Le Couteau / The Knife
What she thought
I am always so surprised when I enter Le Couteau / The Knife. This café is located on well-traveled and populated Saint-Denis Street, so I always expect the city’s busyness and intensity to be reflected inside. But when you walk through the door, you see a beautiful, calm, roomy space decorated in a simple, elegant and very functional way. Although there are a few munchies to eat (mostly of the sweet variety), the focus and star of this café is the coffee.
- Coffee: I ordered a latte, which was poured using 49th Parallel Epic Espresso beans. As you can see in the photo, the art was perfectly done, with just a bit of crema around the edges of the cup, which I love, although I would have loved even more. The coffee/milk taste was very balanced but I prefer Old School Espresso beans to the Epic Espresso beans. I found that the flavor of the Epic espresso coffee too mild for my taste. (As an aside: we were graciously given a sample of Le Couteau’s cold brew using the same Epic espresso beans. The taste of the cold brew coffee was amazing—sweet with some acidity, which gave it personality— and so very refreshing. I loved the flavor of the Epic beans in the cold brew!)
- Seating: I love when cafés have their seating space arranged in areas, a friend (thanks, Karen!) called it “open concept seating.” Le Couteau does just that and every area carries on the themes of wood and metal, rich browns and deep blacks, benches and tables. From the two large shared tables to the red window seat cushion complete with a bar for your coffee, to the benches and low tables along the wall and in the corner, the seating is ample, brings a sense of community, and adds to the elegant feel of the café. For people who love the hustle and bustle of Saint-Denis, you have the option of sitting outside. The awning-covered terrace (non-smoking) boasts 10 small round tables and extra chairs.
- Atmosphere: When we visited, we spoke to the owner, who was training a new employee, as well as to the barista who poured our coffee. Both were courteous, friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. I found the atmosphere inviting and definitely a place where one can come to relax, read a book, update a Facebook page, or just enjoy “chilling” on Saint-Denis.
Final Thoughts: If I lived in the Plateau, I would be going to Le Couteau / The Knife every day for my lattes. This well-lit and welcoming café is a real asset to this part of Montréal.
Ce qu’il en pense
C’est notre deuxième visite au Couteau, des fidèles du Passeport 2013. J’avais l’impression que c’était aussi un resto, mais j’ai cherché le menu sandwich en vain. Le couteau se définit plutôt comme un café troisième vague et on s’en rend compte lorsqu’on parle aux barristas passionnés. On y offre des boissons un peu plus recherchées, tel le café infusé à froid. Nous y avons goûté, préparé avec le Epic de Forty Ninth Parallel, celui-ci était rafraîchissant et ne nécessitait pas de sucre pour en apprécier le goût unique.
Le latté, préparé, lui aussi, avec le Epic de Forty Ninth Parallel ne mettait, quant à moi, pas assez le goût du café de l’avant. La texture crémeuse du mélange gardait assez bien son corps, jusqu’à la fin, mais l’amertume du crema ne faisait pas sentir sa présence. Par sa technique d’extraction de l’espresso, Le Couteau tente de mettre l’acidité de l’avant, mais peut-être qu’un type différent de café serait, dans ce cas, plus approprié. Avec une note de 4 étoiles, vous comprendrez que ce ne sont que des bémols.
- Le café (latté): la présence du café se fait un peu discrète, je serais curieux d’essayer le mélange en cappuccino. Aussi, une belle surface lisse, sans les damnées grosses bulles dans le crema.
- Les lieux: propre et aéré ; à l’image du logo, tout en simplicité.
- Le personnel: on est bien accueilli au Couteau et on a droit a de petites attentions qui font toute la différence.