Le Salon Cardinal opened at the beginning of December last year. Since then it has steadily grown a following from purely hipster word of mouth. Kelsey the manager at Le Salon Cardinal told us “We’ve been slammed almost every weekend since we opened, it’s been incredible!” This hot new addition to the St.Laurent strip could not have come at a better time. The Mile End is overloaded with coffee shops and frankly I’m getting bored.
This delicate tea house is a refreshing addition to a coffee soaked neighborhood. The two level tea salon is located directly on top of the local favorite “The Sparrow.” Le Salon Cardinal was opened by the same owners of The Sparrow in a space that used to be a “bumpin” night club. They have completely revamped the place and it now resembles a victorian dreamscape. Hanging chandeliers, antique bookcases and elegant china prove that creating a palpable atmosphere is all in the details.
The interior alone was so impressive that we almost forgot our main reason for visiting… the tea! I don’t pretend to be a professional tea expert but I like to think I can appreciate the difference between a traditional china green and Lipton’s. We tried two of their teas and would recommend both. The first was the Panda Green and the other was an Oolong called tich-nah-something? Both tea’s arrived at the table steeped to perfection, not too weak yet not too strong. The Panda Green was impressive because it held all the lovely aromas of green tea but without the bitter after-bite. The Oolong’s name wasn’t memorable however the tea itself was excellent! It was a perfect balance of bold black tea with fragrant floral undertones. Be sure to get a pot of both for your table!
Le Salon Cardinal also offers a variety of tea time treats. We tried the blueberry scone with jam and clotted cream, as well as the Egg and Watercress sandwich. Both the scone and the sandwich were high quality and very satisfying. The best way to describe the food is “traditional.” They didn’t go out on a limb and try to revolutionize tea time. Good call, some things are better left untouched!
If you’ve got a lazy afternoon to kill, why not spend it in style at Le Salon Cardinal? It’s a fantastic place to nest away from the cold, drink impeccable tea, and sink into victorian chic.We promise at the very least your Instagram photos will make the trip worthwhile… #LeSalonCardinal #teaisbackbitches #mtl #aheadofthetrend #inheaven
5326 Boulevard Saint-laurent
(514) 903-2877
Mon-Wed CLOSED
Thurs-Fri 11am-7pm
Sat-Sun 11am-8pm
Accepts Cash/Debit/Credit
Check out more from Madeleine Lahaie @ www.MadeleineLahaie.com
