Café Paper Hill is a café-bistro offering a selection of certified coffees, local seasonal dishes you can eat in or take away, evening aperitifs, alongside books and newspapers so you can unplug and refuel. Located in a heritage building, this place has a storied past. The story we choose to celebrate is its early days as home to the first print houses and publishers of Montreal. It is only fitting that we’ve dedicated an entire wall to our curated collection of books and magazines. Come in to savour an espresso and get lost in a novel, or simply pop-in for a change of pace.
Reviews of Café Paper Hill describe a bright, airy and stylish cafe that many visit for studying, working or meeting friends, thanks to ample seating, a distinct front and back terrace, calm ambiance, books and art, and friendly service. Coffee quality is a frequent strength with well balanced espresso, cappuccino and a notably good matcha, while some patrons report that certain iced drinks or the pink latte can be disappointing and note that it is beetroot with milk. Food options like mushroom toast, bagels, croissants, soups and salads are often praised, with some standouts such as egg salad and tuna melt, though a few reviews call pastries or some bites average. Service is generally described as warm and helpful, though a minority mention inconsistent or cold service and higher prices. The space is popular for working, with a clear split between work and laptop free areas, and some frustration around laptop restrictions or crowded times. Overall Café Paper Hill is seen as a gem for coffee lovers and a versatile neighborhood hub offering good drinks and solid bites in a thoughtfully designed setting that encourages focus or socializing.
I tried the pink latte, & I thought it was quite interesting. It is just beetroot with milk, but the thick syrup at the bottom gave me a hint of a strawberry, fruity taste. It was quite nice. I didn't particularly enjoy the vibe when I stayed in, though; beautiful decor & space, just wasn't very comfortable for sitting alone.
Very cute co-working space/café that has a very extensive brunch/lunch menu, although a little on the pricier side. I appreciate the the range of vegetarian & vegan options. The vibe is very pleasant with books & board games available & lots of seating! The co-working & non co-working space are clearly demarcated. The coffee quality is very good as well. I tried the pistachio croissant & the mushroom toast. The latter is very tasty & highly recommended. The pistachio croissant filling was excellent but wish the croissant was more fluffy & flaky. Would recommend this café whenever you're in Old Montréal!
Nov 9, 2025
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The space looks well curated & has a great vibe. I went in to try their iced blueberry matcha & banana bread latte. First, I had to repeat my request a few times to the girl behind the counter. I'm a pretty loud person & the music wasn't loud at all for her not to hear me. Then when I got my order & walked out, I realized even though I ordered it iced, it was not. So I went back in to get that fixed. Left & walked down the block. I should've tried a sip of both the drinks before this point but one would imagine they would get their order. The specialty latte was just a regular latte with no added flavor & the iced matcha was just that. An iced matcha. No blueberry, no banana bread syrup. Honestly disappointed because I was very much looking forward to trying this space from a recent video I saw on tiktok. I think the owner stood for something great, the space looks amazing but the execution on the drinks, poor.
En visite d'une journée à Montréal avec mon fils de 4 ans & demi, le café Paper Hill a été notre tout premier arrêt après la gare centrale pour le café & le petit déjeuner & quel début magique! 💛 🪄
La propriétaire, Selma, nous a accueillis avec une chaleur rare & sincère. Elle déborde d'attentions délicates : des paillettes multicolores & guimauves dans le chocolat chaud de mon fils, qui ont illuminé notre matinée.
Au-delà du café, Paper Hill est un véritable lieu d'art & d'âme : une projection de ballet danse doucement sur le mur, des livres & peintures inspirent la curiosité, & une musique de bon goût enveloppe le tout d'une atmosphère apaisante & raffinée. Chaque recoin respire la créativité & le soin du détail.
Un endroit où la qualité des produits rencontre la chaleur humaine & la beauté sous toutes ses formes.
Merci Selma pour ce moment d'humanité & d'art vivant.
Je recommande sans la moindre hésitation : un coup de coeur absolu.
Checked out Café Paper Hill this afternoon & it was a solid pick. Went for the seasonal pumpkin spice latte (because fall mood) & it was really nice, warm, flavorful, not overly sweet. Since I was feeling a bit peckish, I grabbed a bagel with cream cheese & jam. Simple but spot-on. Both hit the mark, & the size/price balance is fair, which is always a win in Montreal.
The atmosphere is great! bright, cozy, & the kind of spot you could actually sit down with a laptop & study. Music's at a chill volume (thank you, not blasting), & the back terrace is a sweet bonus when the weather's nice.
Service was friendly & laid-back, & the place has that calm neighborhood café vibe without being pretentious. Overall, a good place to grab a quality coffee, snack, & maybe hang out for a bit. Definitely worth a visit.
