The Best Iced Coffee in Montreal
We all know that coffee is delicious and often essential to start the day. Like coffee, the origins of iced coffee, although more recent, remain uncertain. The cold drink is often placed chronologically in the last few years and attributed to the big names of the coffee industry.
If we try and pinpoint the exact time when iced coffee became so widely accepted as a warm weather staple, we’re left with few answers. That being said, there are some stories and myths that recount the beginnings of this cold drink, in which iced coffee would be at least 400 years old. In some of these stories, people refer to Mazagran, a cold drink made from coffee brewed in Algeria approximately around 1840. Others speak more recently of the fruit of a Swiss commercial product popularized in Greece in the 1950s. Speaking to more contemporary times, iced coffee could have also been the result of Japan’s trade opening with the Netherlands. In this scenario, the Dutch brought coffee beans with them and the Japanese adopted the cold-brew technique that they used to make tea for their coffee brewing. Regardless, we are forever grateful that iced coffee has made its way to our neck of the woods, as well as across the world. So, with this little historical background in mind – and especially because the days are getting hotter – here is our list of the best iced coffees in Montreal!
We also invite you to check out our list of the best ice creams in Montreal, as well as our list of the best crema di caffè to cool you down. You won’t be disappointed!
Campanelli
With its charm and history, Campanelli has built a place in the heart of St-Henri. A small family-run business, the café uses its own signature blend, specially made for them by Barista Micro-Roastery. Among the best Italian cafés in Montreal, Campanelli’s iced coffee is exceptional. Perfectly refreshing, it goes very well with one of the sweet confections of the house, prepared each morning. The address is a nice stop on a hot and sunny day.
Montréal
Café Olimpico
To say that Café Olimpico is a Montreal institution is almost an understatement. An Italian café par excellence, Olimpico has a special place in the Mile End, and to look at its history – since 1970 – is to understand the relationship between the neighbourhood and the café. The iced coffee is also steeped in history, from the personal recipe of Rocco Furfaro, who was the owner of the establishment until it was taken over by his daughters Rossana and Victoria. This café is full of charm, yet also maintains an air of simplicity. It goes without saying that it is worth a visit, whether that is just to enjoy a good iced drink, or to soak in their history as a Montreal institution!
Montréal
Dispatch Café
Located on St. Laurent Boulevard, Dispatch is a beloved spot for its coffee and elegantly minimalist space. While the café’s appearance is sleek and clean, its iced coffee offering is funky. Yes, there are classics like coldbrew (enjoyed black or white—that is, with milk) which are delicious and refreshing classics. But at the bottom of the menu, reappearing every summer, is the Affogato. Like the cherry on top of a sunday, their smooth shot of espresso over a scoop of vanilla ice cream is perfection on a summer afternoon. No need to choose between an ice cream and a coffee, the Dispatch hybrid takes care of everything.
Montréal
Pikolo Espresso Bar
If you haven’t yet been to Pikolo, prepare to be won over; the café knows how to charm. The smallness of the space is what gives it its name – piccolo means small in Italian – a tiny place that is no less friendly, perhaps even more so because of its narrowness. Pikolo is one of the most beautiful cafés in Montreal. We come here to taste the abundance of choices in terms of coffee, whose beans come from Phil & Sebastian and 49th Parallel. Their iced coffee is delicious and goes perfectly with a croissant from Hof Kelsten.
Montréal
Station W
Station W, a café on Rue Wellington, is not only a contender on this list of the best iced coffees in Montreal, but they are also on our list of the best grilled cheese sandwiches in the city! Station W is ideal for enjoying a simple but tasty brunch, or to work quietly. Using the coffee beans from Montreal’s own Kittel Coffee, the iced coffee at Station W is a signature summer beverage. In the heart of Verdun, there’s nothing better than an iced coffee from Station W to enjoy the summer.
Montréal
Café Pista
We love Café Pista. The place is adorable, welcoming and, on nice days, you can go for a ride on its bicycle-cafe. What could be better? Using their own house-roasted beans, Pista’s iced coffee is brewed cold, with or without milk. The drink is a perfect treat on hot summer days, and can be purchased from one of their three locations across the city. Pista’s coldbrew also pairs beautifully with a signature donut from Trou de Beigne. Coffee and donuts; a beautiful love story.
Montréal
Café Ferlucci
Ferlucci is a charming Italian café on de Castelnau in Villeray. With its abundance of nostalgic items throughout the café, it’s like stepping into the most delightful museum ever. With a passion for Italian coffee, the owners have created a menu of both classic and unexpected options – one of their iced coffees is practically a slushy! Ferlucci’s summertime offering is an iced latte, cold-roasted with beans from Montreal’s Barista Micro-Roastery. This is an address you have to try.
