By Mike Cohen and Tony Medeiros
It has been nine years now since major restaurant franchisor Foodtastic opened its first Tommy Café + Apéro on Notre Dame Street in Old Montreal. There are now 10 locations and more are on the way. We got to experience the newest one at Royalmount, with a first-class backgrounder session and lunch in the company of Daniel Harvey, the company’s senior vice-president of full-service restaurants.
Besides two in Old Montreal, the others are on Mount Royal, Fairview, Alexis Nihon Plaza, Cathcart, Quebec City, and Oakville. Tommy Café was born with the vision of creating a welcoming atmosphere, in a quaint setting, with the promise of a chill vibe. A balanced blend of modern design, mid-century furniture and Victorian architecture, this place has a good feel the moment you walk in.
Tommy Café is one of the few Montreal restaurants where you can get a refreshing array of breakfast and brunch items all day. While the Royalmount location is a stand-alone spot beside the skating rink and not physically within the mall premises, it does stay open until 9 pm each weekday and 5 pm on weekends.
Harvey and his team devoted a lot of time and effort to furnishing this new location especially. It starts with a 100-year-old front door that they purchased from an architectural salvage stoor. On the walls, you will see the trademark green wall with the Tommy logo, the 3D Latte girl and a sofa area. The chairs at every table are different (on purpose). In fact, at one of the larger seating areas, there is a pew secured from a church.
There is plenty of greenery and as a tribute to the community where Royalmount is located, you will find a classy montage of vintage classic photos depicting the history of the Town of Mount Royal. The place can seat 72 people and 20 more on a planned seasonal patio.
“The principle here is to develop a restaurant chain that does not feel like a restaurant chain,” Harvey said in elaborating upon the goal of giving each location its own unique look.
For drinks, we savored a warm Americano and a mango dragonfruit smoothie. The mango dragonfruit smoothie is a delightful blend of true tropical escape in a glass. The smoothie was decadently thick, irresistibly velvety, and utterly indulgent. Each sip was a perfect harmony of textures, delivering a luxurious experience for the senses. The mango’s golden sweetness shone through beautifully, while the dragonfruit added an exotic swirl twist with its subtly tangy and refreshingly unique undertones. There’s an undeniable magic to its refreshing charm that always feels like a little moment of tropical bliss. Whether it’s a bright start to the day or an afternoon pick-me-up, this drink never fails to bring a spark of delight!
Avocado toast is the Tommy trademark and it comes in different incarnations. We shared the classic: multigrain bread, smashed avocado, fleur de sel, chili flakes and lemon. It was large enough to share among the three of us. Other “toast” options include a lot of impressive add-ons. You can also get gluten-free bread for an extra cost.
From the main menu, we selected the BAE (two eggs scrambled with bacon and multigrain bread, served with salad and potatoes), La Totale (French toast, scrambled eggs, maple syrup and bacon or sausage) and the gobble (ciabatta, sliced turkey, honey Dijon, mixed greens, bacon and tomato).
The BAE meal was a satisfying and hearty delight, featuring a generous plate of fluffy scrambled eggs and bacon cooked to perfection—light, airy, and full of flavor. Complementing the eggs were golden, perfectly seasoned diced potatoes, striking an impeccable balance between crisp exteriors and soft, tender centers. Each bite of the potatoes offered a delightful contrast of textures that was simply irresistible.
Adding a refreshing touch to the meal was a vibrant medley of green salads, an eclectic mix of crisp, leafy greens and other garden-fresh ingredients. Bursting with a variety of textures and subtle flavors, the salads provided a wholesome, invigorating complement to the rich, savory elements on the plate.
While of course, you get a printed menu, this location has the selection displayed on an electronic wall which is designed to look very much like a chalkboard. There are a wide variety of omelets, frittatas and yes sweet escapes like the s’mores (French toast, marshmallows, Nutella and graham cookie).
Since the decadent dessert choices are not on the menu, since they do change from time to time, we ventured towards the yummy-looking display case and enjoyed the key lime pie and chocolate cheesecake.
There are several other sandwich choices, salads and yes some healthy desserts like seasonal berries and chia pudding.
The coffee here is so good that it will soon be made available retail for customers to take home and make themselves. Tommy Café is also getting into the merchandise game. With such a trendy name you can find Tommy shirts, hats and more at the cash.
“Tommy has been attracting a young crowd and those who like the option of having so many healthy choices,” said Harvey, indicating that it is very popular with people of all ages and families.
There is a nice assortment of iced coffees, teas, espressos, cappuccinos and even hot chocolates.
Tommy Café and Apéro Royalmount is located at 5060 Côte de Liesse. There are four free parking with the Royalmount app. Opening hours are 9 am to 5 pm Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm Sunday and 10 am to 9 pm weekdays. You can call 514.735.3546 and log on to https://tommycafe.ca/en/menu-royalmount/