The Bottom Line
Pros
- Writer and reader friendly.
- Pleasant ambient lighting.
- Has a nice, lived in feel to it, allowing the customer to kick back and relax.
- Organic and free trade coffee available.
- WiFi access.
Cons
- Food and alcohol are a bit pricey.
- Can get crowded, especially in the late afternoon and weekends.
- One may feel naked without a laptop.
Description
- Location: 5526 Sherbrooke West, corner of Old Orchard
- Get there: Vendôme Metro; 105 Bus
- Phone: (514) 482-3898
- Shaika Café Website
Guide Review - Montreal Cafe Shaika & Galerie V: A Montreal Cafe Review
Shaika Café is a breath of fresh air for coffee lovers and students seeking refuge from the inundation of coffee chains that have hit the city in the past decade. Whether you wish to just sit in a corner and read or hear odd music choices such as the Superfly soundtrack whilst playing backgammon with a friend, Shaika offers a pleasantly eclectic environment. Its exterior design, large windows and corner location bring in a lot of natural light, a welcome change to the office-like lighting of some chains.The menu offers a small selection of bagels, sandwiches, wraps, soups and salads. I thought one bagel was a bit pricey until it was served with enough cream cheese for three bagels. And it was real cream cheese at that. Another plus is one need not stand at the counter and wait for their mochaccino and tuna bagel; the server will bring it to the table for you. Alcohol is also available though it tends to be pricey.
Shaika also doubles as Galerie V. One whole wall plus the small stage towards the back of the café serve as gallery space where local artists display their work, usually one artist featured per month. Paintings can be purchased through the café.
Shaika tends to get crowded on weekends. There is also live music on Friday and Saturday nights, usually starting between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Jazz, quiet rock, blues and folk tend to be the standard.
During the summer months terrace seating is accentuated by pleasant surroundings: a tree-lined sidewalk, local shops and Girouard Park across the street. However, Sherbrooke Street is traffic heavy and can get noisy by late afternoon.
A nice place to chat with friends or relax with a book and coffee, Shaika is a little pretentious at times, and can sometimes get crowded, but no more so than at coffee chains, and it's a far more interesting place to spend a couple of hours.
