Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Sometimes a coffee is just a coffee, but sometimes it’s an experience. An experience for the senses that takes you on a journey of beauty and delight. That’s exactly what I found at Autour de la table, a coffee shop and “art of living” boutique in the heart of old Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC and arguably the best coffee shop in the area.
Nestled in a row of antique buildings on rue Champlain, bordering the Richelieu River and the Chambly Canal, this building’s elegant style provides a hint of the experience that awaits inside.
Autour de la table (French for around the table) is not just one of the best coffee shops. It is also a fabulous boutique where hand crafted household items including tableware, fragrances, toiletries, body care and more.
But the highlight of the boutique is the coffee bar located at the front of the shop serving hand crafted espresso and coffee. Although the coffee menu contains all the usual suspects, one item stood out for me: the Cortado.
A cortado is a Spanish alternative to Cappuccino. It contains a larger proportion of coffee compared to Cappuccino with less milk and foam. A cortado is 50:50 steamed warm milk and espresso providing a coffee with a lot of character, but with less bitterness than pure expresso.
Cappuccino on the other hand is one third espresso and two thirds milk. In my opion, their Cortado is one of the reasons why I rated Autour de la table among the best coffee shops in Saint-Jean-sur- Richelieu, and perhaps the entire Montérégie region.
Autour de la table also offers an assortment of baked goods to accompany your coffee. They all look incredibly delicious. Unfortunately, none are gluten free. I simply sat in front of the generous windows and admired the view of the River as I sipped on what could very well be the best coffee I’ve ever tasted.
So, if you’re traveling to the South Shore of Montreal, head to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and indulge your senses at Autour de la Table.
