Café Paquebot: a caffeinated landmark on Mont-Royal

On avenue du Mont-Royal Ouest, across from Parc Jeanne-Mance, the second Paquebot moved into the former Café Plume space in December 2017. Regulars soon nicknamed it “Two Paq,” which says a lot about how attached the neighbourhood is to the place. Since 2025, this Plateau landmark has been in the hands of two familiar faces from the Paquebot family.

Café Paquebot: From Bélanger to Parc Jeanne-Mance

The Paquebot cafés are the work of Simon-Louis Brosseau and Samuel Perrault. Through stints in Australian cafés and the wine world, Simon-Louis had developed a keen interest in roasting and service. In July 2015, the duo opened a first café on rue Bélanger, which served the island’s first nitro cold brew and was named Café of the Year at the Th3rdwave awards in 2017. The Mont-Royal location followed that same year, before an Old Montreal outpost on boulevard Saint-Laurent completed the trilogy in 2018. Along the way, Zab, the roastery founded by Edwin Chareton, joined the adventure.

Passing the Torch

In 2025, Yannik Pyton and Mathieu Dubois bought all three Montreal Paquebot cafés. Having joined the crew in 2017 and 2018, they are counting on the baristas who run the counters day to day to overhaul the coffee program from top to bottom. While Zab remains at the heart of the lineup, the cups also welcome beans from Angry Coffee Roaster, September and Traffic. Their guiding principle fits in a single sentence: “To offer quality coffee, attentive service and a sense of discovery with every visit,” the team sums up.

Café Paquebot: Beyond the Espresso

The spirit of original creations that built Paquebot’s reputation remains intact. Made on site, the house syrups flavour drinks such as the vanilla matcha latte, while the hojicha latte and the chai latte, which can be ordered “dirty” with a shot of coffee, open new avenues for the curious. During the warmer months, the nitro cold brew and the Cafélimo, a coffee lemonade poured on tap, make their return. Teas from Camellia Sinensis, beers from Brasserie Herman and a selection of canned and non-alcoholic drinks round out the offering.

A Menu Made for Settling In

Whether you drop in for a quick break or a long work session, the café offers a short menu of sandwiches, wraps and grilled cheese, all made in-house, including a bacon-boosted grilled cheese for bigger appetites. The house-made cookies, the team’s pride and joy, are an easy match for your cup.

On the Plateau, Two Paq holds on to what makes it a landmark: it feels like home, and every visit brings its share of discovery. Under owners who know the house from the inside, the café by Parc Jeanne-Mance carries on with the same curiosity it had in its early days.