Café Chimera
Informations
:
THIS CAFÉ IS CLOSED. Spacious, good lattes, friendly staff, and games—an innovative combination!
What she thought
—THIS CAFÉ IS CLOSED—
*** Review Update: We visited Café Chimera again (Michel had another appointment at the dentist!). We chose a different roast by Phil & Sebastian called Hartman Honey from Panama. Both lattes were well poured (see the updated photo above). The foam in my latte was lovely and the taste of the coffee was rich, sweet (no sugar added), and flavorful. The photo below shows the difference between the last sip or two of my latte and Michel’s. As you can see, there are 2 spoonfuls of crema/foam left for me to scoop up. Simply wonderful! ***
Since Michel was going to the dentist anyway, I checked the Indie Coffee Passport list, discovering that Café Chimera just a few short blocks away.
Walking in, I instantly felt welcomed by the café’s spaciousness and by the courteous and knowledgeable staff. The girl who took our order explained the 2 different coffees they were pouring. The coffees were:
- Nueva Llusta from Calgary-based Phil & Sebastian
- A selection from Kittel, the Montréal roasting company
I decided on the Phil & Sebastian coffee while Michel took the local selection. (See photo above.) Of course, coffee-addict (oops! I meant coffee-lover) that I am, I tasted both and found both delightful!
- Coffee: My latte was well poured and very smooth with a good balance between the coffee and milk. The foam was a bit thick, but I happen to love foam, and this foam was fun to scrape from the sides and bottom of the cup when I finished my latte. The latte art was pretty well done.
- Seating: There was ample seating in front of the windows along a bar, at tables with booth seating along the wall, and at tables that were on the main floor space. I could see myself grabbing a latte and settling down for a long read of a good book.
- Atmosphere: Pleasant and calm. There were not a lot of people there at the time, but the café was a welcome respite from the cars and busyness of Sherbrooke Street.
I should mention that Café Chimera is also a games shop and venue; however, that part of the shop is in the back and is separated by double doors. You can also rent games to play while you are enjoying your coffee in the café.
Final verdict? Café Chimera is just the place you need to relax and recuperate after a visit to the dentist!
Updated Photo: Comparing our last tastes of lattes.
Ce qu’il en pense
—CE CAFÉ EST FERMÉ—
Une belle surprise sur la rue Sherbrooke! Le local est juché dans un ancien royaume du dollar, ses vitraux donnent plutôt l’impression d’un ancien pub.
La section arrière du local est consacrée aux jeux de rôles et jeux de table, la section avant est un café troisième vague, le tout est bien séparé par une double porte. Il est possible de louer un jeu pour 5$, on peu s’installer sur une table du café; une bonne idée pour un trip entre amis.
Les choix de torréfacteurs sont le Kittel et le Phil & Sebastian, nous avons apprécié que deux variété nous ont été offertes pour notre latté.
** Deuxième visite au Chimera : nous avons commandé deux petits lattés préparés avec le Hartmann Honey, du Panama. La proportion café/lait était idéale, le goût était riche et exquis. Le lait avait une meilleure onctuosité dans le café de ma conjointe, la chanceuse! **
- Le café (latté): bon créma qui souffre cependant du syndrome Myriade (des bubules de CO2), le lait est un peu épais, mais on obtient une belle expérience jusqu’à la fin.
- Les lieux: bien divisé, accueillant, sans prétention, beaucoup d’espace et musique pas agaçante.
- Le personnel: accueillant, bien informé, la technique café peu être améliorée, mais le cœur y est.
Le latté du Chimera à notre deuxième visite : une nette amélioration.
