It took me a year to open the door of this coffee place. I go to the hot yoga studio above it but never dared to stop by. Once too early to my training, I pushed the door. From the outside, it looks very dark, and it’s actually the opposite once inside.

It immediately reminded me of a place I love to visit in San Francisco in the Mission District called Maxfield’s House of Caffeine. A coffee place comfortable to work, it doesn’t look pretentious (and I also cherish fancy hipster coffee…) and the food they offer is affordable and very good (I will cross the city for their club sandwich).

What I like about that spot is that it’s a meeting point for many generations — from young to old, it’s a very local, perfect place to watch people leaving the subway station Laurier from its North exit, to wait for your next yoga session or even write articles for the Spotted by Locals Montreal city blog. It’s the kind of place I hope stays open longer and does not suffer from the wave of gentrification.