Olive et Gourmando s'impose comme un pilier du paysage culinaire local, en se concentrant sur les produits de boulangerie artisanaux et les provisions préparées de haute qualité. Le menu privilégie des sandwichs substantiels confectionnés à partir de pains maison, intégrant des ingrédients locaux et des profils aromatiques classiques. Les grilled cheese constituent un point culminant signature, utilisant des fromages sélectionnés fondus à la perfection au sein de tranches de pain au levain croustillant. La clientèle découvre un environnement défini par une esthétique rustique, des murs en briques apparentes et une atmosphère constamment animée par le débit soutenu de la cuisine ouverte. La sélection met l'accent sur des produits frais et saisonniers associés à des viandes savoureuses et des condiments raffinés. Chaque élément reflète un engagement rigoureux envers la qualité artisanale, maintenant des standards élevés pour chaque article proposé à travers les offres variées et robustes.
Olive et Gourmando est largement reconnu comme une destination incontournable du Vieux Montréal, célèbre pour ses viennoiseries de grande qualité, son excellent café et ses sandwichs créatifs comme le Cubain et divers paninis. Bien que de nombreux visiteurs louent l'ambiance chaleureuse et bohème ainsi que le service amical, l'expérience est souvent marquée par une forte affluence et des temps d'attente inévitables en raison de sa popularité. Si certains clients trouvent les prix élevés et les places limitées, la majorité s'accorde à dire que la fraîcheur, la saveur des plats et l'atmosphère unique de ce café en font une adresse remarquable qui vaut largement le détour pour le déjeuner ou le brunch.
The food is really good. I personally loved the Cuban sandwich. The chicken melt was also decent. What was really a let down were their staff. We were seated in a very uncomfortable spot. When they delivered the food they wouldn't leave the cutlery. They are in a rush to take the cutlery away & i wasn't even done using it nor was i done with my food. I thought that was very rude of the staff & we weren't even there for 30mins in total. A truly unpleasant experience for a gem of a place.
We went on a Friday morning & there was about a 10 min wait. We both got the weekend special, banoffee french toast. The toffee sauce was amazing, especially with the whipped labneh (tastes like regular yogurt to me, which I like). The French toast was also good, but the edges a little too crunchy, especially given that the crumbles on the side already give it a crunch. The orange juice was one of the best I've had (tasted like two oranges were just squeezed in there) but also one of the most expensive ($8 for a small cup)! In the end, everything was good but more expensive than we were expecting for a breakfast. It's busy & lively inside, we were sitting quite close to the table next to us. Service is good. I would definitely want to come back to try some of the pastries (the kouign-amann & the blueberry cornbread looked really good).
First of all the atmosphere was great. So much energy. The service was great. The food was delicious. Glad I finally was able to try this place. I will be back!
With all the hype online, I was excited to visit Olive & Gourmando but our visit ended up being disappointing & we won't be back. The young bourgeois attitude of 2 out of 3 of the 3 workers who interacted with us was a turn off (I'm not the only one to think so, there are similar observations about "attitude" from others below). The host (a tall male) is full of nervous/impatient energy. I'm partially deaf & my companion is not a native English or French speaker. This was our first time in Olive & Gourmando. When we entered & the host first spoke to us (very quickly) we didn't hear him. He quickly repeated himself, slightly annoyed, & my companion didn't understand. I told her what he said & by then he was sighing & shaking his hands. His impatience & rushed-ness made us feel uncomfortable & unwelcome. 20 minutes later, while still eating & in close conversation with my companion (space is tight, so we were about 10 inches apart) a young waitress came by & stuck her arm in between us to take away some of our empty plates. It is clear that the staff wants customers in & out quickly. They need customer service training, especially in dealing with customers who are not similar to them. For the price (around $30 for a small/medium size sandwich + tax/tip), you can get friendlier treatment & equally good brunch elsewhere. For instance, check out Sunny's Dinette in Griffintown or L'Avenue & Larry's in Le Plateau. Same quality of food, same big crowd, but welcoming treatment, lower price, & larger portion.
Bonne petite place Points positifs: Nourriture très bonne, service excellent, latté, espresso & jus d'orange très bon aussi. Points faibles: Les prix sont un peu élevés, longue attente *Nous avons été un samedi, ce qui explique l'attente.
Great 30$ sandwich, yes thirty, with lots of free attitude on the side. I used to come here often a few years ago & was happy to come back with some out of town colleagues. Not sure if the cooking books got to their head, but serving a sandwich, albeit pretty good, on the go for 27$ is outrageous. On top of that you get staff thinking they are running a three star restaurant. We were told to wait in front of the cashier to order, waited our turn patiently only to be scoffed for not waiting on the right side of the counter. We politely pointed out the host told us where to wait only to get a head to toe glance from the entitled blonde male cashier. If this is what tourists come to Montreal nowadays we need to get off the high horse of our outstanding hospitality reputation.
