Overall, reviews describe Crew Collective Café as a breathtaking space housed in a historic former bank, with soaring ceilings, grand arches and an atmosphere that makes a coffee break feel ceremonial; the architecture and setting are consistently cited as the highlight, with many visitors lingering to work or relax in ample seating and private rooms, though crowds can be intense and seating hard to find during peak times. Coffee and pastries receive praise for quality and flavor, with some standout items noted, while a few say the food is pricey or average for the price. Service is mixed, ranging from friendly and efficient to overwhelmed during busy periods, and some readers mention policy changes such as restrictions on laptop use and accessibility issues that can affect comfort. Overall it is seen as a must visit for architecture and ambiance, offering a unique and photogenic experience, even if some guests question value or consistency of drinks and meals.
The place is visually beautiful. You enter the Crew Collective, & you truly get that feeling of being in an old royal bank. We decided to stop by to get a coffee, the service was very good, but not all the coffees. The Latte dulce de leche was great, but their cold brew was very underwhelming. It was extremely light & tasted like watery coffee. Also, if you were planning on studying there, I would not recommend it, since they only have a ew designated spots where laptops are allowed. They have a no-laptop policy in the main seating areas. Overall, it was a nice experience, especially visually, but unfortunately, for the drinks, the price paid for them did not pay off what they tasted like.
We ordered a latte, a flat white & a hot chocolate. Two came in take out cups even though we ordered for here. The latte was a bit too milky, the flat white was way too milky & not even hot, the hot chocolate was just okay despite the over $6 price. Disappointed. Wouldn't come again for the drinks, but the setting, seating & building were lovely.
Mar 14, 2026
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We stopped here each day for breakfast & lunch while visiting Montreal & quickly made it our go-to spot. The breathtaking old-school bank architecture alone makes it worth the visit, but the coffee & food truly sealed the deal. Everything we tried hit the mark - the sandwiches were generously loaded & packed with flavor, & the coffee was consistently made to perfection.
It did seem a bit understaffed at times, & the team appeared understandably busy, but they still managed to turn out great food & drinks. Overall, this place more than satisfied our caffeine cravings & taste buds. A must-visit while in Montreal!
Absolutely breathtaking!! We stumbled upon this former bank building which is now the Crew Cafe. Naturally on a Saturday they were packed but we luckily got a seat (first come, first served). I ordered a London Fog Latte & it was pretty good but not very hot. We don't order food but they do serve sandwiches & alcoholic drinks. This is a very touristy spot & if you are visiting Montreal I would totally recommend you check it out!!!
Very atmospheric place located in a building that is over a hundred years old. The interior is beautiful, & the café blends perfectly with the historic character & charm of the space. There are usually long lines & a steady flow of visitors due to its popularity & central location. Prices are above average, & the wait for food - in my case, a salmon bagel - can be a bit longer than expected, but given the volume of customers, that's understandable. Both the food & drinks are excellent. Overall, a great spot.
Feb 5, 2026
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What an experience! A must if you want my opinion. Olivier was an amazing waiter : polite, helpful & with amazing service & suggestions. I would rate it 10/10 just for his service, the beautiful interior architecture & the amazing drinks that he recommended. You should give it a try!
I really wanted to like this place. It was on my Montreal bucket list for months. Unfortunately, I will NEVER recommend it. It's easy to come in & take pictures of the lovely architecture - the ceiling is gorgeous. But the beauty stops there.
The Crew is a total tourist hotspot, & be prepared to wait in line for AGES for mediocre, overpriced food & lukewarm coffee. There are two lines: I assumed one was take-out & the other for dine-in, but no, both are for ordering; it's then up to you to find a seat.
Once you manage to place your order, good luck finding a seat. It's an absolute ZOO. Every Instagrammer & YouTube wannabe is here, along with about a bajillion visitors ahead of you in line. But first! You must WAIT. You must wait for ANOTHER half-hour while the overworked & understaffed baristas prepare your coffee. & all those Instagrammers? They already ordered theirs & are ALSO waiting, ready to pounce with camera in hand on the disappointing matcha lattes. So lucky you can park yourself by the coffee, joining the endless squabble of human seagulls for the never-arriving foodstuffs, & get hopelessly wrestled & jostled by all 1,000 people who will walk by you with their backpacks, jackets & wide shoulders.
I unfortunately thought it would be a good idea to treat my out-of-town guest to a matcha latte & cookies. I ordered a matcha latte & two baked goods (a cookie & a small blondie-style square) - & it came to $23. Geez! Considering the matcha is priced at $6.75, that makes the cookies $7 EACH!! & the cashier did not make a mistake - $23 was indeed the correct amount for 3 items. HOLY COW! I need to sell a cow in order to afford to come here again. & the $23 is before tip, so you might as well sell your chicken too if you want to afford this place & tip the servers.
My guest searched high & low for two seats for us, circling around. No luck. & then, a small group left! Alas, jostling is not just for the coffee area. Two ladies physically PUSHED my friend out of the way & launched themselves into the seats. WOW. Welcome to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Oh, sorry, I meant Welcome to the Crew Collective: home of people auditioning for football linebacker positions on the team!
