Founded in Montreal and the first-ever sub-brand of Fuwa Fuwa, Café Noya offers a fresh take on Japanese cuisine in a unique coffee and bar place. It serves comfort home-cooked meals.
Café Noya comes across as a cozy, casual udon cafe in downtown Montreal that fits studying or casual meals. The menu centers on udon and onigiri, with beef udon and creamy miso mushroom udon among the popular bowls, plus flavorful onigiri such as unagi and salmon; several notes mention rich broths and chewy noodles, though some dishes are criticized for being bland or undersauced and portions can feel small for the price. The drinks and desserts, especially matcha based options and mochi, are often highlighted as standout items and a welcome complement to the savory bowls. The service is described as friendly and efficient when not too busy, but a few reviews report slower service, inconsistent knowledge about Japanese dishes, or hiccups with order accuracy. The space is repeatedly praised for its cute, welcoming vibe and good atmosphere for studying or hanging out, while a few comments mention it feeling cold or busy and noisy at times. Overall, the place is seen as a reliable go to for satisfying udon and onigiri with quality matcha and pleasant staff, with some room for value improvements and portion sizes.
Wasn't planning to eat here today, but walked by while going to were I was supposed to eat & we had to stop here instead! The place looks super cozy & nice, the onigiris were really good, specially the unagi one, had to order it again. Special mention to the crab croissant, great stuff too. I only wished to have some soy sauce on the side, I didn't asked if they had any, so might as well. Clean bathroom & good music. Felt very welcomed! Will definitely eat here again.
We decided to visit what is proudly advertised as Montreal's first Udon café-a title that immediately raises expectations &, unfortunately, also the stakes. The space itself is undeniably cute, the menu sounded promising, & the inclusion of onigiri excited us too.
We started with the miso mushroom cream udon, a dish whose name suggests depth, umami, & earthy warmth. What arrived, however, was more of a dairy-forward soliloquy. The miso was nowhere to be found, the mushrooms had apparently taken the day off, & the broth tasted exclusively like cream. To be fair, the mushrooms themselves-when encountered-were quite good, which somehow made their overall absence more tragic.
The beef udon fared better. The beef was well-cooked & nicely seasoned. The broth, however, pulled a classic bait-&-switch: it smelled rich & inviting, only to taste far more subdued than expected. Aromatically impressive, flavor-wise a bit shy.
The unagi onigiri was decent by Montreal standards, & honestly one of the safer bets on the table. If you go, I'd gently nudge you in that direction.
We noticed an impressive lineup of desserts, though we didn't partake. The café was busy, which is always a good sign, but unfortunately not a great justification for service that felt a little rushed & impatient-less'welcome in' & more'what'll it be.'
Overall, it isn't a culinary catastrophe, but it's also not a destination. If you're downtown, cold, & craving something warm, it's perfectly serviceable. Just don't go out of your way for it.
Feb 6, 2026
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My friend & I went to Cafe Noya for the first time today & loved it! We tried the unagi onigiri, spicy tuna onigiri, & pork gyoza, all of which tasted amazing (although I thought the unagi onigiri didn't have enough filling)
I wasn't the biggest fan of the salted vanilla matcha, so I'll try something else next time :)
The space itself is well decorated & great for studying, especially considering how close it is to McGill & Concordia. The staff were very sweet & friendly! I thought the order took a little too much time to arrive when the cafe was full, but I understand they only recently opened.
Had the unagi onigiri & it was really good! Friend had the beef udon which looked so good, I had to come back in the morning to get the same thing. Beef udon was incredible!
J'adore! Chaque onigiri a une idée différente! J'ai pris le saumon Mayo (une petite touche Wasabi aurait ajouté, mais c'était super bon), ensuite, le saumon fumé avec fromage qui apporte de la douceur, avant de passer au Unagi fumé & sucré!
L'idée de vendre de l'Asahi 0 est géniale! Son amertume & sa fraîcheur font passer tout ce riz! Riz qui est super bien vinaigré, assez pour être glissant en bouche & ne pas absorber la salive sans pour autant prendre tout le goût!
Un positionnement très intéressant, ni dans le kikoojap obsédé par des trucs tellement chimiques qu'il est interdit de mettre une photo de fruits dessus, ni dans le genre resto japonais haut de gamme à 200 $ & 3 h pour le service!
Un choix mature & de bon goût!!!!
Seul manque, un crochet porte manteau dans les wc…
Par contre, faites quelque chose pour votre nom sur Google'Café Noya - First Udon Café in Montreal'... anglais ou français, mais une espèce de franglais avec'Café In Montréal'... c'est pas possible, on dirais que c'est tenu par google traduction...
Udon creamy miso is pretty plain but good when you add meat. Unagi onigiri needed more unagi. Omurice was alright. Chashu fried rice wasn't bad. Basque cheesecake was delicious, better than the cafe nearby that specializes. Hojicha cookie was good.
The matcha was super good, no clumps, & cold! They make a good strong matcha i definitely recommend it.
The unagi onigiri is solid as well with some cucumber & avocado inside, perfect for a quick bite
