Montreal’s reigning brunch crew shifts gears with Paparmane, a maximalist tea salon from the team behind Régine and Janine Café. Just steps from the Notre-Dame Basilica, the 57-seat room is decked out in Rococo drama: velvet chairs, vintage china, chandeliers with birds, and waitstaff trained to deliver “wow.” Founder Pierre-Luc Chevalier channels his hotelier past into every detail, from the bespoke tableware to the “magic guide” every employee carries. Tea is the main act—18 types curated by sommelier Elyse Perreault (aka Lady T)—but food holds its own: devilled eggs get truffled, grilled cheese is studded with walnuts and 1608 cheese, and cucumber sandwiches veer off course with miso and salmon. Even cocktails arrive in teapots. With no allegiance to British tradition beyond the tiered service, Paparmane is more theatrical brunch sequel than quaint tearoom revival—and all the better for it.
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