Montréal
MELK
MELK is a delightful establishment that calls itself a coffee bar. A little piece of calm in the middle of downtown, with a good balance of life and colour, MELK is a hidden gem. We come here to enjoy a very good latte, perfect for strolling through the streets of downtown and rest between destinations. Apart from coffee, MELK also offers a very good iced hot chocolate, for sweet tooths or those who are taking a break from coffee. The address is worth a visit on your next trip downtown.
Montréal
La brume dans mes lunettes
La Brume dans mes Lunettes is a charming hybrid between a café and a tearoom. The decor of the place is all lightness, simplicity and warmth. If we love to have tea, the varieties of iced coffees are just as appreciated. We enjoy an excellent coldbrew here, perfect for hot days.
Montréal
Noble Café
Noble café is a great place to stop by for a coffee on the go or, during the summer months, to sit on their lovely terrace. We love everything about this small independent café on Laurier Avenue East! Just in front of the Laurier metro station, near Laurier Park, the place offers an excellent coffee and delicious sweet and salty treats. The iced coffees are delicious, whether it’s a cold brew, a latte, or their version of the affogato with homemade ice cream and coldbrew!
Montréal
Paquebot
Café Paquebot is one of the most avant-garde cafés that serves all kinds of delicious drinks! Zab, their coffee roasting company, can be found all over the city! In the summer, you can enjoy a delicious and extremely refreshing iced coffee lemonade (café-limo), homemade kombuchas, and nitro coldbrew on tap! A must-try.
Montréal
Les Faiseurs
Les Faiseurs combines the art and technique of pottery with its relationship to the art of the table and cooking. The food is simple, but very good, and the coffee from Zab is excellent. The iced coffee is delicious, as well as the iced matcha latte and the seasonal lemonades!
Montréal
Olive et Gourmando
We’ve loved Olive et Gourmando for a long time! This Old Montreal institution is one of our favourites for brunch as well as for lunch, but it is also a favourite of a lot of people… Expect to wait a while. However, the coffee counter is right in front and allows you to easily take a coffee to go with one of the pastries at the counter. The iced coffee is a double espresso served on ice, black or with milk as you wish!
Montréal
Oui mais non
Oui mais non is a very nice café on Jarry street where you can enjoy small comforting meals and sit for hours on the terrace to work. In the summer, it’s nice to hang out and sip one of their very good iced coffees in a big glass in the sun!
Montréal
Café Saint-Henri
We love the Saint-Henri cafés for their wide variety of micro-roasted coffee beans. Sitting in one of their cafés is always very enjoyable. Their iced coffees are excellent, especially when enjoyed on the lively terrace of their Jean-Talon Market location! HolyCow is the signature coffee of the place, served in the summer as a delicious iced coffee.
Montréal
Pastel Rita
Pastel Rita is a beautiful and colourful café beloved by gourmet coffee lovers. The café serves delicious food and wine for a nice happy hour. It’s a great place to have an iced coffee in the warm months, in the lovely and soothing space. You can even enjoy a good affogato.
Montréal
Tommy
Tommy is a beautiful café in Old Montreal, nestled in a magnificent historic building. We like to linger there for brunch or to have a coffee while working. The iced coffee is very good, and you can grab one to enjoy while walking around the Old Town! Plus, they have a second location on Saint-Paul.
Montreal
Mano Figa
Mano Figa is the little sister of Mano Cornuto, one of our favourite Griffintown addresses. The coffees, selected and roasted especially for Mano Figa by Montreal’s Traffic Coffee Co. are also just like the place: rich, velvety and slightly fruity, halfway between a classic Italian espresso and a third wave coffee.
Montréal
Café Kujira
Located on de Lorimier Avenue, in the Centre-Sud, Café Kujira is a nice little neighbourhood café as we like them. Kujira is first and foremost an artisanal roasting house that produces excellent coffees in small batches.
Montréal
SoLit Café
When you step into SoLit, located on Mansfield Street in downtown Montreal, you are dazzled by an oasis of oranges and light. There, they serve coffees, pastries and lunches to eat in or take away. The coffee is excellent!
Montréal
Café Caron & Frères
Located on Bélanger Street, a stone’s throw from Saint-Laurent Boulevard, Café Caron & Frères is the perfect example of a specialty café that delight contemporary coffee lovers who are curious to know exactly what they are drinking and how the product got there and is processed before being served to them.
Montréal
