Shaughnessy Café: A Café Near Concordia and Dawson

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Map showing location at 45.4908843, -73.5846426

Shaughnessy café opened its doors in October 2016 in the former Moe’s Deli at the corner of Boulevard de Maisonneuve and Rue Lambert-Closse. Beyond being a friendly little neighbourhood café, it serves very good coffee in a relaxed atmosphere. And on October 3, 2026, the house will celebrate its tenth anniversary.

The café’s owner is our friend François Letendre-Joachim. He first studied marketing, then worked for the Montreal Alouettes. Opening his own café was only a vague dream, but when he left marketing, he went to work at Café Plume (now closed) to get to know the industry. Café Plume was one of our favourite cafés in the city, and it welcomed François under its roof for two years. “I owe a lot to Café Plume; that’s where I discovered what makes a really good coffee,” he explains.

While working at Plume, he set his mind on opening his own café and making his dream a reality. For close to a year, François searched for the ideal space. After yet another day of searching with nothing to show for it, he came across the former Moe’s Deli. Shaughnessy Café was born of François’s motivated, creative mind, with the help of those close to him.

The Light Roast Bet

The space is really charming! You’ll find a pretty counter and small high-top tables. The café welcomes you into a warm atmosphere, generously filled with plants. A few works by local artists hang on the walls, and a lovely collection of cacti sits by the large bay window that lets in the natural light. In summer, a small patio with a handful of seats extends the room.

The café also has something to nibble on if you’re feeling peckish. The pastries and breads come from boulangerie Automne, the scones and blondies are baked on site, and all the syrups are made in-house. The sandwich menu is prepared to order: bacon egg & cheese, BLT, salmon. The café also doubles as a wine shop, with its wall of bottles to go: private-import wines, vermouths, amaros and aperitivos, along with a few beers, including alcohol-free options, and tea.

A Café Named After Its Neighbourhood

“I wanted it to be called Shaughnessy café so people would know it’s a neighbourhood café, in Shaughnessy Village. What I like most here is that right in downtown Montréal, you’re in a residential neighbourhood and a student neighbourhood at the same time.” Indeed, between Concordia University and Dawson College, the café offers a very pleasant place to work and to meet. Students, professors, office workers, neighbourhood residents and cyclists rub shoulders here seven days a week.

“At the end of the day, all I want is for my café to become a relaxed, chill spot where everyone can come to meet people, plan trips, study… I want good vibes, I want to serve good coffee in a place with no pretension.” Ten years later, the bet has paid off.

Café Shaughnessy is a small haven of peace amid the hubbub of downtown, ideal for studying or simply losing yourself for a while over a good coffee.


Photography by Alison Slattery





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