. It felt unnecessary, especially since my drink was already prepared by the time I finished ordering, which suggests they understood me from the start.
I'm not sure what caused this behavior, but the experience left a bad impression. Sadly, it's made me reconsider returning.
Good cafe, as someone who doesn't like coffee, i love that there are many different tea options. Difficult to find a spot to sit midday, as there are quite a lot of people, & not that many tables, but overall good stuff.
Mar 25, 2026
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Relaxed, understated ambiance with just the right balance of focus & flow. Great muffins, a wide range of well-crafted coffees, & a location directly in front of McGill University make it an easy go-to-whether for a quick espresso or a longer working session.
This has the best coffee we have found across Canada! We've been on a long trip & all the major stopoffs across the country! Here we have superfast service, great coffee & even skinny milk!
We are very grateful for the three days we have spent in the wonderful coffee we have consumed!
We bought at least 2 cups per day!
Awesome!
The third-wave coffee is still good-though overpriced-but sadly, the welcoming & vibrant atmosphere that once defined this place is gone. On my last visit, the café was nearly empty, & the vibe felt cold & uninviting.
What stood out most was the supercilious attitude of the two baristas (both seemingly unilingual anglophones). They seemed more interested in chatting with each other than serving customers. The sense of hospitality has clearly faded.
There are plenty of better cafés in the city where making an espresso isn't treated like a lifestyle performance. This is a place I'll gladly avoid in the future.
Goodbye, Humble Lion-you're not so humble anymore.
Loin de sa belle époque
Le café « third wave » est toujours bon (mais cher), cependant l'ambiance chaleureuse & accueillante qui faisait le charme de l'endroit a complètement disparu. Le lieu était presque vide lors de ma dernière visite, & l'atmosphère froide & distante.
Ce qui m'a le plus marqué, c'est l'attitude hautaine des deux baristas (visiblement unilingues anglophones), plus occupées à discuter entre elles qu'à servir les clients. L'accueil, autrefois agréable, n'est plus au rendez-vous.
Il existe de bien meilleurs cafés à Montréal, où faire un espresso n'est pas une déclaration de style de vie. Pour ma part, je n'y remettrai pas les pieds.
Adieu Humble Lion, tu n'as plus rien d'humble.
May 20, 2025
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Small, skinny cafe. Some seating but for the most part it's very cramped & difficult to work from. The coffee is good though so recommend to take to go.
Terrible terrible wifi connection. It's been consistently terrible for the past 8 years since I arrived. I come back for the cup of coffee & the vibe, but don't plan to work here!
The perfect place to grab a cup of coffee. If you're considering studying here, I'd recommend arriving early since the space is quite small. There's something about the coffee & the atmosphere that makes me want to study-it feels like I'm in a movie when I work there. Their pastries are also really good.
Top coffee - even espresso allongé which is not easy to find (Americano is usually not the same) & delicious fresh scones & muffins & more. Cozy atmosphere good internet, friendly staff & the best sort of university vibe.
Firstly, I hate leaving reviews but I left this in hopes the owner sees it & addresses these concerns. I am having very inconsistent coffee & service at HL on Sherbrooke. When ordering an Americano with milk, I do not want the milk added to the water (!?!). This watery milk is then set aside for a few mins while they make the espresso to pour into said watery milk. Why would you do this? The cold milk cools off the hot water so the Americano becomes lukewarm. When the staff is asked not to do this/remake a lukewarm Americano, I am met with eye rolls, "knowing" looks to the other staff, snickers, & shrugs. I am always kind & respectful. I always tip. As a regular, I do not appreciate being treated like this. This has started happening regularly & this week alone, it has happened 4x. I am (was) a daily regular there; if we include the HL on McGill college, I am a daily 1-2x regular. Recently, I've taken to hiking up the hill to Toi & Moi in the Science building to get a good Americano. I regret having to do this. I used to love the coffee here. Saying that, the cheese cumin scones are the best I've ever had anywhere & the owner is lovely with the cutest dog. I wish he'd get the staff & Americano situation sorted out. I'll keep coming to buy scones until then but no coffee for me.
Cute place, it's got a lot of options but definitely on the pricier side! The food is pretty great tho! The scones are amazing & the coffee does taste good !
Very friendly, warm & cozy. The lattes & drinks are delish. The coffee is a "fancy" floral & fruity (?) blend that isn't my favourite. A matcha with soy milk was over $7, which is just too much. Other than price, 5 stars.
