In Montreal, Mamie Clafoutis Is a Favorite Sweet Spot
Montreal, Canada is often referred to as the “most European city in North America” and the city’s French culture has gifted it with plenty of delicious bakeries.
But one bakery in particular — Mamie Clafoutis — offers just about everything you could imagine a true Parisian bakery would, and it holds a special draw for locals.
The bakery is located in Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, a neighborhood that is turning into one of the trendiest yet still laid-back sections of the city for young people. Inside Mamie Clafoutis, customers regularly see shelves and baskets filled with croissants, tartelettes, baguettes, pain au chocolats, pain aux raisins, pastries and so many different styles of cakes that it can be hard choosing just one. Another plus: The bakery’s servers will welcome you inside with French greetings but won’t judge as you fumble over your extremely amateur and limited French vocabulary.
At Mamie’s, one regular customer and Montreal local is Silva, who says the bakery stands out amongst other bakeries because of its upstairs seating area. There, customers can sit and enjoy their drinks and food whilst also watching bakers going about their work downstairs. For customers who either want to work or stay digitally connected, Mamie’s also happily shares its Wi-Fi password and provides customers with comfortable couches and plenty of desk space for laptops.
“It brings a really calming atmosphere, you don’t feel rushed to finish and bring in turnover for the café, it’s very relaxing and peaceful,” Silva said.
The word “mamie” means “grandmother” and “clafoutis” is a special baked, French dessert that’s usually filled with fruit. You won’t find any processed foods here, only handmade baked goods, fresh like your grandmother just pulled them out of the oven herself.
Visitors to Mamie’s need to know the bakery doesn’t take either Visa or MasterCard; it accepts only Canadian cash and Canadian debit cards. That might seem like a major inconvenience to some travelers, but it shows this place is a true local hot spot rather than a tourist trap.
