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| - Pikolo has changed in small and not-so-small ways since the beginning of 2015, but the coffee still earns five stars. Where it once stood out as my very favourite in Montreal,
I would now rank it in a group of top picks with Myriade, Couteau, Flocon, Dispatch, Pourquoi Pas, and Différance: a jewel in a rich coffee scene.
Pikolo has become a leaner operation this year. There is no more wifi, no self-service water dispenser, and no oven. (Fear not, the same assortment of scones etc. is still here.) The loyalty program is no more, although old cards are still stamped and honoured. Some table space has made way for new shelves of beans for sale. The hours are a bit shorter -- later mornings, earlier evenings.
The most striking difference may be due to the wifi cut: for the first time I can remember, Pikolo is kind of peaceful and no longer like an annex of the McGill library, with screens and tapping keyboards aplenty. Turnover is faster, and there are usually tons of empty seats (a bit jarring for what was a constantly packed café). I like stability when it comes to my favourite things in life, but so far I am cautiously endorsing Pikolo's new approach.
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