We’ve paid a lot of attention here at Notable to the best coffee spots in Montreal, and we feel we may have neglected the tearooms for you leaf lovers out there. Just as there are amazing coffee hot spots in the city, there equally as many notable tea rooms where you can sip on the warm stuff, relax, and read a book or the newspaper on a lazy Saturday afternoon.
Camellia Sinensis
The four owners of this tea company, located in the Latin quarter, are also expert tea-tasters and make visits every year to sample and make selections for their offerings of teas from India, China, Japan, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan. The new tea shipments arrive in the spring and the owners usually do a presentation on them in June (so keep your eyes open for this next summer). 351 Rue Emery.
Cha Guan
Located in the Monkland Village, this lovely little teashop offers something different than most other tearooms. “It’s important for us to share the Chinese tea culture,” says Daniel Ng, whose family started the business in 2007. To sample teas in the shop, customers can sit at tables and chairs or on pillows around a low table in the front window. 5756 Monkland.
Le Gryphon D’Or
Peggy Regan, Le Gryphon’s owner with Scottish roots, welcomes visitors to her tearoom as if they were long lost friends. Noted for her Grandmother’s shortbread and scone recipes, both figure in her proper afternoon tea, along with Welsh pancakes with cream cheese and smoked salmon, chopped egg and fresh cucumber sandwiches, and cakes and tea breads. Regan also serves comfort food lunches of soups, chili, Guinness stew, quiches, meat tourtieres, and the very popular salmon pattie cakes. 5968 Monkland.
DAVIDsTEA
Located in the heart of Westmount on Sherbrooke West, this tearoom is a national chain that’s found a place for itself amongst the Montreal elite. Commendable for its wide range of teas (and professional DAVIDsTEA staff who can take you through each tea and narrow your choices down to what is best for your own personal lifestyle), David’s offers up something for everyone. 4859 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest.