Mariam: Sometimes you come across the best thing ever without even thinking about it. It was a Tuesday afternoon, I was just coming back from my hairdresser’s when I realized I was a bit hungry. As I was walking on Notre Dame Street in Saint Henry (Southwestern Montreal), I said to myself “Well, I’ll stop at the first restaurant I see”. And, two minutes later I found what looked like an Italian café-resto: Caffé Farina. [Henry: Don’t tell me you went without me?😫]

So I decided to go in [Henry: Oh, wow! You did😐].

Well, I had to. I mean, did I not mention that it was an Italian coffee shop? Who can resist?

Anyway, the first thing you notice when you go into Caffé Farina is the warm and thoughtful décor: Paintings, flowers, books, wooden furniture, and a really long list of great food items. I was pleased 🙂 .

 

As you approach the back of the place, you’ll see a quaint bar with several alcoholic drinks to choose from, as well as espresso and other hot beverages. On the side of the bar: A menu of Italian sandwiches and salads. Perfect for lunch!

But what made my stay even better was, honestly, the staff. They were warm, energetic, welcoming, and all had huge smiles when talking to you. From bartender to busboy, I felt the commitment to making people feel comfortable. And when I looked around at the other customers, I could see that the staff had done a great job at making everyone feel at home. I knew I had come to the right place.

I sat near the bar and looked at the menu for a very long time before deciding. Everything looked great. There was a long litany of sandwich fillings from which to choose: Steak, capicollo, Italian sausage, veal cutlet, and chicken breast. As for salads, they had beautiful mixes of cucumbers, arugula, tomatoes, Parmesan, and more.

I settled for the veal cutlet sandwich and a cup of cappuccino. The funny thing is, I don’t eat meat and I definitely don’t drink coffee. But this café was just that skilled at making these things look good. Also, considering that there were no vegetarian options for sandwiches, I said to myself, “Let’s try this”. [Henry: As a coffee-lover, I heartily say, “Yessssss…”. Join us, Mariam. Join uuussss 😛 ]

And I must say, I have no regrets about my choice 🙂 .

The waitress was kind enough to make sure that my cappuccino had a lot more milk than coffee since I told her that I was not much of a coffee drinker. And so, it ended up being the best cappuccino-latte I ever had.

As for the sandwich, I asked for a lot more veggies and they eagerly accommodated. In my veal sandwich there were also tomatoes, lettuce, caramelized onions, roasted hot peppers, marinated eggplants, mozzarella, olives, and a magical, delicious secret sauce. The whole sandwich came together very well. It was soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. The bread is house-made and tastes like it would in Italy: Just awesome. The vegetables were crunchy on one side and super warm and chewy on the other. It was just a perfect kind of sandwich. Let me just say I now understand why Joey-from-Friends loves sandwiches. If I grew up eating these, I also would never let them go.

And, for dessert [Henry: You had dessert without me too? 😳] Well, it’s an Italian place, I can’t go without having dessert 😜. So, I went for the Nutella delice. It’s a type of warm muffin-type cake (but much, much better) with a chocolate explosion inside.

 

Overall, this is definitely a place to check out if you haven’t been already. Great food, warm ambiance, and a beautiful design. What else do we need? [Henry: “Need.” Hm. How about me going too…?] [Mariam: Well, that can be arranged, mister 😘.]

Where to find Caffé Farina:
Address: 3422 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, QC H4C 1N9
Phone Number: (514) 935-3422