Some mornings, the Montreal sun seems to have been designed for one thing only: settling onto a terrace with a proper brunch. At Dandy, that ritual starts well before you sit down; it starts with a long lineup. Sometimes thirty minutes, sometimes more. They say a great spot can be recognized by the length of its queue on Sunday morning, and Dandy clearly has no reputation problem.

Once seated, the menu reveals a card that shifts with the seasons while keeping its staples intact: salmon, eggs, avocado, and their now-iconic fried chicken burger. On the drinks side, there’s plenty to warm up with coffees, hot chocolates, matcha, and more, all well executed. The $7 CAD orange juice will make you smile, or wince slightly, depending on your relationship with morning spending. Budget around $40 CAD for a full meal, which stays within the norm for a Montreal spot of this caliber.

My Experience at Dandy

I go for a hot chocolate, served with an almost casual nonchalance in a Duralex-style glass. Then comes my salmon brioche. The bread, lightly toasted, is spread with a generous layer of crème fraîche, smooth and perfectly measured. On top come tomato, a soft-boiled egg, salmon, and a few fresh herbs, all piled into a generous, colorful heap. No particular harmony in the plating: it’s up to me to mix things together and build each bite my own way.

On the side, the roasted potatoes, slightly too salty for my taste, I’ll admit, are saved with flair by a well-seasoned, generous aioli sauce that resets the balance entirely and makes you want to finish every last bite.