My guest managed to MIRACULOUSLY find a booth to sit in (it took 40 minutes), but then, just as I stupidly thought the matcha latte might one day arrive from the baristas before I died of old age, a dude came along & told her (nicely, at least) that he had reserved said booth. So much for that. Apparently, this is a thing - you can buy a membership if, for some reason, you WANT to pay $23 for the privilege of coffee & cookies & make a habit of coming here. Clearly, I'm not lining up for THAT supposed privilege.)
Two ladies vacated the bar just then, so we sat ourselves down (well, my guest did - I still had to wait for the godforsaken matcha latte that I already regretted ordering) beside their half-empty wine glasses (maybe they got tired of the endless noise & jostling from strangers - it can't bode well that they didn't even finish their drinks!)
As for the ambience, well, good luck hearing your friend speak in this insanely loud cafe. The ambience is about what you'd get at a zoo food court, which is full of crowds &, occasionally, seagulls. But at least at the zoo you can watch animals. Here you're just watching crowds of people. I'll take the zoo animals any day over the cafe.
To make matters worse, the matcha latte was not even lukewarm (& I was not going to battle that double line-up to tell the barista) so we did our best to savour the treats considering their astronomical pricetag. I couldn't wait to leave. This place is AWFUL. Crappy food, uninspired menu, cold'hot' drinks, $7 cookies, super loud voices, nowhere to sit, crowds endlessly jostling you.... I could go on. ONLY the architecture is worth seeing! But guess what: you can go in, snap a picture, & then leave - I highly recommend that you find a different place to actually enjoy a coffee. This place is TERRIBLE.
45 MINUTES FOR 1 FLATWHITE !
& once I've got my drink & found a seat, someone told me the saloon will close in 15 minutes… The fact this place is beautiful allows the owners to offer a very bad service. My advise: Just have a quick look & leave !
Very unique place to enjoy some coffee & pastry! The food & drinks options are kind of limited but I believe people come here purely for the environment.
The outer area are meant for people to book & do work while the center area is free seating for cafe customers.
Stunning building. Utterly shambolic & poor quality service & food.
Ordered 2 drinks, 2 bagels, 2 yoghurt bowls.
Got the drinks at the counter, tepid heat & they went cold very quickly.
Then had to wait an age for the bagels, which came undercooked & pale. These were cheap, or quality & covered in sesame seeds, not advertised. So many that you couldn't see the bagel!
The yoghurt bowls eventually came but by this time the bagels & drinks were cold.
There was so much granola, hardly any fruit or yoghurt, & it was impossible to eat as it was dry.
When you do eat, you eat with wooden spoons, knives & forks & stir your cold drink with wooden spoons stick.
It's a low standard, poor quality food cafeteria which just happened to be set in. Beautiful building.
Give this place a miss & spend your money where the quality is better & you'll get warm food & service with a smile.
Worst place we visited in Montreal.
The two stars are for the building.
Croissants were great & the building was amazing. Wasn't too busy when we went at about 8:30am on Saturday. Lady who took our order at the till was very friendly & kind. We ordered 2 drinks & chocolatines.
Unfortunately the lady wearing glasses, making & handing out drinks was being quite rude to people for no reason. When she called our name, my wife went up & got the first drink from our order, when she got there the lady rolled her eyes & said she had been calling out our name for ages. It was quite quiet in there so, either she hadn't, or had been calling very softly.
I then went up when I thought I heard her call our name for our second drink, she said it had already been picked up. I said that we picked up one & we're still waiting for the other. She rudely asserted that we had only ordered one drink. I told her we ordered 2 drinks. She again rolled her eyes & huffed before getting out the order sheet only to realise that we had in fact ordered 2 drinks, & it was them that made the mistake. She still made it seem like my fault & in an annoyed (at me) tone, said I should have been given it at the till. No apology given.
Why work in customer service if you can't even be polite to people just trying to enjoy a drink.
Great venue, great coffee, friendly staff. Ordering is a bit chaotic because they call your name in two separate places for drinks or food & it's not very clear. Also has a big'no laptop zone'
Oct 3, 2025
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Probably my favourite cafe in the city! It has a lot of space because it used to be a bank, there are even private room & enclosed spaces for members. We go the matcha & London fog drinks. Would come back next time I'm in town!
Stopped by Crew Collective & Cafe just to take photos, & it did not disappoint! The space is absolutely stunning - set in a former bank, it feels grand & elegant with its high ceilings, marble, & historic details. Even without trying the food & drinks, it's worth a visit for the atmosphere alone. Definitely one of the most beautiful cafes I've ever seen!
Crew Collective & Cafe is a stunning blend of historic architecture & modern vibes. The grand interior makes it a unique spot to work or relax. Coffee is strong & smooth, & the menu has tasty bites to keep you fueled. A great place to soak in creativity while enjoying your drink!
