Coffee shops are an undeniable cornerstone of student life in Montreal. While our campus libraries are left hollow by the mass removal of books, cafes beckon us warmly with romantic decor. When we earnestly fight sleep during a three-hour lecture, cafes promise caffeine in all its finest forms. And when friend-group gossip requires a degree of anonymity, cafes cloak us in ambient noise, giving us the space to speak freely. But with new spots popping up seemingly every week, choosing your next cafe can feel like an endless scavenger hunt. Using categories most befitting a student paper, The Tribune recommends your next cafe stop, based on your McGill program.
Arts
In your time as an Arts student, you’ve likely had classes in almost every building on campus—except the actual Arts Building. With every passing semester, you’ve grown more and more accustomed to wandering down unfamiliar hallways and up questionably lit staircases in search of the correct classrooms, only to find abandoned dreams and the ghosts of TAs past. So, if there’s one thing this degree is preparing you for, it’s locating Savsav’s front door.
Hidden inside an otherwise office-filled building, Savsav isn’t exactly a place you’ll stumble upon. First, you’ll need to find the entrance, and then navigate a series of corridors. But successful completion of this maze will reward you with something far better than anything found in the depths of the Stewart Biology Building. Discover Savsav and find a spacious study spot, equipped with seven-metre ceilings, abundant natural light, and matcha by the pitcher.
Consider Savsav the perfect Arts cafe: lacking a clear path forward.
Music
In the lush jungle of Montreal’s music scene, Music students are some of the city’s most well-travelled explorers. It’s hard to deny that the vast majority of vibrant sonic discoveries are nocturnal in nature. From classical concerts to late-night DJ sets, musical moments are typically reserved for the night owls. But at Le Dépanneur Café, you can enjoy live music every day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For almost 25 years, this cafe has featured up to eight acts each day, with performances ranging from Irish traditional music to jazz. This is a neighborhood spot where you want/to stay awhile, so check out the array of classic breakfast sandwiches that they offer.
While you’re there, take it easy on the musicians playing. You’re in Music—you’ve been critiqued enough yourself.
Science
Between the cell diagrams on your iPad, the bullet points in your notebooks, and the textbook you’re forced to lug around, you require study spots with ample table space. While many of Montreal’s cafes will relegate you and your screens to a single, overcrowded, work-friendly table, Café Parvis is perpetually poised to accommodate your sprawling study spread. Besides its conveniently large tables, this spot further differentiates itself with its menu, which includes all-day pizza offerings with toppings ranging from braised beef to courgette.
The mitochondria may be the powerhouse of the cell, but a personal pie can keep any Science student running.
Engineering
If you’re an Engineering student, then the new semester signals the impending doom of countless new group projects. Although The Tribune can’t secure you group members with time management skills or even ones with the decency to reply to your check-in texts, we can recommend a comfortable location for your group meetings. Café Falco, located in a sunny Mile End warehouse, is equipped with extra-long tables and plenty of seats to accommodate you and all your group members.
And if the threat of academic failure isn’t enough to get your group together, perhaps Falco’s weekday lunch specials of onigiris, soups, and salads can serve as motivation.