Bistro Cafe Souvenir

Café Souvenir opened its doors in 1992 when Paul Lecoq and his family came to settle in Montreal. They wanted to infuse their first restaurant with their memorable experiences from their five years of travelling the world. Paul says that the first question people always ask is what souvenir he is referring to. “Well, it’s the ‘souvenir’ of travels,” he explains with a smile.

The travel theme is present throughout the interior décor, with black and white pictures of distant landmarks on the walls and a tile mural of the world on the floor. The brunch menu is still designed to look like a well-travelled passport. Originally the flat-screens above the bar were installed to show travel photographs – collections shared by both clients and Paul’s own family. “We wanted to create a place that brought people together to share experiences and memories,” Paul says. “From their travels and from their home countries and communities.”

At that time a lot of groups lived very separately in the area and Paul wanted to create a welcoming place for everyone. Café Souvenir quickly established itself as the go-to place for breakfast. “I’m sure you cannot find anyone from this neighbourhood who doesn’t eat here.”