Olive & Gourmando

C’est dans cet endroit où j’ai le mieux mangé durant mes vacances à Montréal. Meilleur sandwich au fromage de ma vie à moindre coût! Je me mords les doigts encore aujourd’hui de né pas y être retournée au moins une fois de plus…

I’m one of those annoying vegans and I love this place. The atmosphere is really great. On-​trend, inviting, youthful but also really classic. My dad introduced me to this place (embarrassingly enough) — it’s populated by both in-​the-​know older folks and cool looking younger people. I guess that doesn’t really matter in terms of reviewing the food, but just to give an idea of what the place is like! I really enjoyed the hand-​drawn chalk board menu.
Service is prompt and on occasion sassy, but in an enjoyable way.
The food I’ve had here has always been excellent — I’ve had both soups and salads. Very thoughtfully constructed food with a very pleasing balance of flavour and texture. I haven’t tried the pastries, since I don’t believe any of them are vegan friendly, which is such a shame because they look delicious. Regardless I’m just ecstatic I can eat vegan stuff here but also bring friends here who are meat-​eaters in the mood for some meat.
Good lattes also! They have soy milk as an option.
Only one bathroom, which is a little awkward, so there’s usually a lineup. Speaking of line-​ups — I’ve never had to wait less than 45 minutes to be seated here, so keep that in mind if you’re looking for a quick bite.

Finding a solid place to eat in Old Montréal can be a challenge sometimes since this part of the city is loaded with tourist traps. That being said if you know where to look you can find a good restaurant or café. I had heard loads of good things about Olive and Gourmando for a long time but since I rarely find myself in Old Montréal for lunch I only made it there for the first time recently. So is it really as good as everyone says? Yes indeed!
It is a café but you are seated by a host and served by a waiter. The place is packed at lunch so either get there early or try and go after the lunch rush has died down. If you are one or two people consider eating at the counter. They have typical café food which is why it is best as a lunch place. You can expect a variety of sandwiches, salads, soups and so on. They do have wine and beer if you so desire but I skipped that since it was lunch and I was on my way to a meeting.
I kept it simple and got a latte and grilled cheese. The latte was as good as any coffee shops here in Montréal and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The star though was the grilled cheese which was made with goat cheese, raclette and caramelized onions. It was wildly delicious and there was so much cheese that it was oozing at the sides and that is a good thing in my opinion! Now I like ketchup with my grilled cheese but for a sandwich of this calibre Heinz just won’t cut it. Of course they know that only the finest condiments are acceptable for their food so they serve up the grilled cheese with a homemade spicy ketchup. While it wasn’t very spicy it certainly put Heinz to shame.
Now you can’t come here and not get a goodie. When you’re ready for dessert head over to the display of pastries. This will probably be the hardest part of your whole experience because here you will be faced with the arduous task of narrowing your choices down to just one. Ultimately I settled for a banana-​chocolate brioche which was so fresh and loaded with chocolate and big chunks of banana. The pastry was very flaky and as a whole the experience was divine!
The service was another highlight. My waiter was very friendly and despite the fact that the café was completely packed I got everything I ordered in a reasonable time frame. As soon as I was seated they gave me a glass and my own pitcher of water. I was really thirsty when I arrived here so I really appreciated this.
It is expensive and for me that was a downside. The latte, grilled cheese and brioche came to $ 23 and of course because it was a sit down place I also had to tip the waiter so in all I paid about $ 26. While I don’t mind treating myself once in a while I wouldn’t routinely pay that for lunch. That being said I would put Olive and Gourmando on my list of places to check out when I’m in the area because it is too good to pass up.

We went for lunch on a busy day. It was packed but we were served quite fast! The Gustavo sandwiches were delicious! The waiter even took the time to check if everything was okay. Great place.

Best Brownie Ever!!!
And an awesome place for lunch in the old city and worth the wait. The long lineup is a testament to the quality of the food and environment. The food is fresh and delicious. The people working and eating there create a welcome buzz that feeds the experience.
This is a local favourite that delivers a hip feel and delicious food. Sitting in the restaurant having a nice lunch and drinks made me feel part if the Montréal community.

