RESTAURANT L'AVENUE - WORTH ALL THE HYPE?
Credits: Julien Bourque
One of the main reasons why I love living in the Plateau is the fact that I can walk everywhere. Being only two streets away from the bustling Mont-Royal Avenue strip, I’m only a few minutes away from some of the best restaurants and bars in the city.
One of the most popular breakfast spots in Montreal, L’Avenue has been a long-standing fixture on Mont-Royal and has cultivated a dedicated following of locals and tourists alike. There is literally always a line-up to get into this place. After living just a ten minute walk away for over two years, I decided to go see, and taste, for myself what all the fuss is about. Luckily for me, I just beat the crowd and few minutes after we were seated we could see a line-up of umbrella-toting patrons braving the pouring rain.
The staff was very pleasant and efficient. As soon as we were seated our server, Guillaume, brought us glasses of watermelon-flavoured water. The restaurant itself was pretty basic but I did like the art deco lighting fixtures along the walls. I also really liked the lively ambience and the fact that it didn’t feel pretentious which can be the case for some of these super popular spots.
The menu has a pretty good selection of items from full breakfasts to omelettes and freshly squeezed juices and milkshakes. I had a hard time deciding what I wanted and feeling particularly ravenous I ventured from my usual smoked salmon eggs benedict and got the breakfast poutine. My boyfriend ordered the three-storey egg sandwich. I know, we’re gluttons. As we waited, we reach served a plate of fresh fruit-kabobs. Nom!
Being as popular and as busy as it is, L’Avenue’s servers have definitely mastered the art of timely service as our plates came fairly quickly. And let me tell you, I was intimidated when I saw my plate. It was huge! I barely made a dent in my poutine as it was so much and, on second thought, was too heavy a meal for breakfast. It was loaded with sausages, cheese and lot of grease-covered peppers and mushrooms. Topped with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce - I didn’t stand a chance. While I did enjoy it, it was definitely too large a portion for one person. If anyone has ever finished the breakfast poutine at L’Avenue, you deserve a medal.
All in all, I liked L’Avenue. Was I blown away? No. Did I enjoy the food? Yes. Would I go back? Yes. Would I recommend it? Yes. I would, however, suggest sharing plates. Is it worth the hype? I’m not so sure. Have you been to L’Avenue? Let me know what you think!
922 avenue du Mont-Royal Est
Montreal, Quebec
(514) 523-8780
Credit photos: Julien Bourque
Alicia is a full-time writer/blogger and aspiring multi-hyphenate. Born in Toronto and raised in Jamaica, she now calls Montreal home. With a background in Broadcast-Journalism and a passion for inspiring through her writing, Alicia enjoys writing and creating content for the millennial woman. You can read more of her work at www.aluestory.com.