One of the best cafes in Montreal, very friendly and bilingual staff. The staff are very approachable and the owner is a real stickler for quality (that's a very good thing). Every time a sub-par shot is pulled and he notices it, he dumps it. He constantly checks indoor temperature and humidity and how it's affecting the coffee. There is no other place I've been to in Montreal with this kind of consistent and meticulous attention to detail. I am very serious about my espresso, and Le Couteau is the only place I trust to get it right every time.
The interior is also great, spacious, clean and simple. Great terrace out front and easy to find parking outside. I go 8km out of my way every time I get a strong espresso itch (otherwise I settle for Myriade for convenience).
One knock against Le Couteau is I have had 2 and only 2 sub par shots there, both times made by baristas I'd never seen there before so I'll attribute those to inexperience and let it go.
I'd give it 4.5 stars for the last tiny issue but the Yelp iPhone app doesn't allow half stars so I rounded it up!
P.S. this place is not over priced, for the sheer quality and attention to detail, it is worth the cost of round trip gas and parking just for one espresso. Their prices never felt expensive to begin with, if they cost more than anywhere else I've never noticed.