Quel belle découverte un brunch bien garnie des sandwiches a plus finir grand choix de sucré avec un bon latte c parfait

Un charmant snack bar de luxe! Ils ont la touché des saveurs même dans leur petite salade verte. Le sandwich sans viande est fameux et son pain est exceptionnel. L’ambiance est très agréable et le personnel est très sympathique.

DELICIOUS!!! Seriously, this was one of my favorite places to have lunch while visiting Montréal. They have the best paninis and the soup I had was scrumptious!
I highly recommend the «Gustavo» panini. The soup of the day was a Chicken & Cauliflower soup that had a hint of spice. It was sooooooo good! The servers were super nice too! This is a perfect little café and worth the wait. Can’t wait to revisit. Awesome lunch!

Honestly, I don’t understand the hype. Sure its a nice place to get a coffee and a pastry, but its not a breakfast or brunch restaurant. They were sold out of the one egg dish they serve and so we each had a parfait which was basically our only other «non pastry» option. Plan to eat before or after your visit to O&G.

Ok you’ve probably read it all about olive and gourmando but it really is worth the hype. We had the gourmando chicken sandwich and it was Devine. They sold
Out of the cold sandwiches which I hear is pretty common. Expect to wait or try going an hour before closing. We got lucky and had a table right away. I had the only beer they had. It was a Canadian brew (blonde) it was very good.
Simple sandwiches make for delicious sandwiches. Nothing is overstated about this place which is probably why it’s so good.
Just one of those places that live up to the hype.

TREAT YO SELF. This place is worth the $$$
AMAZING food. I was in Montréal for a total of 24 hrs & this place was recommended to me by a friend. I do not speak French. At. All. The waiter was so patient with me & did his best to explain the specials of the day. He ended up just simplifying the day’s soup to «chicken noodle soup» & also recommended one of the sandwiches.
I felt so bad after. The soup was amazinggggg it did not deserve to be simplified to a mere chicken noodle soup & for that I’m so sorry. It was so good. The sandwich was such a large portion & so great, I had half & saved the other half for later. I ate it cold on the train later, and let me tell you something… when a sandwich that is loaded with cheese still tastes great cold, it really speaks to how yummy it is when it’s served hot, straight from the kitchen.
It’s also located in old Montréal, which is such a great place to walk around & take in the old architecture. COMPLETELY 100% recommend!

I think I definitely worked this place up in my head by reading all the reviews and then was a bit disappointed. Don’t get me wrong the food is good and the quality of the ingredients is great. But is it worth the price, the wait and sitting shoulder to shoulder cramped with other guests… probably not.
I’ve been here twice. Once for take out and once for a sit down meal. For take out I ordered the banana chocolate brioche and a cappuccino. It was good. The pastry was delicious. However I think the tiny cappuccinos are quite overpriced and nothing special.
For the sit down meal I got there at 10:40 am and it wasn’t too busy. I tried to order the ‘in your face egg panini’ which they were sold out of. How do you sell out of eggs and bread at a breakfast place by 10:40? It wasn’t a big deal, but it made a difference since their menu is already very small and limited. I also noticed it’s a trend in the other reviews. Anyways I ordered the ricotta with honey and bread and an almond croissant. Both were delicious. The ricotta is creamy and refreshing. The almond croissant is good but overpriced in my opinion.
I do have to say that the service there was lovely. Everything was delivered quickly and with a smile. However overall I think this place is a bit overrated. Would I go here for lunch once in a while if I worked nearby, sure. Would I go out of my way to come here? Probably not. There are so many other cafes in this area with incredible cappuccinos and pastries at almost half the cost and half the crowds.

The best cuban sandwich in Montréal according to me. And the best in North America, according to Anthony Bourdain.
In fact, all sandwiches are pretty awesome. But how to resist O+G’s sandwich filled with gooey gruyère, ham, pork loin and their secret sauce? Feeling a bit more healthy? The «24» salad with asian flavors is a good choice too.
And how to resist their beautiful selection of baked desserts?
Did I say how I love O+G? Try it, you won’t be disappointed.

J’adore ce café…quand je réussis à avoir une table! Victime de sa popularité, il faut s’armer de patience pour y manger et ce peu importe l’heure de la journée. Mais on oublie l’attente après la première gorgée de café ou la première bouchée dans l’un de leurs délicieux sandwichs. Un incontournable du Vieux Montréal. Essayez leur chai latte ou leur café americano et leur sandwich Viva La Vegan qui saura séduire même les carnivores!

