Cardinal Tea Room

Cardinal Tea Room was always a study in atmosphere first, service second—and that’s precisely why it lingered in people’s memories. By day, it operated as a proper tea salon: fresh-baked scones, neat tea sandwiches, and a tightly edited list of high-quality teas served in antique china. As evening settled in, candles were lit, jazz took over the room, and the space shifted into a wine and cocktail bar, with tartines, salads, and snacks designed for slow pacing rather than full meals.

Opened in 2013, the Mile End spot leaned heavily into 1920s references—part English library, part European hotel lounge—assembled piece by piece by its owners over several years. The result was intimate, theatrical without being kitsch, and deeply transportive. While tea service has since ended and the space now lives on through private events, Cardinal remains a touchstone for a certain kind of Montréal hospitality: elegant, conversational, and deliberately unhurried.

Sadly, however, it closed in 2025.