Chez José Café comes across in reviews as a small, cozy, colorful neighborhood spot on Duluth where a warm, family run vibe and lively atmosphere make guests feel instantly at home. The menu blends brunch favourites with Portuguese specialties, delivering pastéis de nata praised as among the best, hearty Portuguese breakfasts and chouriço dishes, tasty crepes, and a seafood soup that many describe as outstanding, with vegan and vegetarian options noted as well. Guests repeatedly highlight the friendly, attentive service and the welcoming vibe, while acknowledging that the space is compact and can get crowded, with occasional waits or slower service during busy weekends and a few hiccups like dishes arriving a touch cold or heavy on salt for some. Prices are often described as reasonable for the quality but a bit higher than casual spots, and the overall sentiment remains that the atmosphere, decor, and consistent quality create a memorable Montreal brunch and lunch destination worth returning to for drinks, pastries, and more.
An unexpected delight. Very cozy space & just a small dinner menu but very well done. We had the seafood soup, vegetarian crepe & egg tarts for dessert. Our waitperson was very kind with our poor French!
The place is a little cozy, but the food is outstanding! The staff was very friendly & attentive to our needs! The seafood soup was the best I've ever had, & the Mexican omelet & Mexican crepe were just as impressive!
Jan 12, 2026
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When you visit Montreal, Make sure to hit Cafe Jose for the most delicious Crepe!
Tried their Mexican Crepe & was the best one!
Their Kung Fu was very refreshing!
I really thought brunch here was amazing. I had coffee, a fresh juice, & egg tart & the vegetarian crepe. Everything was awesome. It's the best egg tart I've had outside of Portugal. The waiter told me they have them brought in from a bakery in Ontario. It was warm inside in August as there is no AC but outside seating is cute.
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!
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!
Mega slow service but food was good. Better tasting than other touristy places. Not a lot of options. Mainly sandwich & crepe. Not worth a detour but good if you're in the area.
Sitting under a black tented patio was extra HOT!
Jul 27, 2025
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J'ai adoré mon expérience chez José!
Le personnel est très gentil, accueillant & attentionné.
Notre accueil était super agréable par un jeune homme super gentil & très patient qui à l'air passionné par son travail, & qui aidait de gauche à droite. Il avait de l'attente, mais tout le staff étaient organisé & ça paraissait dans le service & la vibe du restaurant!
Pour la nourriture j'ai ADORÉ!
J'ai pris pour ma part un crêpe repas avec dinde & fromage bleu, c'était super bon!
Je recommande fortement leurs mimosas fait avec jus fraîchement pressé WOW-
L'ambiance du restaurant est vraiment cozy, familiale, vintage, il a du vécu & ça se voit que c'est un restaurant qui est pris soin avec amour.
Il n'avait pas d'air climatisé, avec la température de 31°C je me sentais mal pour les employés, je n'osais pas penser au cuisinier... courage à vous les employés!!!
Je serai de retour, coup de coeur de Montréal, vraiment ce que je recherchais!
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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Que dire à part wow !
La deco est magnifique, la cuisine est excellente, on a pris la crêpe poivrons, champignons, jambons, crème & c'était vraiment très très bon !
Le service était également très chaleureux, bref on reviendra c'est sûr !
La déco est très originale & de bon goût. Nous avons pris une crêpe repas qui était un 11/10 & un smoothie qui était très bon. Le prix est unpeu plus élevé que la concurrence mais la qualité y est à la hauteur.
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!
Mar 24, 2025
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Just the cutest little place! The veggie crépe with blue cheese was somehow crispy, fluffy & creamy all at the same time. The chorizo sandwich was unique in how the cheese & meat were fried together. It looked small at arrival, but was very filling. Portions are generous. Espresso & drip coffee were both tasty. The one star reduction for service is because of the accuracy of how long a waitlist is, but wouldn't take off from the total.
