Byblos Le Petit Café – Middle Eastern Brunch in the Plateau

I was always curious about this brunch place which seemed to pop up in conversations everywhere.  Byblos is a Middle Eastern brunch spot.  What exactly do they eat for brunch in the Middle East?  I just assumed everyone ate toast and jam, until a rude awakening in Asia where I found myself slurping noodles and chewing on chicken.  Going in opened eyed, I brought along my little marshmallow and met up with a friend.

The café was much larger and brighter than I am used to.  We arrived about 10:45 which was a good thing, as by 11:00 the line was out the door.  I made sure before carting along the stroller and babe that the café was baby-friendly and it was.  They happily accommodated my stroller (strollers enter by the back – check for the sign) and I even saw a box of toys.

The menu in the end was short, sweet, and not too outlandish.  There were only four choices, or you could go a la carte.

I went for the feta omelette ($9.75), and my friend went for the feta, halva, sweat bread, fine herbs and nuts option $8.80 (see pic below).

They had quite a large bread selection as well, which kept my baby content and happy.

Overall, I liked it.  It was different and good.  Portions were not huge, and if you were going in expecting a full english.. expect to be disappointed.  There are plenty of other options in Montreal for your bacon and eggs.

One of the things I like about trying new restaurants is discovering new foods.  The halva was great, and a quick stop at my local Iranian supermarket showed an entire shelf of halva options.  It seems to be a staple in some areas of the world, and is served throughout the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe  and some parts of Africa according to Wikipedia.  I find it amazing that there are still such staple foods out there to be discovered.  The other discovery was this part of Laurier near Papineau which seemed very cute,  and I hope to explore one day.

Overall, if you are sick of the usual brunch and are looking for something different, I recommend it.  But be prepared for a small menu, slowish service, and smallish portions.

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Byblos

1499 Laurier Est

514-523-9396

Decor: Bright and airy

Service: Fairly efficient

Price: Really not that expensive, but portions aren’t exactly massive and really there isn’t that much preparation involved in the dishes themselves.

Food: Good and different

Good For: A different type of brunch.

Baby Friendly: Yes, but I am not sure about change facilities.