Looking for a good cup of coffee and pastry, my doorman recommended this place — and he was right, it is fantastic!
The place is small and every table was full with a wait. I just grabbed a late and croissant to go. The late was made perfectly. Oh, and the croissant… oh la la! It did remind me of Paris.

Super belle ambiance et super service excellent pour un petit dîner vite d’affaire ou entre amis, le tout est A-​1 !!

Popped in toward the end of their brunch and it was still pretty crowded, but we managed to snag a table for two by one of their cute little windows.
The space is great. Chalkboards with doodles and menu items cover the walls and the cute café by the entrance has some goodies for sale. The space gets crowded quick but it’s a lively atmosphere. In the summer, there’s no AC but thank the heavens this is a corner location and the open air windows let in a slight breeze.
Once seated, our server informed us a lot of the menu items are done for the day since its the end of brunch but the options left sounded just as delightful. I had the mixed salad with chicken and my boyfriend had the Cuban sandwich. Both were SPECTACULAR. Although it was a different take on a classic, this was probably the best Cuban I’ve ever tried. The pesto mayo made this dish! The mixed salad sounds so simple but it was SO good, the toasted almonds and the chopped chicken gave this salad the kick it didn’t even need. I loved how light but tasty the dressing was. I wanted to come back the next day to have the same meal again, even though I don’t like visiting the same restaurant twice while on vacation. It was that good.
This place isn’t overrated or as pretentious as it sounds or looks — go check it out!

Located in Old Montréal but was a really good restaurant! I came there twice because the Cuba panini was only on lunch menu. It deserves visiting again.
My friend and I had two divine brioches for breakfast. My chocolate and banana one was the best of the world! Too much chocolate inside! Not too sweet but very crispy. Soooo nice~ The Cuba panini was crunchy outside and gooey inside. Melting cheese with bacon and salty turkey, never forgot. Because it was the last meal in Montréal.
The staff were all very pretty and friendly. Love the ambience and decoration of the restaurant. The price was reasonable.

Came here on Saturday for lunch around 12pm. The host told us it would be a 25 – 30 minute wait, but when we came back around 12:30pm, he told us another 25 minutes, so that was pretty annoying that the estimated timing was wayyy off, but we got coffee at a nearby café so that was fine. They also serve coffee and pastries in the takeout line, so that’s nice to have while you wait.
The place itself is very cozy and cute. We sat on a communal table and I ordered a Goat Cheese and Onion Panini and a raspberry lemonade. The Panini came with a homemade ketchup which was thinned out ketchup that was sweet but still tangy — it complemented the sandwich perfectly. I couldn’t finish the whole Panini by myself.
My friends ordered the Cuban sandwich and the Cajun Chicken Sandwich, which they all enjoyed. Great to share the Paninis with friends for some variation in your overall meal. I was sad to hear that they ran out of the egg in your face Panini — I really wanted to try that!
The service was pretty quick as all the sandwiches were premade, which I thought it was odd, considering sandwiches are pretty quick to make, but I was happy with our overall meal.

Un air climatisé serait fortement de mise. Aussi, il y a sandwich chaud et 3 froid. Il fait 36 dehors et vous manquer de 2 choix de sandwich froid… Planification… 4,50 $ pour un jus de 4 oz sans alcool… Abusif… Service très long, mais courtois.

This place gets 5 stars from me, at least from the breakfast standpoint. We came here because it was a highly recommended spot located in Old Montréal, and we wanted to try it out.
For breakfast I had a coffee, and the granola. The granola is amazing it comes with yoghurt and a bunch of different types of fruit. It was delicious. I also had a chocolate and banana pastry which was super yummy as well.
This place is very busy but we were seated and served pretty quickly. I really liked this place and would totally come here again.

Un excellent café-​bistro du Vieux-​Montréal ! Pour dîner, les files d’attentes sont parfois longue, idéalement, prennes pour apporter et manger sur l’une des tables de pic-​nic du vieux-​port !

J’adore l’ambiance, la nourriture y est très conviviale. Superbe place, bonne musique et beaux produits!

