Work trips usually mean early mornings, back-to-back meetings and whatever coffee the office kitchen has on tap. Not this time. On September 16 and 17, I was in Montreal for work, and my coworkers and I managed to squeeze in two of the city’s coffee spots: 49th Parallel and Structure.
Here’s the fun part - they sit just a few doors apart on rue McGill. Same street, same block, completely different personalities.
49th Parallel: the Vancouver vibe, in Montreal
I stopped in on the first morning before heading into the office. There was already a line of people waiting on their orders - always a good sign. I went with a café latte.
If you’ve been to the original in Vancouver, you’ll feel right at home. It has the exact same vibe, and I love the atmosphere. And yes, Lucky’s Doughnuts are here too (dangerous knowledge to have before a full day of meetings).
What surprised me was the other side of the café. While the counter was busy, the seating area was quiet - people tucked in with their breakfast and coffee, taking their time. Grab-and-go on one side, slow morning on the other.
Structure: dialed in, down to the gram
Structure was an after-lunch visit. The place was full but not overly loud - the kind of hum that tells you people are genuinely enjoying the space.
This is a serious coffee shop. Everything screams perfection and dialed in. I ordered a pour-over with beans from Brazil, and it was clear nothing here is left to chance.
But here’s what stuck with me: for a place that takes coffee this seriously, the staff were extremely friendly. No gatekeeping, no attitude - they made sure I was taken care of from order to last sip. Perfection without the pretension is a rare combo.
So, which one?
Both. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but they’re doing two very different things, and doing them well:
- 49th Parallel if you want a lively, familiar café with a great latte (and a doughnut).
- Structure if you want to slow down and see what a dialed-in pour-over tastes like.
Would I go back? 100%. Would I send friends and family? Also 100%. And since they’re practically neighbours, you can hit both in one afternoon - just maybe not on an empty stomach.
I didn’t have the luggage space to bring any beans home, so I did the next best thing: once I got back, I ordered Structure’s Discovery Pack online. Three bags - Foundation, 1852 and their in-season single origin. More on those in a future post.