What she thought

Le Cagibi participated in the 2013 version of the Indie Coffee Passport, so we were familiar with the café. Our second visit took place on a beautiful autumn Saturday afternoon. Both of us were hungry after our bike ride and looking forward to choosing something to eat from Le Cagibi’s chalkboard menu.

• Coffee: Le Cagibi serves fair trade coffee from Café Rico, a Montréal café and coffee roaster. I ordered a small latte, which was served in a retro coffee cup. The first sip of the latte was extremely hot, the foam bubbly, and the coffee bitter. When the latte cooled enough so I could drink it, I found the coffee watery, not espresso-like at all.
• Seating: The café has two rooms with tables of various sizes, which are arranged fairly close together. Some of the tables look like my grandmother’s kitchen table from the fifties. There is quite a melange of chairs—some solid wood, some with cushions, some upholstered, some fifties kitchen chairs, etc. There is a bench or two that line one wall in both rooms along which various tables are placed. In the room that also serves as the venue for events at the café, I saw bar seating. There is no terrace but you can sit at one of the tables positioned in the two pushed-out windows if you want the outdoor feel while being inside.
• Atmosphere: Le Cagibi has a retro and kitschy decor, which gives the place its cozy and comfortable “grandmother’s kitchen” ambiance. I really like the many potted plants on the shelves interspersed among the collection of knickknacks, artwork, and other “memory-box” keepsakes. The staff is friendly, courteous, and very concerned about their clients’ well being. I mentioned my allergy/intolerance to corn because of the vinaigrette used for the salad I ordered. (No, corn oil at all, by the way.) Without being asked, one of the women there checked all the ingredients in the bread served with my salad! When she served my salad, she assured me that there was no corn flour, corn oil, or cornmeal in the bread. I was so impressed because that has not been my experience in most restaurants. (Usually when I ask about ingredients, the most common response is “We don’t make the bread here so we don’t know what’s in it.”) We did not have to wait that long for our delicious food, even though the café was pretty busy with people enjoying the space.

Final Thoughts: Le Cagibi is a wonderful place to get some tasty vegan/vegetarian food while enjoying this busy and vibrant part of Mile End.

What a beautiful, healthy, and scrumptious garden salad!