olive et gourmando

we have had a few friends who had eaten here previously and had recommended eating here. the weekend had an exceptionally long wait to have brunch, and so we ended up back on a monday. the lattes were absolutely delicious paired with our brunch. we had the poached egg and cuban sandwiches, i preferred the latter as it most reminded me of the sandwiches i have had in joints in miami. paired with their daily soup of mushroom and and fresh lemon creme fresh.. my taste buds died and went to heaven. both came with a small salad with a light vinegrette, as to not feel completely lethargic from the richness of flavour. having said that, we could have easily shared a sandwich with both having soup and salad. very rich!!! you must grab one of their pastries to go, i had the pain du chocolate... yum! butter overload ☺ can't wait to do brunch here again!

loved the feel of this place. great music, great location. my latte was wonderful and yummy deserts were everywhere. i need to go back soon!

pretty nice brunch place, make sure you put your name in the wai lt list when you go inside!

the poached egg on your face was very good. didnt have high expectation for the panini but it was really nice, toasted recently and came very hot. the spicy sauce was so good

cappucino was alright, not the best coffe ive had though

on the expensive side but not so much so, pretty packed on the weekends so come early!

living very close to this restaurant, i have been several times. my recent experience was extremely disappointing. when you pay 17 dollars for a ricotta and piece of bread you expect something very good. i found a first hair in my meal, and having worked in the restaurant business in the past, this can happen, so i moved it aside and didn't let it phase me. but when i found a second hair, i just couldn't eat anymore. i advised the closest waitress about the hairs and what happened next was what shocked me. instead of being understanding, she went on a rampage, pointing a finger at me and telling me that i should have told her at the first hair i found and not wait until the second. she kept repeating this in front of all the patrons. so much so, that my husband and i just got up and left. she came over to me and advised that she did not charge me for my meal ( thank goodness considering i had not finished it!) but did not apologize. my husband paid for the rest of the food and i asked for the manager. i was advised that it was the same individual who had spoken to me. this was extremely disappointing and i will never go again. a little apology and respect goes a long way!

i came away a bit underwhelmed from my visit to olive et.. as i came with high expectations given the hype and overwhelming good reviews on it. so i decided to find out myself. the restaurant is a bit small , only a few tables are available, the interior illustrates an eco friendly theme with handwritten menu on the chalkboard and mostly wooden utils. once i sit down, i asked the waitress straight for their most popular food, she then recommended panini sandwich with bacon and almond croissant. so here we go, the panini arrives in a wooden plate, for first time visitors, be careful before you put your hands on it, as the panini bun is very hot almost feels like a sizzling iron board, the bun is too hard for my taste, i have a hard time bite into it, the bacon is ok, hope it could be more crispy, as i also have a hard time to cut the bacon slices, i like most the cheese in it, it's melted, very creamy and sticky. once i finished the sandwich, my tongue and throat felt scalded by the hot buns. the almond croissant is good, much softer, fresher and tender than those you bought from a supermarket, with the cinnamon smell still lingering, which changed my impression toward croissant and willing to have some for breakfast at home. overall it's a good meal, but not convinced it deserves such a high rating. may come back for a second visit to see if it can change my impression.

olive et gourmando montreal is a quick easy soup and sandwich cafe in old montreal near le westin hotel. there are long line ups for take out. table service is quick with plenty of bar counter seats. last time we were in montreal, we had no itinerary, no “must eat list”, and no “10 things to do in montreal” plan. this time, i find myself combing thru tripadvisor and yelp, geo-tagging every restaurant, cafe and little boutique. perhaps, it comes with age. perhaps, occupational hazard. i’m always trying to find the next best thing. yet, i always go back to comfort. it’s like having 20 pairs of shoes but always wearing the two.

my all time favorite! the menu changes every now and then, the bakery is always fresh and different from other places. the cappuccino and latte aren't too bitter. the moka isn't too sweet. the chocolate in the moka is from valrhona (high end french chocolate). only down side is the waiting. saturday, make sure you go early! the line up can be easily an hour. if you go when there is no line up, well, they sold out some of the items on the menu. have a great food hunt! :)

in 2012, we wrote a whimsical piece on lunch in old montreal, which featured a bakery, a restaurant that we absolutely adore and olive et gourmando. three years later, and we finally made it back to this perfect old montreal lunch spot on saint paul. they’re open tuesday to saturday from 9 am to 5pm, which means we can only ever make it there on a saturday and we don’t do well with daylight plans. but it’s definitely worth the visit!

defintely more on the $$ side but really tasty food. their hot chocolate is to die for. viennoiseries are great! table service is also good but it's a small space so there isn't always room for everyone and the wait can be long. salads and sandwiches are very good.

searched high and low for a place like this in old montreal. perfect setting, ambiance, and decor to accompany some of the best croissants i've had in a while. definitely worth a visit.

what a sandwich experience! we had the cajun chicken and le cubain! amazing! one cold and one hot. so rich and delicious and cheesy. made with fresh ingredients. what more could you ask for in old montreal. and we haven't even talked about the beautiful setting. you feel like you're in europe.

probably the best sandwiches in montreal. ideal for a party of two looking for a nice lunch in the old port. could be crowded so expect some waiting but it's definitely worth it!

it was my first visit to old montreal and i didn't know my way around the area. i asked one of the valets at my hotel about a good breakfast place and he suggested olive et gourmando. i can't thank him enough.

its right on the corner of rue saint-paul and rue saint-pierre, perfect people watching location. the restaurant is decorated with very warm colours and art with windows all around letting in a ton of sunlight. as you enter you're greeted by a long table filled with all sorts of freshly made pastries.

the menu isn't huge and on the two days we visited for breakfast we ordered the same thing, it was that good. 2 cheese croissants and a spicy panini filled with egg, cheese and ham called the "in your face". it was what brought us back the 2nd day.

we also had the house made ricotta with orange zest & quebec honey, another winning dish.

if, sorry i meant to say, when i go back to old montreal i'm definitely visiting this restaurant again.

c'est géniale. malgré le fait que c'est toujours très occupé, l'attente en vaut la peine. il n'y a pas un mauvais plat, les desserts sont absolument fabuleux et toujours frais! toujours un plaisir de déjeuner ou diner ici!

just from picking up the whiff on your way in, you will be convinced that this is one of the best bakeries in montréal. minimalist decor, lots of sunshine peering through the windows. friendly smiling service. flavorful food.