When the sky goes grey by 4:30, there are few better rituals than a pot of tea and something sweet. Montreal has a surprisingly rich tea scene, from grand-hotel English service to Japanese tea workshops and Turkish breakfasts. To find the best afternoon tea in Montreal, we turned to Tastet’s freshly updated list of top tea rooms and picked nine favourites, plus two worth a special mention.
Afternoon tea, the British ritual of tea served with small sandwiches, scones and pastries in the mid-afternoon, has become a favourite way to mark an occasion here, from birthdays to baby showers. But Montrealers are also discovering tea traditions from elsewhere, each with its own pairing: Moroccan mint tea with pastries, strong Turkish tea with breakfast, or carefully brewed Japanese and Chinese teas with something simple on the side.
Afternoon tea in Montreal: the grand classics
1. La Cour des Palmiers at the Ritz-Carlton (Golden Square Mile)
Tastet’s favourite, and a Montreal legend. The Palm Court at 1228 rue Sherbrooke Ouest serves afternoon tea every day at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., keeping alive a tradition that dates back to the hotel’s opening in 1912: a selection of teas with small sandwiches, scones and pastries, in an elegant, discreet room.
2. Rosélys at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth (downtown)
The hotel restaurant at 900 boulevard René-Lévesque Ouest offers a modern take on English afternoon tea on Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m., by reservation only, according to Tastet: $62 per adult and $35 per child aged 12 and under. Expect dainty sandwiches, savoury bites, scones and pastries. More details in the Rosélys review.
3. Sabayon (Pointe-Saint-Charles)
Pastry chef Patrice Demers and Marie-Josée Beaudoin’s Sabayon, at 2194 rue Centre, offers an afternoon tea service on Friday and Saturday afternoons: three dessert services and three teas. Reservations are required on its website, and seats go fast.
Cozy and charming
4. Paparmane (Old Montreal)
From the team behind Régine and Janine, Paparmane at 209 rue Notre-Dame Ouest serves classic English-style afternoon tea with infusions by Lady T (Élyse Perreault). Tiered trays come in classic, vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free versions, in a décor where candy pink reigns.
5. BRUME.CAFÉ (La Petite-Patrie)
Formerly La brume dans mes lunettes, this café at 378 rue Saint-Zotique Est serves an English afternoon tea with Fortnum & Mason teas every day. The “Her Majesty the Queen” package, a three-tier stand of savoury and sweet bites plus scones with jam and crème fraîche, is $35 per person.
6. Le Parloir (Plateau)
Sylvie Marchand opened her dream tea room at 4354 avenue Christophe-Colomb in 2010. It feels like a friend’s place: scones, sandwiches, small cakes and other homemade bites, served without pretension.
7. La Maison Générale (Mile End)
In a beautiful shop at 237 avenue Laurier Ouest, you’ll find teas from the Paris house Mariage Frères and pastries by in-house pastry chef Maya. The kind of place where an hour easily becomes three.
Tea traditions from around the world
8. Thé Jinjin (Plateau)
At 330 rue Marie-Anne Est, Thé Jinjin makes Chinese tea culture approachable. Wen Zhang imports teas from China, plus Japanese matcha and seasonal drinks, and the Hong Kong tea house-inspired food by Elliot Latendresse (L’honnête Kid) includes a French toast with condensed milk and peanut butter.
9. Cha Do Raku (Plateau)
A small boutique at 750 rue de Bienville specializing in Japanese and Taiwanese teas, with tasting and educational workshops, from a morning matcha with Japanese breakfast to sencha, aged teas and tea aromas.
Bonus: Turkish tea in Saint-Léonard
Saray, at 6868 rue Jarry Est, isn’t strictly a tea room, but its Turkish tea service is a perfect match for its traditional Turkish breakfast.
Two special mentions
On the North Shore, Maison Majorelle in Rosemère offers an exceptional English afternoon tea and an equally impressive Moroccan tea experience. And on Saint-Denis Street, Lady Porcelaine, founded by Jennifer Mallin, serves afternoon tea among lace and vintage china, with stories about the tradition’s etiquette.
Afternoon tea tips
- Book ahead, especially for weekends and hotel services.
- Ask about dietary versions; several places offer vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free trays.
- Go hungry. A full tray is closer to a meal than a snack.
Pair your tea with a post-tea stroll, or plan a whole cozy day: our Nordic spa guide, café roundup and brunch list have ideas. More in our Food section. Bon thé!
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Photo: Jeremy Keith / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Sources: Tastet (top tea rooms), Tastet (Palm Court), Tastet (Rosélys), Tastet (Sabayon), Tastet (Paparmane), Tastet (Thé Jinjin)
