Overall, Chez José Café is a warm, family run spot with a cozy, artsy vibe and food that many reviews describe as delicious, comforting, and generously portioned, featuring Portuguese inspired dishes, crepes, soups, pasteis de nata, and vegan and vegetarian options; the atmosphere is often praised as welcoming and charming, with attentive staff and a homey feel, though the space is small and can be crowded, wait times can be long and service occasionally slow during busy periods.
Super nice cafe, with great food & amazing service. Hard to pick from the menu but I'd be down to come back & try multiple things. I got the Portuguese platter & my friends go the breakfast sandwiches. Gorgeous interior, & our server was the best. Be ready to wait on the weekend as with any brunch spot, just make sure to add your name on the waitlist before arriving. :)
May 3, 2026
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Amazing spot, food was delicious, portions are generous, & service is fast. We had the Portuguese breakfast comes with potatoes, chorizo, peppers, tomato, salad, & bread, so good. It's a bit tight inside (you'll be sitting close to others) & seating is limited, so expect a line depending on the time.
A really cute spot to grab some brunch, lunch, or drinks with friends. The Portuguese breakfast was hearty & delicious & our server was very friendly. A great family business that you can tell has a lot of history as a cornerstone of the neighborhood. I certainly recommend that you come here if you are in the area.
My favourite brunch spot in Montreal! Food is excellent, I would strongly recommend the Mexican omelette or the breakfast sandwiches. Coffee & drinks are good. Above all else the interior is cozy, & comforting in a way that makes every meal enjoyable. Food is on the heavier side but all the more delicious for it.
The space is limited, so it can be difficult to get seating with larger groups. Additionally, the tables are located pretty close to each other so it can be a little tight if you have a lot of bags or other stuff.
Very vegan friendly. They do have some meats on the menu as well. Besides the quality ingredients, & the delicious food, the service is so kind.
To our surprise, it is reservation only. It's a tight space, but somehow they make it work. The table turnovers are pretty quick. On a Sunday at noon we showed up with no reservation. But they explained how to scan & set up a reservation. 20 minutes later we were seated. Ten to 15 minutes later our meals were served.
That's not to mention the ambiance. Very laid back. Some might call it bohemian, but to me it just felt authentic. Classic RNB from the late 90's & early 2000's. The servers & hosts were so polite. They all speak English, of course. So don't be afraid to show up if you don't speak the local dialect.
My vegan friend was beyond happy with his tofu breakfast burrito. My non vegan friend was super happy with his omelette & salad. & I was in love with the simplicity, but complexity, of the churrasco chicken sandwich, the Psychedelic juice, & the dirty chai.
We walked away from the meal refreshed & full of peace & good vibes.
So yeah, come for the food. But don't forget to take in the quality of the environment.
Much love to everyone who contributed to our experience. Easy 5 stars. Well deserved.
Adorable little spot with lots of personality & charm. Very cozy! Feels like you're having breakfast at your friends house. Excellent service by William: he's quick, funny & knows how to help an indecisive customer. The food is amazing. I had the classic omelette with chorizo & it's probably the best omelette I've ever had.
There was a bit of waiting time, but they're very organized by using Yelp Waitlist.
Great experience overall & will definitely come back :)
Excellent place for brunch. I had the breakfast sandwich & hands down one of the best sandwiches I've had in a while. I added the salad & potato's & they were excellent. Don't skip on it.
TIP: You can get on the waitlist on Yelp so you're already in the queue when you arrive to cutdown on the waiting
We went solely on the high reviews, knowing nothing of the menu/venue. First impressions was that place was rather small & the decor reminded us of seaside bars in the Caribbean or South America. I ordered the Portuguese Breakfast & my wife had the Mexican Crêpe. We were absolutely blown away by the food - it's truly fantastic & the servings were plentiful. We still managed to clean off our plates. We would absolutely recommend this restaurant & will definitely return to try other items. It's also worth noting that my meal was served with what I think was homemade chipotle sauce - whatever it was, it was dang good!
Aug 3, 2025
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We had a great mid-afternoon hang at Chez José. They were gracious to accommodate our large party of 6, but it is a very small place & we felt bad. They assured us all was well & treated very kindly with loving vibes. The food was excellent. Crepes, Portuguese stew, full Portuguese breakfast, pastel de nata (as good or better than Lisbon's ...). All excellent! Highly recommend!
I had the Déjeuner Portugais Avec Viande for breakfast & it was absolutely delicious-so flavorful! The waitress who recommended it was super friendly, & the freshly squeezed orange juice was a perfect touch. Highly recommend this spot for a great breakfast!
I love this place 🥰 we stopped by for brunch, i just had a drink & the pastei, which is to die for!! I think my friends each got the portugese breakfast plate, i tried it & i wished i was hungry enough to eat more but i wasnt that day.
i brought their pasteis with me on the plane for my flight the next morning, & shared them that weekend with my family. I airfried them for 5 mins at 350 & they were just as delicious as i remembered them in montreal :) i will definitely come back here next time im in town 🥰
I feel as though this place is a bit of a hit or miss. My first experience was a little underwhelming, as we paid a lot for a meager sandwich & lackluster breakfast plate.
But I decided to give it another chance for dinner a year later & was blown away with how good the food was! The crepe meals were MASSIVE & delicious. Big plus for the atmosphere, their decor is cute & the patio is lovely in the summer to eat outside.
I knock one star though because the prices are very high for it being a casual restaurant, & we did wait over 40min to receive our food, but the waitstaff was very apologetic & nice about that. The food is also quite greasy.
Jun 9, 2025
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We loved this cafe. We had a wonderful breakfast: espresso, omelet sandwiches, & delicious pasteis de natas (just like Lisbon). Service was excellent. Really love the warm colors & eclectic vibe. Can't wait to return.
Really cool vibe & cute decor. Great coffee & food. I ordered the Mexican crepe & flavour wise it was delicious but it was far too salty for me that I struggled to finish it. The Portuguese breakfast that my friend got was also good but nothing spectacular. On the weekend there was a short wait for late morning brunch but that was expected so no complaints. Overall it was quite expensive for a casual brunch. Their pastel de natas are to die for tho!
I tried the Portuguese breakfast with an Americano! The dish comes with a salad, mediocre buttered bread, two eggs, sausages, & potatoes. It was really delicious & filling, but I probably wouldn't order it again. The Americano, however, was fantastic, easily one of the best I've had so far! The place has a cozy atmosphere with a charming Montreal vibe, & it's definitely worth a visit. That said, a couple of things could be improved: the bathroom was cluttered with their supplies, & I wish there were hangers or coat racks. They would be especially helpful during the winter in such a small space.
Came across this spot while visiting Montreal, & stopped by for breakfast. The atmosphere & service was phenomenal. The ladies at the front are wonderful & super accommodating. The food was fresh & tasted great. Coffee was lovely too
