At Greenspot, pour-over coffee is served just like in diners in the movies, and if you didn’t grow up in the ’50s, it’s quite an exceptional experience. Plus, the coffee is served with a warmth and efficiency that, in 2026, are almost exclusively found in the movies.
It almost hurts to talk about it, because Greenspot is already an open secret and you have to get up early to have breakfast there on weekends, but it’s one of our favorite spots in Montreal—and we’re not the only ones.
In addition to coffee, there are omelets, fries, beans, fruit platters with thinly sliced honeydew melon, jukeboxes on the tables, varnished wood, vinyl records, and a TV showing sports in the corner. And it’s always packed. A marvel.
The perfect day starts with a stroll along the Lachine Canal, a trip to the Atwater Market (where we buy apricots and the newspaper, or ELLE—depending on how tough the coming week looks)—and then an omelet and a liter of coffee from Greenspot. After that, everything’s fine.
Greenspot, since 1947
The restaurant opened in the 1940s in the working-class neighborhood of Saint-Henri—located in the southwest of the Island of Montreal, right next to Little Burgundy. Today’s Greenspot opened in 1989, after the restaurant moved from the space across the street to make more room. But, with a rather exceptional attention to detail and tradition, the decor is period-authentic—reproduced exactly as it was, just a little larger.
Greenspot seats 125 people, and there’s often a line out the door. There are plenty of regulars, employees who’ve been there for 40 years, recipes that never change, and fries that are always served at the perfect temperature.
The restaurant is on the corner of Greene and Notre-Dame streets, hence its name: Green marks the spot…
On the menu: smoked meat sandwiches, poutine, burgers, fish & chips —and all the breakfast classics. And, of course, the all-time favorites from old-school diners: milkshakes and sundaes topped with a maraschino cherry.
Practical Info
Where? Greenspot, at 3041 Notre-Dame Street West / Atwater metro station
When? Open 7 days a week /
Monday: 5:00 AM–10:00 PM
Tuesday: 5:00 AM–11:00 PM
Wednesday: 5:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Thursday: 5:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Friday: 5:00 AM – 1:00 AM
Saturday: 7:00 AM – 1:00 AM
Sunday: 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM
