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| - Interesting place, but not my style. I'm a fan of small, cute cafes that feel like a cross between a library, a wine cellar, and your favorite aunt's sitting room. This place felt like a bar in Rome that somehow got a reputation for its coffee.
I showed up at 9am on a Wednesday, and was surprised by the long line of customers waiting for coffee. The whole time I was there, the line was at least 10 people deep, although there seemed to be no shortage of seating, inside and out. Waiting in the slow-moving line, I was very close to leaving without ordering anything, despite having biked 20 minutes specifically to check this place out (based on Yelp reviews). The interior was sort of dingy, covered in old posters, with TVs on the walls. It was unpleasantly noisy, too - too loud to hold a conversation, although it turned out that the din of the radio, the baristas, and the motorcycles on the street was strangely hypnotic and conducive to working. With the windows wide open I was able to take in the scenery of Mile End, with a side order of smog and cigarette smoke (maybe I'm oversensitive on that point - I'm really not used to the poor air quality in Montreal yet).
Olimpico did remind me of small backstreet cafés in Italy, and felt "authentic" in that way. One barista had a kickass moustache, for which I give props. I can't remember the pet name the other barista called me. "Doll"? "Sweetie"? Yuck. It was very authentically patronizing - props deducted.
My latte was tasty, as was the almond biscotti. There was a great selection of biscotti and other treats, which I'll try if I come back. But I'm not sure I will.
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