Montreal Based bread Company servicing Montreal's top restaurants since 2010, and in 2013 open to the public on BLVD Saint Laurent, north of mount-royal.
Reviews describe Hof Kelsten as a top bakery with a wide range of pastries and savory items, from buttery croissants and flaky pastries to chocolate babka and zaatar torsade, plus strong coffee and well made cortados; the sandwiches, including gravlax and egg salad, and the matzoh ball soup are frequently praised, along with rugelach and other pastries; service is generally quick and friendly, though seating is limited to a few tables and stools; some notes mention price and occasional inconsistencies in bread or availability, and a few comments touch on language or service nuance; overall the place is celebrated for quality and variety, with many calling it among the best croissants in Montreal and a reliable destination for pastry lovers.
We usually just get amazing bread from this bakery, but decided to try the gravlax & brisket sandwiches today for lunch & we are really happy we did. They were delicious & we will definitely be back many times to try the rest of the menu. Great staff as well. Highly recommended.
Update:
Went back recently since I had a medical appointment across the street & it was convenient enough I figured I'd try them again.
The sourdough still lacked ferment time & they gave me a burnt loaf to boot (a third of the loaf had actual char, not just browning, not just Maillard réaction. They put the burnt end in the bag so I didn't see it until I got home. I'm done.
Review from 2024: Bread going downhill. A year or two the sourdough was stellar. Now it's not fermented enough. & for the price it should be done correctly.
Apr 20, 2026
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Best egg salad sandwich of my life-perfect egg salad, crispy small greens on top & served on great bread. Matzoh ball soup is superb- great flavor to the soup & a delicious matzoh ball, too. Not super cozy but absolutely worth a visit.
Was a nice surprise a manager came from back counter & set up tables for us & the kids we enjoyed a nice lunch the Motaz Ball Soup was the best I have ever had 👌Sandwiches were tasty & the fresh bread cool spot 🫶🏻
Over the past five years, I gave this place so many chances, & the only thing that I found redeemable is the Babka. The bread is OK, but there is better bread around. OK the challah is fine. The only time I tried the pannetonne, it was overproofed. Staff is too cool to actually want to even look at you. Please do not put sugary streusel on your spinach pastry or tomato tart. It is gross in every culinary culture I can think of.
I believe I got the ricotta & zaatar pastry which was DIVINE. I've gotten bread here too & it's always been great. The coffee, however, isn't the greatest but definitely come here for the food!
I genuinely cannot say this about any other place I've ever or currently frequent: everything is good. Pick anything off the menu, try any pastry or bread, it's all good.
Nov 29, 2024
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Best oatmeal cookies in Montreal! This hidden little bakery on the Plateau makes exquisite pastries with a friendly smile, & I'm happy to see that it's become very popular recently for coffee or lunch, which is well deserved. Try their white "milk" bread!
Breads, baguettes, & croissants are baked to perfection, not like the doughly supermarket variety. These are up to par with any established European bakery. Their sour dough bread is perfect.
We love this place! Every time we come in to Montreal we have to stop there. Really good bread & pastries & the only place you can find Challah bread on a Monday 😊
I enjoyed the coffee so much! It's been a while since I had a latte with acidity. Milk foam on top & latte art was perfect. The cafe smelled of fresh bread! I tried the baguette, croissant, & a few pastries; they were good overall. I had hoped the croissant would be a bit more crunchy, but the overall experience was nice with friendly staff. Highly recommend
Jul 16, 2024
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Authentic cookies, brioche, pastries & bread. The crispness of the pastry, taste of butter, delicious scent were all amazing ! Wish I could try everything so I will definitely go back
Great bread. So so service. Half the time they give me my bread slices in different sections in a bag instead of looking like a whole bread. How hard is it to bag bread correctly. It's a bakery for crying out loud!
The quality of the breads are decent, but the pastries are mediocre. More frustrating are the wild prices of the pastries - an almond croissant is a whopping $5.20 (tx incl). If you want croissants of incredible quality & a third of the price(!), just walk down the street to Kouign Amann.
Mar 23, 2024
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Very innovative, absolutely not what my grandma would make traditionally, but they're creative & very good. Love their knish, cheese breads, cheese danishes with jalapeno jam. Absolutely love their babka (the only complaint about their babka is that it's hard to remove the parment paper lining). They do tend to run out of things fast, so make sure to check with them if you plan to come in the afternoon. No toilets available for customers. Some staffs are cold, but I come there for the baked goods.
One of the best bakeries in Montreal. Excellent bread & croissants, & always new products to try. One of my favourites is the all-dressed croissant baked with cream cheese inside.