Olive & Gourmando is located in Old Montréal on Saint Paul. It is just a couple of blocks off of the river near the old port.
As other Unilocalers have written the place does a brisk business, mainly with the tourist trade. However, Olive & Gourmand is a pretty good place for fresh baked goods, good coffee and an excellent brunch. We had about a 20-​minute wait for our table for 3.
The food we had was all very fresh and had nice flavors. I had the Goat Cheese Sandwich (Mild goat cheese paillot and caramelized onions. Served with their house made ketchup) and it was excellent. We also had coffee and some really special baked goods.
The prices are not too bad either being in the heart of the tourist district. Our server was really nice also.

Every time I set foot in here for breakfast (or lunch), I’m always pleased with the food quality, the excellent & friend service and the eclectic and welcoming décor!
You’ll often hear patrons of Olive & Gourmand complimenting them on the «concept»… interesting because when you ask veteran Marie-​Helene and Sandra, or «old crusts» as they jokingly call themselves, there is no concept. It’s just the result of a slow evolution of bringing goodness and joy to people, season after season.
The hustle and bustle can perhaps turn off some people who prefer quietness when sipping their café but if you’re like me and love the vibe, the energy, the possibility of striking serendipitous conversations with locals or out-​of-​towners, and the soothing humming of the hustle & bustle this iconic place delivers then you’re in for happy times!

Envie d’un brunch dans un lieu chaleureux ou vous pourrez passer un moment agréable? Né cherchez plus !!
La limonade maison, framboises et citron un délice, on en boirais des litres et des litres.
Personnellement je me suis laissée tenter par le «Poached egg on your face» un panini très très bon mais il faut aimer les épices.
Et un granola pour mon ami mais avec le yaourt a l’érable.
Le choix de viennoiseries est juste hallucinant. Meme après le panini j’étais tentée dans tester une juste par gourmandise !
Hâte de tester une prochaine fois leur sandwich du midi à emporter et déguster sur le vieux port.
Tout vous fera envie j’en suis certaine alors foncez. Et n’ayez pas peur du monde qu’il peut avoir. Cela en vaut vraiment le coup.

Les meilleurs sandwichs au monde se trouvent à cette adresse avec des recettes toutes plus originales les unes que les autres. Sans oublier les délicieuses soupes du jour (en 6mois nous n’avons jamais eu les mêmes) les salades de la semaine et les différents desserts. La décoration est de très bon goût dans un mélange vintage et moderne avec les menus écrit a la craie sur les murs. Les prix sont un peu plus élevés que d’autres restaurant du même type mais restent abordables. En revanche la qualité et le goût sont totalement au rendez-​vous ! N’hésitez pas un seul instant.

C’est un 5 étoiles pour la nourriture et les gâteries au comptoir… mais ils sont victimes de leur succès, en pleine semaine, à 13h, il manqué souvent plusieurs des choix. La dernière fois, il restait deux options de plats. Mais les sandwichs étaient délicieux, bien présentés, avec un service de qualité, considérant la folie qui règne dans l’endroit.
Aussi, c’est un peu cher pour ce qui est offert… mais ça demeure un incontournable quand on veut se payer un petit luxe et qu’on n’est pas pressé!

C’est bon, mais je n’ai pas capoté non plus. J’avais peut-​être de trop grandes attentes, vu les excellents commentaires d’amis et sur Unilocal!L’attente est très longue, mais le service est hyper efficace une fois qu’on est assis. J’ai pris que sandwich cubain, que j’ai trouvé bon mais pas à se rouler par terre. Je l’ai trouvé très gras et lourd. Le café est excellent, les pâtisseries aussi. Endroit sympathique, mais qui né vaut pas le 35 minutes d’attente. À y aller en période calme, donc!

Ça a sûrement été dit dans les 300 quelques avis, mais cet endroit fait le meilleur macaroni au fromage (mac ‘n cheese) de tout le monde entier! La portion qu’ils servent paraît petite, mais elle tient au corps et ses saveurs sont concentrées jusqu’au sublime. De plus, il est accompagné de la plus parfumée, savoureuse et complémentaire salade verte qu’il vous aura été donné de manger. Sa légèreté acidulée et son croquant coupe divinement l’onctueuse générosité du macaroni. Enfin, leurs pâtisseries et leurs espressi sont exquis. Mon biscuit au chocolat et noix de Pécan était gigantesque et bien moelleux. J’ai été éberlué par leur machine espresso. Ils ont été en mesure de se payer la plus prestigieuse au monde. La Mirage par Kees van der Westen! Wow!

