Located in the Grand Salon of the Esplanade Tranquille pavilion, in the heart of Montreal’s Quartier des spectacles, Café Tranquille offers a warm setting to enjoy hot drinks and local pastries. On the menu: quality coffee made with Pista beans, hot chocolate, lattes, and more. Visitors can also enjoy artisanal snacks from Dinette Nationale, Point G, and Mlles Gâteaux, including vegan and gluten-free options. Perfect for a coffee to go or a break after skating, Café Tranquille also offers free Wi-Fi for studying or working, along with refreshing drinks like iced matcha and kombucha.
Overall, Café Tranquille is praised for a warm, welcoming vibe with plants, a cozy fireplace, and plenty of light, plus a view of the ice rink that makes it a nice place to relax, study, or chat; the coffee and sweets are solid and the Cortado and Golden latte get mentions for quality, while the space feels comfortable and spacious with options to sit by the windows or near the fireplace; however, some reviews point to inconsistent management and service, with reports of attitude issues from staff on busy mornings and weekends, and seats being monopolized for hours by students or other visitors during rink hours; the cafe stands out more for ambiance and setting than for a wide menu, and is worth a visit for those seeking a calm, stylish spot in downtown.
Great study spot! The atmosphere is very calm & nice, a perfect place to grab a coffee & study. The coffees & pastries are very good, but nothing too special. This place is very accessible due to its proximity to the Saint-Laurent metro station & to downtown Montreal. Overall, an amazing place! Truly recommend stopping by to grab a coffee, enjoy a book, relax, have a convo with someone, or even study.
May 6, 2026
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It has reliable enough WiFi for me to work, outlets underneath the cushions (yes they're hidden but they're here!), & a generally quiet vibe. Not many tables, they get taken quickly, but the sofas have a lot of rotation.
They also have seats outside for the summer, & a nice fake fire to sit by during the winter
It gets incredibly crowded at times so I wouldn't come with a group, but you can easily sit if you come alone.
The baristas are always very kind, & they have a 15% discount for students :3
Overall love love this place, it's been & always will be one of my favorite spots to just come exist 🤩
One of my favorite coffee places, specially with ice rink view & student discount, but the baristas are really unpredictable with their opening hours: they take long pause randomly & today they even closed before the publicly announced hour - at 18:30 the guy closed the shop.
The server was kind & attentive, but the place was very crowded, with some quite noisy guests. If you manage to find a table, though, the view is lovely. I recommend sitting outside, where it's usually less crowded & much quieter.
Comme beaucoup d'autres, cet endroit pourrait être tellement mieux, mais il est tellement mal géré.
Certaines baristas (les deux brunes) peuvent avoir de sérieux problèmes d'attitude, même lorsqu'elles s'absentent pendant 30 secondes & que vous devez attendre. Pourquoi ne pas garder cette énergie pour les lycéens qui viennent gâcher l'endroit & vont vapoter dans les toilettes ?
Ou pour tous les inconnus qui viennent simplement s'écrouler & répandre leurs mauvaises manières ou leur manque d'hygiène ? Cet endroit devrait être réservé aux clients qui paient, il y a un autre endroit juste à côté pour les autres.
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Like many others, this place could be so much better but it's so poorly managed.
Some baristas (the two brunettes) can have serious attitude problem even when they leave for 30' & you have to wait? How about saving that energy for the high school kids that come ruin the place & go vape in the bath room?
Or to all the randos that just go in to crash & spread their poor manners or hygiene? This place should be reserved for paying customers, there is another place next door for others.
MAGNIFIQUE espace café. Nous avons été charmés par les plantes, le foyer, le mobilier & la superbe luminosité. Le Cortado & le Golden latte étaient très bon ✨. Tout comme le service de la barista présente samedi matin.
Un gros plus: le café est situé à l'étage, juste devant la patinoire de l'Esplanade.
Très beau café avec une ambiance chaleureuse & apaisante. L'endroit est parfait pour relaxer, travailler ou discuter tranquillement autour d'un bon café. Atmosphère accueillante & décor agréable.
Feb 24, 2026
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Superbe café, je mets 5 étoiles pour la qualité du lieu. Par contre, il serait temps de rééquilibrer l'usage de l'espace : ce café est situé dans une patinoire, mais les patineurs n'arrivent presque jamais à trouver une place.
Les tables sont monopolisées pendant des heures par des étudiants en mode bibliothèque, souvent sans consommation. Deux visites, même problème.
Un rappel clair sur la vocation du lieu - & une gestion plus adaptée - ferait toute la différence.
Dimanche, nous sommes allés dans ce café. J'ai commandé un moka & mes amis ont pris des lattés. Malheureusement, après avoir bu nos boissons, nous avons tous les trois eu de fortes douleurs abdominales & des nausées. C'était une expérience très désagréable & j'espère que la direction prendra ce problème au sérieux.
This café offers one of the best atmospheres in downtown, with a relaxed & visually appealing vibe that makes it a great place to sit & unwind. The environment is clearly its strongest feature, creating a comfortable space for conversation or casual work. While the coffee & sweet selections are limited in variety, the overall quality is acceptable & consistent with a standard café experience. If you value ambiance & setting over an extensive menu or specialty coffee, this café is well worth a visit.
Un de mes cafés préférés à Montréal downtown ! La vue sur la patinoire l'hiver est vraiment très agréable. Il fait chaud dans le café & l'ambiance est super : vous avez des tables pour travailler mais aussi des coussins pour lire/se reposer. Les week-ends & les fins de journée, le café est assez full de monde donc je vous conseille de venir en heure creuse.
I find this unacceptable & wasteful - one of toilets is in a never ending flush loop. This is in addition to the bathroom as a whole being absolutely filthy. For such a popular place, one would think more could be put into something so basic.
Food court bathrooms are not this bad.
What a waste of water!