Sorry to leave a bad review but I went twice & was disappointed both times. The place is beautiful but the service was cold & inattentive, the price point is high & the matcha latte was very bad (one of the worst I've ever had). Definitely not worth the visit in my opinion.
Aug 5, 2025
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I love starting my mornings at this café! The coffee is well balanced, smooth, rich & never bitter. The staff & owner are kind & attentive, making every visit feel warm & welcoming. Grateful to have this is my neighborhood!
Paperhill Café (Montreal) is a unique, wonderful & welcoming place with a great vibe, delicious food, alcohol offerings, great coffees, & lots of care & attention by the owner & staff. The owner is very dynamic, creative, & responsive which translates beautifully to providing a memorable cafe experience. Varied indoor & outdoor seating options & cool activities. A very special location - just what the neighborhood & city needed. We go daily. Highly recommended.
Finally got to try this place after seeing it promoted everywhere for months! I tried their vanilla iced latte. It wasn't too busy in the cafe around 2-3 PM, so I was able to find a place to sit (the upper level was mostly empty, but the ground level had a good amount of people working on their laptops). The latte was good, it tasted a bit like cereal milk more than vanilla & was on the milkier/weaker side, but I did still enjoy it! I'd like to come back to try their other iced drinks.
Apr 28, 2025
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I had such a great time here! Definitely elevated my Montreal stay. Everything was great! Can't see myself becoming a regular though.
I had a vegetarian mushroom toast & pink latte. I don't think there's any caffeine in the drink but it is very tasty, refreshing & just sweet enough. I'm so relieved that it's not too sweet. Not sure if I'd get it again (other than for aesthetics) but even if I did it would taste like a good sweet treat. The toast is also very tasty but nothing special enough where you wouldn't be able to make one yourself. I still enjoyed it & I'd recommend coming here to try it at least once.
I somehow paid $14.50 (including tip & tax) for an iced latte & a croissant. Ordered an iced latte & it was so sweet, I didn't ask for a vanilla latte or even to have any sweetener added. They kept opening the window & doors even though it was below 10C & customers got up themselves to close the doors since it was so cold inside. It's very pretty & a great place to study, but not worth the money
This place has really phenomenal coffee - it's honestly the only thing I would go here for. The lattes are great, the espresso is fantastic. I got the pink latte too, which I think they're known for, but BE WARNED - it is legit just beetroot & milk. So if you don't like milky-beetroot, don't get it. I'm sure some people like it. Also, the food is fairly mediocre. If you are coming here to work, BE AWARE that I believe they changed their designated laptop spots, as there are only around 6 places total. There used to be a large table the first time I went, but I was told there cannot be laptops on it anymore....
Nice environment & nice staff. Had a maple coffee & blueberry matcha. I honestly wasn't satisfied with the coffee because the maple coffee just taste like a watered down latte. The ratio should be verified to make sure it taste like what it's marketed as! I definitely enjoyed the blueberry matcha much more but the blueberry taste was quite overpowering. What I noticed about the matcha is the way it is stored. As a matcha lover, I am fairly educated on the best way to prepare & conserve it. Their matcha is kept in a clear container which is a big red flag for how the matcha will taste. In a non-airtight & non-light deprived environment the matcha loses its taste & quality significantly. I wish they would take that into consideration & provide their clients the best quality ingredients:)
Apr 4, 2025
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I don't usually write bad reviews, but I wanted to share my experience so that people don't waste their time coming here for a pink latte.
Honestly, the pink latte tastes horrible…
It's like beetroot juice mixed with steamed milk, & there's no espresso in it. It shouldn't be called a'pink LATTE.'
Cute spot à Montréal avec des employés super souriants.
Cependant, le chai & le matcha n'étaient pas à la hauteur de nos attentes :/
Puis, pas beaucoup de places, faut venir tôt ! Surtout avec les restrictions pour les ordi (très bonne initiative de la part du café)
Nice café, friendly staff & cozy/industrial style. A very nice touch, is that they split the seating area into workspace & laptop-free space. The staff also consequently applied these rules, where some people would still sit with their laptops & start working in'laptop-free' areas. They would kindly ask them to move to the workspace area.
For people who go there to only drink a coffee, have a bite & simply go for a talk, very nice touch.
• Latte had good flavour, foam was smooth, temperature maybe on the sight hot side, reason why the foam was dissolving a bit faster than I'm used to.
• Cappuccino was good
• Almond cake, was very tasty. Subtle almond taste, not too sweet & very light in general.
• Chocolatine, was a bit small & especially felt like it wasn't as fresh anymore as the crust itself was hard (not crunchy) & not as airy & light on the inside.