Un incroyable petit café dans le Vieux Montréal!
Je n’arrive pas à croire que je n’avais pas encore rédigé mon avis sur Olive et Gourmando.
Excellent granola, comptoir de pâtisseries à se rouler par terre, succulents sandwichs, salades goûteuses: c’est ce que vous y trouverez. Les aliments sont toujours très frais, sans oublier leur café qui est sans aucun doute mon préféré dans le coin. Disons que je né suis pas triste de travailler tout près ;)
Les prix sont «normaux «pour le Vieux. Si vous prenez un repas complet (p. ex., sandwich, boisson et dessert), la facture montera assez vite… mais selon moi, ça en vaut la peine. Je né suis jamais déçue par les plats d’Olive et Gourmando. Seul hic: l’endroit est extrêmement achalandé, et ce, à toute heure du jour. Si vous y allez en espérant prendre votre café assis tranquille à une table, vous préférerez sans doute aller ailleurs. La place est toujours remplie et c’est assez bruyant. D’ailleurs, il y a souvent une file d’attente. Vous pourrez donner votre nom à une gentille hôtesse qui vous fera signe dès qu’une table sera libre.

Dernier et tant attendu repas de notre séjour à Montréal !
Evidemment après le documentaire (
) dans l’avion sur Olive + Gourmando, j’avais envie de tout goûter !
Nous avons donc pris deux sandwichs qui étaient très bons mais trop gras, beaucoup trop gras, c’est dommage.
Ensuite nous avons pris la petite assiette de ricotta maison, agrémentée de tomates, pignons et salade, un délice !
Puis un cupcake, un peu trop riche et sucré à mon goût.
J’ai cependant deux regrets :
— né pas avoir goûté les mac&cheese aux champignons
— né pas avoir goûté leurs salades, il n’y en avait plus :-/​
Quoi qu’il en soit, c’est une adresse que je vous conseille pour un petit déjeuner ou un déjeuner !

Je me suis présentée enceinte de 7 mois et avec un bébé dans une poussette un jeudi à 13h15 pour manger. On a préféré donner la seule table qui restait à deux dames qui sont arrivés après moi. On m’a spécifié que c’était difficile de recevoir une poussette et que je pouvais attendre dans le vestibule qu’une table se libère. Après 5 minutes à attendre debout, habillée de la tête aux pieds, je suis partie en me disant que ce n’était vraiment pas un endroit accueillant.
Définitivement un endroit à éviter si vous avez des enfants. De plus, ils n’ont pas de chaises hautes.

En visitant le Vieux Montréal, nous nous y sommes arrêtés pour casser la croûte. Super endroit !! Nous avons par contre peut-​être mal choisi notre heure: tous les bureaux alentour vont déjeuner là !!
Les sandwichs sont délicieux, le mélange des saveurs originales et très appréciés ! Vraiment un très bon endroit pour manger bien, bon et vite :)

Depuis le temps que j’entends parler de l’endroit, il était grand temps que j’y aille! Je comprends maintenant tous ces gens en amour avec Olives + Gourmando!
Ce petit endroit à mi-​chemin entre un café et un restaurant offre des merveilles autant au niveau des plats (sandwichs froids, sandwichs chauds, salades, soupes, etc.) que des breuvages (délicieux cafés, limonade maison, thés glacés divers, …) ou des viennoiseries (brioches aux bananes & chocolat, brownies, chocolatines, etc.). C’est bien simple, j’aurais voulu avoir assez faim pour pouvoir dîner encore et encore!
Mes coups de coeur: le thé glacé noir, le thé glacé vert, leur soupe du jour (crème de tomates et fines herbes) et leur sandwich froid à la truite.
Le personnel est souriant et l’endroit est chaleureux et sans prétentions.
Mise en garde: on est bien, on mange bien, on commande encore et encore sans faire attention et la facture monte vite… comptez entre 15 et 35 $ pour un repas tout dépendant de ce que vous prenez.

located at the old town of Montréal but not in the touristic area with all its bad cafes and restaurants. It is an aesthetic place for having coffee or a snack. Feels a little bit like in Paris. Very good food and pastry. Nice relaxed people, few tourists– always crowded. Attentive and charming service crew.

