A friend was raving about the coffee at Lapin so I ventured out into the strange snowy Montreal afternoon today to sample their wares.
After having read Judd's review I felt compelled to write as he mentioned finding it strange that they used coffee from Colorado. Indeed that IS odd! Well, Lapin Presse now uses (exclusively, from the look of it) local Saint Henri coffee in-house and they sell it by the pound as well. It is a smooth and mellow roast - in both the caffeinated and decaff varieties. I also sampled a warm grilled buttery banana bread full of walnuts and raisins that was scrumptious.
And although I went for the coffee my friend recommended the Gruyere & Onion as well as the Bacon & Cheddar grilled cheese sandwiches. To be honest I find ordering a grilled cheese (unless on the road when you can't make your own) bizarre unless it's a truly special kind of bread or cheese as they are so easy to make at home.
If coffee or tea isn't your thing, they also had a selection of Fentimore's Botanically Brewed Soda's ("Dandelion & Burdock" looked strangely enticing and a hot apple cider that sounded like a remedy for the April-and-its-snowing-blues.
The only downside I could see would be a feeling of claustrophobia that might set in if the cafe was packed...it's THAT cozy a space. But on a quiet day with only a few people inside working away on their computers, it was just right.