Nordik Espresso Bar: the little sister of Nordik Café and Krem & Kanel

The space at 4 rue Blainville Ouest used to sell stationery and clothes. Along the way, its owner had tucked in a small espresso bar and started serving beans from Nordik Café in Blainville. When those owners decided to step back, Pierre-Luc Carrière took the room over. “They’d already started serving Nordik, and we took it on when they decided to retire,” he says. “Nordik Espresso Bar is a kind of continuity.” It opened on Valentine’s Day as the roaster’s second address.

Why a roaster wanted a village storefront

For Pierre-Luc, the appeal was closeness. He was after “a home base in a village, a bit more proximity” — and a downtown with a pulse, wedged between local concert halls and festivals. The roasting itself still happens in Blainville, a fifteen-minute drive away, and the bags of beans get a place of honour behind the counter. “It’s important to us that showcasing our bags, our beans, our expertise counts just as much as the little food-and-drink side,” he says.

An iced-ready menu that keeps it simple

The drink list sticks to the essentials: espresso, long black, americano, latte, cappuccino and mocaccino — each available iced. Oat, macadamia, coconut, almond and soy milks come at no extra charge. For the caffeine-free crowd, there’s chai latte, matcha, hot chocolate, lemonade and yerba maté. The kitchen stays light: viennoiseries and smoothies served in a glass or as a loaded bowl, plus tartines, sandwiches and salads at lunch.

Fifteen seats, no wifi, on purpose

Designed by Régine Apollon, the room leans clean and uncluttered. Pierre-Luc first pictured something mid-century; the design drifted toward japandi instead — “a space with no extravagance, where function comes with beauty.” Small as it is, he deliberately capped seating at fifteen and refused to push the volume. “I didn’t want to go over 20 seats. I wanted it to stay easy for take-out, easy to grab a table, with quick access.” There’s no wifi either, a gentle nudge for guests to enjoy the space and move on.

The sweet neighbour: Krem & Kanel

Two doors down, Krem & Kanel turns out brioches and ice cream under the same owner. Pierre-Luc had first committed to the espresso bar, then the neighbouring unit came free. He toyed with a dairy bar before reconsidering: “I wanted to offer something year-round, because I don’t like laying people off and rehiring them.” The brioche idea followed naturally — and Krem & Kanel actually opened first. “It should’ve been the other way around, but it made for a nice move.”

Written by Jean-Philippe Tastet
Photography by Alison Slattery

Updated on August 06, 2026

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