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The Ritz-Carlton

The Best Power Breakfasts in Montreal

The business of eggs

by Heather Vandenengel
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by Heather Vandenengel
The Ritz-Carlton

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.
3927, rue Saint-Denis, Montreal, QC H2W 2M4, Canada
(514) 845-5333
(514) 845-5333
Google Street View

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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.
3635 rue Saint-Denis, Montreal, QC H2X 3L6, Canada
(514) 843-4308
(514) 843-4308
Martin New

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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.
701 Côte de la Place d'Armes, Montreal, QC H2Y 2X6, Canada
(514) 904-1201
(514) 904-1201
Suite 701

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.
355 Saint Jacques Street, Montreal, QC H2Y 1N9, Canada
(866) 841-3111
(866) 841-3111
Hôtel Le St-James

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.
106 rue McGill, Montreal, QC H2Y 2E5, Canada
(514) 871-8887
(514) 871-8887
Le Cartet

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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.
900, boulevard René-Lévesque Ouest, Montréal, PQ H3B 4A5, Canada
(514) 954-2261
(514) 954-2261
Shutterstock

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.
2055 Rue Peel, Montreal, QC H3A 1V4, Canada
(514) 840-7136
(514) 840-7136
Universel

Renoir

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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.”
1155 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H3A 2N3, Canada
(514) 285-9000
(514) 285-9000
Sofitel Montreal

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.
1228 Rue Sherbrooke, Montreal, QC H3G 1H6, Canada
(514) 842-4224
(514) 842-4224
Randall Brodeur

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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.
1415 Rue De La Montagne, Montreal, QC H3G 1Z3, Canada
(514) 507-9223
(514) 507-9223
La Société
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L'Express

3927, rue Saint-Denis, Montreal, QC H2W 2M4, Canada
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.
3927, rue Saint-Denis, Montreal, QC H2W 2M4, Canada
(514) 845-5333
(514) 845-5333
Google Street View

Café Cherrier

3635 rue Saint-Denis, Montreal, QC H2X 3L6, Canada
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.
3635 rue Saint-Denis, Montreal, QC H2X 3L6, Canada
(514) 843-4308
(514) 843-4308
Martin New

Suite 701

701 Côte de la Place d'Armes, Montreal, QC H2Y 2X6, Canada
The Old Montreal hotel restaurant has a nightclub-ish lounge vibe, but opens early for weekday breakfast, with all the egg-heavy classics.
701 Côte de la Place d'Armes, Montreal, QC H2Y 2X6, Canada
(514) 904-1201
(514) 904-1201
Suite 701

XO Le Restaurant

355 Saint Jacques Street, Montreal, QC H2Y 1N9, Canada
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.
355 Saint Jacques Street, Montreal, QC H2Y 1N9, Canada
(866) 841-3111
(866) 841-3111
Hôtel Le St-James

Le Cartet

106 rue McGill, Montreal, QC H2Y 2E5, Canada
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.
106 rue McGill, Montreal, QC H2Y 2E5, Canada
(514) 871-8887
(514) 871-8887
Le Cartet

Le Montréalais

900, boulevard René-Lévesque Ouest, Montréal, PQ H3B 4A5, Canada
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.
900, boulevard René-Lévesque Ouest, Montréal, PQ H3B 4A5, Canada
(514) 954-2261
(514) 954-2261
Shutterstock

Universel Déjeuners et Grillades

2055 Rue Peel, Montreal, QC H3A 1V4, Canada
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.
2055 Rue Peel, Montreal, QC H3A 1V4, Canada
(514) 840-7136
(514) 840-7136
Universel

Renoir

1155 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H3A 2N3, Canada
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.”
1155 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H3A 2N3, Canada
(514) 285-9000
(514) 285-9000
Sofitel Montreal

Maison Boulud - Ritz-Carlton

1228 Rue Sherbrooke, Montreal, QC H3G 1H6, Canada
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.
1228 Rue Sherbrooke, Montreal, QC H3G 1H6, Canada
(514) 842-4224
(514) 842-4224
Randall Brodeur

La Société Bistro

1415 Rue De La Montagne, Montreal, QC H3G 1Z3, Canada
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.
1415 Rue De La Montagne, Montreal, QC H3G 1Z3, Canada
(514) 507-9223
(514) 507-9223
La Société