I have definitely been getting some good dissertation writing done here lately, and it's very near my house (bonus for me) and Parc Laurier (bonus for everyone!). When it comes to coffeeshops, I have very basic criteria - the coffee has to be decent and the music has to be good. This place scores high on both counts.
Other weird criteria? Perfect blend of silence and noise - it's one of those places where you're fine either having an animated conversation with your buddy or racking your brain over post-structuralist theory. I know it seems superficial, but that's a hard thing to accomplish. Some of my favorite cafés in town are lovely until one person starts telling their life story super loudly. That has never happened here.
Major bonus - the service is good and the staff is pretty friendly. (Dear the rest of Montreal, these guys are doing it right.) I'm giving four stars instead of five because my mind isn't blown away or anything. Also, because I had some soup here a while ago - asparagus, I believe - and it was basically so-so, but certainly nothing that I would run away from and definitely reasonably priced. I would add another half point if I could.
I've never had a problem with the Wifi, which is great.
As far as cafés in this area - this one is my top pick.