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The Best Power Breakfasts in Montreal

The business of eggs

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We've done best weekday breakfasts. We've done best diner breakfasts. Now it's time to power up, Montreal. A power breakfast—that’s a power lunch but earlier and with more eggs—combines the spread of a weekend brunch with none of the lines, and more networking. Here are 11 Montreal restaurants that make the business of early working breakfasts less painful.

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L'Express

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An early morning croque-monsieur at L’Express is a real power move. The favoured French bistro opens at 8 a.m. with a classic and pretty affordable morning menu.
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Café Cherrier

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The old school Saint-Denis bistro is open Monday through Friday as of 7:30 a.m. with a standard eggs ’n’ sides breakfast spread. The street-side terrasse makes it a favourite for warm weather breakfasting.

Suite 701

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The Old Montreal hotel restaurant has a nightclub-ish lounge vibe, but opens early for weekday breakfast, with all the egg-heavy classics.

XO Le Restaurant

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Get to business at the super-suave and expansive XO, inside boutique hotel Le St-James (i.e. the place The Rolling Stones rent out when they roll into town). The restaurant serves a fairly classic breakfast menu daily from 7 a.m.

Le Cartet

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Le Cartet does one of Old Montreal’s more popular weekend brunches. The weekday breakfast menu, served from 7 a.m., is more concise but you’ll find many of the same favourites, like gussied-up scrambled eggs, and duck fat roasted potatoes on the side.

Le Montréalais

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Note: The Fairmount Hotel is currently closed for long-term renovations, as is Le Montréalais. It is scheduled for partial re-opening in mid-2017,
Located inside Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, Le Montréalais is a go-to for elegant Sunday and holiday brunches. For the weekday warriors, there’s a breakfast buffet, plus à la carte, until 10:30 a.m. N.B. The fabled hotel property is about to undergo a costly refurb, and just hired Baptiste Peupion, a protégé of Alain Ducasse, to serve as executive chef.

Universel Déjeuners et Grillades

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In the heart of downtown Montreal, the perpetually popular Universel on Peel serves a lengthy menu of hearty breakfast mains. It’s also possible to power breakfast post-noon.
The luxe dining room of Le Renoir in the Sofitel hotel does a high-end daily breakfast from 6 a.m. Chef Olivier Perret recently described how he approaches the first service of the day. “Breakfast is the heart of Le Renoir, and the most important meal of the day. We get a lot of business clients, so we orient the menu to be healthier, with more fruits, grains, and fish. We've slowly eliminated sugar, hollandaise, and bacon, as a result.”

Maison Boulud - Ritz-Carlton

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Breakfast at the plush Ritz-Carlton restaurant falls in line with the rest of its refined menu. Options include a breakfast buffet, a classed-up American-style breakfast and à la carte options, plus sweets.

La Société Bistro

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The Loews Hôtel Vogue's La Société Parisian-style bistro, now under the tutelage of Executive Chef Jean-Philippe Miron, has a few rich breakfast offerings. See: lobster Benedict with Champagne by the glass.

L'Express

An early morning croque-monsieur at L’Express is a real power move. The favoured French bistro opens at 8 a.m. with a classic and pretty affordable morning menu.
Google Street View

Café Cherrier

The old school Saint-Denis bistro is open Monday through Friday as of 7:30 a.m. with a standard eggs ’n’ sides breakfast spread. The street-side terrasse makes it a favourite for warm weather breakfasting.

Suite 701

The Old Montreal hotel restaurant has a nightclub-ish lounge vibe, but opens early for weekday breakfast, with all the egg-heavy classics.

XO Le Restaurant

Get to business at the super-suave and expansive XO, inside boutique hotel Le St-James (i.e. the place The Rolling Stones rent out when they roll into town). The restaurant serves a fairly classic breakfast menu daily from 7 a.m.

Le Cartet

Le Cartet does one of Old Montreal’s more popular weekend brunches. The weekday breakfast menu, served from 7 a.m., is more concise but you’ll find many of the same favourites, like gussied-up scrambled eggs, and duck fat roasted potatoes on the side.

Le Montréalais

Note: The Fairmount Hotel is currently closed for long-term renovations, as is Le Montréalais. It is scheduled for partial re-opening in mid-2017,
Located inside Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, Le Montréalais is a go-to for elegant Sunday and holiday brunches. For the weekday warriors, there’s a breakfast buffet, plus à la carte, until 10:30 a.m. N.B. The fabled hotel property is about to undergo a costly refurb, and just hired Baptiste Peupion, a protégé of Alain Ducasse, to serve as executive chef.

Universel Déjeuners et Grillades

In the heart of downtown Montreal, the perpetually popular Universel on Peel serves a lengthy menu of hearty breakfast mains. It’s also possible to power breakfast post-noon.

Renoir

The luxe dining room of Le Renoir in the Sofitel hotel does a high-end daily breakfast from 6 a.m. Chef Olivier Perret recently described how he approaches the first service of the day. “Breakfast is the heart of Le Renoir, and the most important meal of the day. We get a lot of business clients, so we orient the menu to be healthier, with more fruits, grains, and fish. We've slowly eliminated sugar, hollandaise, and bacon, as a result.”

Maison Boulud - Ritz-Carlton

Breakfast at the plush Ritz-Carlton restaurant falls in line with the rest of its refined menu. Options include a breakfast buffet, a classed-up American-style breakfast and à la carte options, plus sweets.

La Société Bistro

The Loews Hôtel Vogue's La Société Parisian-style bistro, now under the tutelage of Executive Chef Jean-Philippe Miron, has a few rich breakfast offerings. See: lobster Benedict with Champagne by the glass.