cafe pi - Montréal

Arrived in the area looking for a local cafe with great espresso. It was quiet, later in the mid afternoon, and there were only a number of elder gentlemen each at their own table, just chilling out. It is a bit dark and under decorated, but perfect in its odd juxtaposition to the outside world. The espresso was strong and really delicious, and the vibe was so unlike other cafes that are usually young and hipster that I could easily see old man Leonard Cohen chilling out alone amidst others that also just wanted a bit of peace and quiet in what is likely, and underrated cafe.

Very friendly ownership! My son noticed the chess set in the window and wanted to play, so we stepped in. The place seems to have local regulars who play chess, so we observed them and then proceeded to play ourselves. I had a latte, which was nice. The owner told us her son was the same age as mine and she offered him a free cookie. If she treats all her customers as nicely as us this would be a special place!

Great retreat for chess lovers! Came here a few times and each time the staff was friendly, patrons were nice. Is it the best coffee? No, but it's a rare find and gets five stars because a chess cafe is a rare find.

So while we were driving on a road trip through Canada, we had a heck of a time locating free wi-fi. I did a random search for places with wi-fi on google and not much came up. BUT, Cafe Pi came as a result along with some reviews. I was forever grateful and happy to have found this place as I was able to book the hotel we would be staying at that day. Thank you, Cafe Pi! A-ok bordering I'm a fan because of the convenience of your free wi-fi. Tips: -Didn't seem to mind when we spoke English instead of French -This place is heavily involved with Chess. So don't be surprised with all of the tables and chess games out. -I had a Chai and it was decent for what it was.

What a great spot. Very friendly local crowd. Cool vintage atmosphere. Down home ambience. Nice crowd of friendly chess players. Comfortable chairs. Good service. Highly recommend.