Oh waouh, quelle place! L’atmosphère qui s’en dégage, la manière dont ils ont agencé l’endroit, le charme, la bouffe… Ce qui a fait défaut au restaurant c’est seulement l’attente. C’est tellement achalandé qu’il fallait attendre, surtout qu’ils né prennent pas les réservations. Mais ça valait le coup d’attendre, vraiment!
Le sucré et le salé sont aussi bons les uns que les autres. On s’est partagé plusieurs choses à manger entre amis, c’était super agréable, visuellement et culinèrement parlant!
Durant notre repas, je voyais la file d’attente né plus finir à l’endroit des gourmandises à acheter et emporter. Il y avait autant de monde pour manger sur place que de personnes présente pour acheter quelque chose à prendre pour emporter.

C’est le genre de café que j’aimerais avoir plus près de chez moi. Peut-​être que dans un coin moins touristique de Montréal il serait moins constamment bondé de gens? Parce que oui, Olive et Gourmando est rapidement passé du bouche à oreille à un haut lieu touristique, et avec raison: Les pâtisseries et viennoiseries y sont tout simplement divines, ils font de délicieux lattés et leur liste de sandwichs est à faire saliver même les plus difficiles mangeurs de ce monde. Ils ont tellement de choix appétissants qu’après ma première visite, où je m’étais délectée d’un latté et d’un croissant aux amandes, je n’ai pas pu résister et je suis repartie avec une brioche au chocolat Valhrona et bananes. «Je n’en mangerai que la moitié et je proposerai le reste à mes collègues de travail» que je me suis dit, mais aussitôt déposée sur le bureau de mon patron que la tentation fut trop forte et le reste de la brioche vint se transformer en taille supplémentaire de pantalon.
Il faut choisir son moment lorsqu’on veut faire un tour chez Olive, puisque comme je disais plus haut c’est un lieu hautement touristique et qu’il est difficile d’avoir une place pour plus qu’une personne pratiquement chaque matin de la semaine. Mais né reculez pas devant une quinzaine de minutes d’attente, le foodie en vous vous remerciera.

From the ratings to the many reviews on here, it’s as good as it gets so I won’t repeat the others, but a few of my own tips and observations:
Let me preface that I was just visiting Montréal for the weekend, first time in the city.
I came here essentially to get that Eggs In Yo Face (I’m sure you know what I mean) breakfast sandwich. Note: The place currently opens at 9 am (on Saturdays). From reading blogs, it suggested we get there at 8:30, we arrived at 8:40 to a closed restaurant. We walked around and came back at 9:04 and already there was a line. Luckily we managed to snag some seats at the high table though so definitely come early, this place is as popular as they say!
I asked if I could get the sandwich without cheese — DENIED. Said the cheese was already pre-​mixed into the eggs. I decided to chance it. I’ve hated cheese my entire life, I’ve become quite adept at picking out cheese from food. And glad I did, because all I had to do was open the sandwich and not eat the side on which the cheese was melted. The rest was delicious and cheese free (uhm…but this also means the cheese could have easily been left out but… whatever).
I asked for a knife and fork from a passing waitress (crucial tools in my cheese extraction)…who reluctantly gave them to me with this request: «please be careful of the plates when using the knife and fork, the plates scratch easily and can also break if you press too hard» — uhm. really? I need to be careful of breaking plates… at a restaurant… with my utensils? Sounds like someone bought some useless plates. They were very pretty though.
So why 5 stars for a place that refused me to go cheeseless and warns you of heavy utensil use? Cuz the food is delicious! Really, go and get the sandwich. I miss it already. Also the vibe is great. Lovely cozy spot perfect for breakfast to fuel you up for a day of sightseeing. Also, our main server (male) was great, super nice and friendly and overall we had a great meal.
Approx $ 70 Canadian (including tip) for 2 sandwiches, 1 fruit bowl, 1 pastry, 2 coffees and 2 very fresh squeezed orange juice for a party of 3.