Le Brûloir
Informations
:Le Brûloir provides this Ahuntsic neighborhood with a pleasant space for a good latte.
What she thought
A beautiful and cool pre-Autumn day meant we needed to get on our bikes and find another café to review. We chose Le Brûloir, which boasts a café bistro and is also a coffee roaster well known on the Montréal coffee scene. (Not to mention, a bike ride from Verdun to Ahuntsic is a good workout.)
- Coffee: I ordered a small latte (the photo above shows our two lattes—mine has the swirl art). The barista said that the coffee was “Le Brûloir,” their house blend, featuring beans from Columbia, Ethiopia, and Kenya. The latte was a bit too hot when I took my first sip. The coffee flavor was strong and not necessarily the taste I like. I really didn’t notice any complexities. The foam was good, just about the way I like it, although it was a bit on the thin side. As the coffee cooled down, the latte was more flavorful and smooth, and the balance between milk and coffee was more evident. The crema/foam blend at the bottom of the cup (pictured below) was close to perfection, giving me an opportunity to scoop up every bit of that wonderful blend of tastes—rich crema and silky foam—with my spoon.
NOTE: I LOVE Le Brûloir’s decaf beans, which hail from Guatemala. I think their decaf beans make the best decaf latte. - Seating: This small café furnishes a small variety of seating and limited natural light. A bar with stools looks out the storefront window. Another bar with stools is positioned where the baristas make their coffee magic. Seven small square and round tables tightly placed provide more traditional seating. The coffee roasting machine lives at the back of the café. A terrace outside offers 2 or 3 tables—one table, though, seemed to provide “seating” for an ashtray only. A couple of umbrellas add to the “terrace” ambiance.
- Atmosphere: Even though well-populated, the café had a low key and quiet feel. I would classify the atmosphere as calm, cool, and cocoon-like, meaning everyone was enjoying the place within their own space. The barista was knowledgeable, friendly, and gracious, answering all our questions patiently and completely.
Final Thoughts: Le Brûloir provides this Ahuntsic neighborhood with a pleasant space for a good latte. As a local coffee roaster, Le Brûloir offers Montréal’s coffee culture a “hometown” option for coffee beans.
Where’s my spoon? The flavorful remains of my latte from Le Brûloir!
Ce qu’il en pense
C’était notre deuxième visite au Brûloir. La première fois, il y a un peu plus de deux ans, le café était tout nouveau, nous étions surpris et heureux de trouver un bon latté dans ce coin perdu de Montréal. Aujourd’hui, les grains du Brûloir sont utilisés dans plusieurs cafés indépendants de Montréal, ce qui me pousse à croire qu’un grand nombre de personnes apprécient leurs cafés. Je trouve que le mélange élaboré pour le Café Bloom est particulièrement réussi.
Les lattés sont préparés avec un double espresso, nous avons commandé des petits formats et nous ne regrettons pas notre choix, le ratio café/lait était parfait. Le café était très chaud, ce qui me faisait craindre le pire pour la texture du lait, mais le mélange était velouté, quoiqu’un peu mince au final. Les résultats semblent variables, ma conjointe a eu deux belles cuillerées du crémeux mélange à déguster à la toute fin. J’ai commandé un décaféiné, des grains provennant du Guatemala et un goût riche qui n’a rien à envier aux cafés non décaféinés.
- Le café (latté): bien préparé, le petit format semble le choix le plus judicieux pour goût optimal. Le lait pourrait profiter d’une température moins élevée.
- Les lieux: la faune locale se mélange aux visiteurs dans un espace de grandeur moyenne. Quelques toiles en exposition sont accrochées aux murs.
- Le personnel: la sympathique barrista semblait bien disposée, malgré un dimanche quand même occupé.
Le Latté en petit format au Brûloir. Un beau créma à admirer et déguster.