Olive et Gourmando comes across as a beloved, busy café in Old Montreal with a reputation for fresh pastries, coffee, and comforting sandwiches. Reviews highlight standout items like the Cuban and the chicken melt, the grilled cheese, and the mac and cheese, while many note a lively atmosphere and friendly service when not overwhelmed. The place is popular and operates on a first-come basis, with lines that can be long, and some value perceptions are mixed with prices described as high for certain dishes. Despite occasional glitches and crowded moments, the overall quality, creative twists on classics, and welcoming vibe keep people returning for brunch or lunch.
Genuinely the best panini I've ever had in my life. I was hesitating on getting the Cubain since I hate pickled things & cilantro, but it was the perfect little kick of it: not too overwhelming. The cheese & the pork were DELICIOUS & I would fly to Montréal again just to eat this.
A great, bustling place in Old Montreal for killer lunch time bites & a trendy, casual vibe. The Cubain panini & chicken melt 🥪 were incredibly tasty. We will definitely be back!
Apr 26, 2026
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A bit disappointed. Grill cheese used to be an experience. Now the filling is still very good but the bread is ordinary. More like a panini bread barely grilled. For 25$, I expect better.
Phil Rosenthal (Somebody Feed Phil) visted here, so it was on our'must visit' list for our trip to Old Montreal.
Food quality & taste were beyond our expectations. Service was excellent. It was very busy when we arrived, but we were told it would only be a 10 minute wait. We sat outside on a bench, & waited to be called.
I admired the ambiance as we were shown to our table. It was full, & noisy, but so much that we couldn't talk to each other. Bonus points for whoever designed the sound system that played 80s music during our visit. Enough speakers to fill the room with sound, & the system didn't need to played loud to be enjoyed.
Coffee was superb. Just the right strength, with lovely notes of chocolate. I had the chicken melt, which was incredible. Real chicken pieces, sauce with a touch of heat, & toppings with just the right amount of savoury. Her panini was equally good. The star of the meal was the french roast. Heated all the way through, with the right balance of fruit, cheese, & syrop.
I have been to o+g on average once a year since it opened. I brought family visiting last week & I will not be doing that again. It was embarrassing, 25$ for the most basic panini grilled cheese, 25$ for the'Cubano' I had with one slice of pork & a few pea sized chunks of pickle, not even a slice of pickle. Bill was 125$ for three paninis & three coffees.
Charming & cozy little place. Food is excellent. I had the Cuban sandwich (spicy paninin)-so good! Love the spicy chipolte mayo. My Daughter had the big dog ans equally tasty. The strawberry 🍓 lemonade & house lemonade are homemade & very refreshing in this 🔥 weather. So good you won't be disappointed.
Aug 11, 2025
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Stopped here for lunch & it was quite busy so we sat on the bar. The pork cubano sandwich was delicious but it was also 30$ for just the panini sandwich.
Lieu très sympa pour manger un panini typique. Desserts & thé glacé maison délicieux ! Service rapide, table de change pour bébé disponible très appréciée! Nous nous sommes régalés ! Un must dans le vieux Montréal.
Une institution à Montréal. Celui qui n'a pas essayé un Panini Cubain de chez Olive n'est pas un vrai montréalais. Si vous êtes chanceux, vous allez croisez une vedette Internationale de passage en ville. Se remplit très rapidement à l'heure du dîner. Soupes différentes chaque jour. Excellents desserts aussi.
7.5. Egg panini with no meat was great & would order again. Chicken melt pretty good but not on the famous panini bread. Grilled cheese was great. Salty ricotta was great
Jun 29, 2025
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We asked our local friends for the best bakery & breakfast place & they immediately suggested Olive & Gourmando. The service was fast & friendly, & the food was incredible. I had the breakfast panini (not as spicy as they claim), & it was amazing. The pastries were delicate, sweet (but not overly sweet), & fresh. The coffee had quite a punch, I'm not sure what bean they use but it was stronger than neighboring shops, but that was very welcome. If we're ever back in Montréal, this will be our first stop.
Paid $26 for a panini - easily the most expensive average sandwich I've ever had. Nothing special about it to justify the price. Definitely not worth it.
Everything we had was wonderful. My husband had the grilled cheese & caramelized onion panini. It is all the things you love about onion soup on a toasted panini. The cinnamon bun may be the best I have ever had... light buttery & full of cinnamon but not too sweet.
The 25 minute wait was worth it & exactly the amount of time they quoted! Great atmosphere with perfect sound level & music. Ricotta toast was perfect balance of sweet & savory. Cuban panini bread was incredible & the sandwich had a nice spicy kick! Will definitely be back.
Brought a friend to experience O+G. He had an americano which he loved & I had a chai latte. Very dissatisfied- tasted like steam milk with a coating of nutmeg on the top. Then for breakfast had the granola which was heavenly & my partner had a panini that could have easily been shared, was great size.
