Yelp, you have found me another oasis in this city, a place that I'm eager to call my very own shrine to caffeination. I'd passed Le Couteau a few times without giving it a second thought, but after seeing the lovely Risa D.'s enthusiastic review, I knew I had to give it a try. And I'm eternally thankful.
First, it's a beautiful spot. I tucked in here at 4pm on a Monday, and the joint was hopping, in a serene, MacBook-Pro-filled way. Every seat was taken save one on a communal bench, and even then it was a squeeze. But it was a sun-filled, warm hardwood furniture, stainless steel and clean white wall kind of squeeze. The ambiance was just what I was looking for: not so cozy as to fall asleep and get no work done, not so clinical as to feel cold and uncomfortable, just the right mix.
I ordered the latte and was caught off-guard that the price was over $5, as others have mentioned, but it was a superb latte. And really, the difference between shelling out $3.50 and $5 is not that much when it comes to the end of the day. I came here after getting a famous $7 haircut at Tornade a few doors down, so I feel like I broke even for the day, or even came out ahead.
Le Couteau is in sort of a dead zone between Laurier and Mont-Royal metros, but is a worthwhile destination in and of itself. I may need to start setting aside money specifically for this, because I absolutely want to come here more often than just when I get a haircut.