The Short Version: It's a Canadian chain coffee shop in the train station. Consistent with other locations. The Long Version: This location is inside the Gare Centrale (Central Station) were the VIA, Amtrak and commuter trains are. We were at the train station dropping off our luggage for the day since we had to check out of our hotel but our train home wasn't until later that afternoon. The hubby is a coffee fiend, so needed his coffee fix, even though he literally just had a coffee when we left the hotel, lol. Anyway, he got this second cup of the day at Second Cup. How fitting, haha. He said it was fine. Better than the Cafe Brossard coffee at the hotel, but nothing remarkable. I had a sip and agreed. Service was courteous and efficient. The ambiance is quite nice. It's spacious and fits the overall train station vibe. Review #214 (2025) read more

See all

While not as obvious as McDonald's or some depanneurs, this Second Cup coffeehouse is not that far from the main hall at Gare Centrale. It shares some of the walkways and passages in Place Bonaventure with other food and drink establishments. For starters, I like Second Cup more than I do Starbucks. It doesn't have as much hype and branding. It seems lower key. However, on this particular visit, the service ran a little more aloof and they weren't crowded. Also, I prefer their selection of desserts. I went in to get something to eat and to do so in the dining area. I settled on a big cup of hot tea and a hefty slice of chocolate cake. While far from nutritionally balanced or healthy, that might have been dinner. However, in Montreal, using transit is always accompanied by walking - how much is up to you - and that can help counter those calories. Second Cup is a Canadian coffeehouse chain. Per the maxim "when in Rome," I try to patronize Canadian establishments when in Canada, be they stand-alone or chain entities. I will only go to Starbucks outside the U.S. if all the stars line up in its favor, so to speak. I've always had good to excellent experiences at Second Cup and, with the dynamic hustle and bustle of Gare Centrale and the Financial District, this is a nice store in which to sit, eat and drink, people watch (which never disappoints in Montreal), and do some laptop or "to do list" time. read more

See all

I love Starbucks for their iced coffee, amazing service, employee benefits, and ethically-sourced coffee and teas. I love Second Cup for their hot chocolate. Plain and simple. Made of steamed milk, this classic hot chocolate is lush and velvety and has a robust chocolate taste. I loved it so much that my friends and family often gifted me with canisters of the mix for Christmas. While many other drinks are available, I only order the hot chocolate. My sister ordered, in Second Cup-ese (I am not fluent), something that included mocha and mint, which she also enjoyed. This location is convenient for the VIA Rail traveler, with an entrance facing the gates and comfortable groupings for extended chats and communal tables for those pounding away on their laptops. read more

I've been going to Second Cup for a while now because they make my favourite drink. They call it a Frozen Hot Chocolate (an oxymoron, I know) but recently they've been rebranding it as a FroCho (dumbest name, I know). And so now whenever I order it, I never know which to tell the barista because they never know both names. I find myself having to either repeat the name twice, or switch it out. It's so frustrating because Frozen Hot Chocolate was already weird to order but now it's FroCho which makes it sound like a high maintenance drink when it's not. I feel like those people who have complicated drink orders whenever I say ''I want a Frocho medium please''. Moral of my story is: Don't change the name of your items if they've already been established as something else. It's not really a problem but I figured I would write about it anyway. On a different note: This location is very nice though and very convenient. read more

See all

Weirdest thing... I always order, at all coffee shops, a medium coffee in a large cup, so I can have room to put milk. I come to this second cup, I order the same thing and they tell me they have to charge me a large??? It's not the money, but why can't you give me a medium in a large cup? And of course, I asked this and the response was, because people fill the cup with milk...?? So confused. If I drank my coffee black, would you give me a medium in a large but because I add milk, you can't?? It's early in the morning, I still haven't had coffee and this situation really annoyed me so I had to share. read more

This is my first stop on the way to the office in the morning for a few reasons: 1- I get off the train, walk upstairs and it's right there. 2- Free wifi 3- Big, fat, comfy leather chairs (these are limited!) 4- It's pretty big so there's always room. The staff is OK, though the manager (I think) Eric, is super friendly and always takes the time to chit chat with you - and if you're a regular, you don't need to tell him what you want because dude already knows. They have a pretty good system set up to process orders but it is a very busy location, so you may occasionally have to wait if you've ordered a specialty coffee or food. The coffee is good. Nothing outstanding but good enough to start your day. They are one of the few places that offer both soy milk and lactose-free milk, which is a definite perk for me because I prefer real milk to soy in my lattes. Now, the down sides: 1- Because it's near the train exits, it can get pretty damn cold in there. 2- Sometimes the music is annoying. Thank God for iPods. 3- Non-patrons seem to think it's OK to come in, sit down and read the paper without actually buying anything. Hey - that's my spot and my paper you're stealing! 4- There's a group of regulars who think shouting is the new talking. They're really annoying so find a table on the other side of the shop! 5- Recently, I've been graced with the presence of 2 people that I refer to as 'the porno couple.' I'm sure one of them is married or something - it's the only explanation for their very public make-out sessions. Seriously man - get a room! read more

Will try to avoid from now on, after a few recent visits. Since new owner Waeil ElBeah took over in the spring of 2016, they apparently got rid of all their employees and the new staff is impolite: they're rude, seem unhappy to work and barely pay attention to the client. There is no more Wi-Fi. The set up of the coffee shop also changed and what was a nice place to sit and relax while waiting for a train is now a place where you don't feel welcome at all. Everything is now set up so customers don't want to stick around. Not exactly what Second Cup should be. I also believe they now close earlier. It's fine I guess if you commute and need to grab a coffee in the morning while on your way to work. As far as the experience goes, it's no different now from the Tim Hortons just next to them. read more

Second Cup - Spring 2016. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

I thought this place was better than Starbucks. I had cafe latte and cappuccino. Both of them were good. Their service was good too. read more

Not exactly the most friendly to a non-French speaking tourist but I was determined not to fall back to the ease of Starbucks. The Caramel Corretto was delicious and worth the shame of the barista wincing at my terrible pronunciation. I waited far longer than other guests (I think the order was forgotten but I had no idea what the baristas were saying) and no cup sleeves to be found. So it goes. The drink was worth it and I returned the next day. read more

Easy stop at the train station. I grabbed a iced coffee, and it was fantastic. Service was nice, and the place was clean.

Picked up a quick cappuccino as I attended a work meeting in the building. It took longer than expected (particularly since it wasn't overly busy) but they did manage to provide me with what I wanted. The cappuccino was underwhelming with the coffee being very strong for no discernible reason. I dislike having to put more sugar to compensate for this as it adds on the calories. read more

Not the nicest of the second cup chain but service always on spot like you would expect from a second cup