Vegan restaurant with juice bar, bakery, and grocery space est. since 1997 and has been renovated into more of a diner type atmosphere than its original commune-like setting. Offers a menu of soups, salad, sandwiches, bowls, burgers, smoothies, tea, daily special, and brunch on weekends. Attached to the restaurant is its takeaway selling prepared dishes to take home as well various cooking ingredients like tempeh, rice, and chilled foods. Open Mon-Fri 11:00am-10:00pm, Sat-Sun 10:00am-10:00pm.
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 28 Dec 2023 by geometric-noise
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174 Reviews
First Review by dennisthemenace
JimMSP
Points +27
A fav! - Edit
They do a great job offering a wide variety of vegan dishes at reasonable prices. Our service was great too. I can't fault them for anything, except perhaps for being located too far from Minneapolis! If you are in the area, do not miss this gem.
Read moreGuest
saveur
Points +1168
Montreal pick - Edit
This is my pick of a resto when eating out in Montreal. I love their veggie bowls which are filled with veggies and not rice. Sometimes I wonder if they forgot the rice, but it is just at the bottom, masked by the veggies. The rice itself is actually very nice, too. The Thai bowl is my favourite but the Macro and Buddha ones are also very good. Sadly they only make the Dragon bowl over the lunch hour but you can substitute any of the sauces for an extra $1.
Read moreI had their sampler spread platter where I marvelled at their vegelox which was fabulous. It does remind me of smoked salmon!
I also really liked their blt wrap with coconut bacon.
Their mumbai plate with the chickpea curry is ok, although nothing I can't make at home. Actually, I feel that way about most of their dishes, but it doesn't detract from how great they taste.
While the place can be really packed, I appreciate their fast service. It is a shame the place is so noisy, though.
Pros: lots of vegetables, great sauces, fast service
Cons: noisy, not that creative
Guest
fanciful bean
Points +58
Ahhhh...vegan heaven! - Edit
Okay, we ate there twice on our recent visit to Montreal. If I'd had my way, it would have been every day. I would have purchased the sauce on my rice bowl in giant vats...sooo good. I kind of regret I didn't have a smoothie. I also had a delicious Indian curry, and some energy balls.
Read morePros: varied menu, lots of seating, good service
Guest
gwild
Points +1493
insanely delicious - Edit
We went here for Sunday brunch and the place was packed. The restaurant is bright and inviting. I had the polenta which was to die for. ($12) The polenta came in two perfectly crisped triangles served with black beans salsa and salad. The guacamole was perfect. My son had the waffles which he loved. The cashew sauce was creamy and amazing. My husband and daughter each had a huge sandwich. They said they were very good but not as good as ours. We had the channa paratha as an appetizer. I wish I had the recipe.
Read morePros: delicious, friendly service
Guest
SPC
Points +49
Favorite place in Montreal !! - Edit
Thats my favorite place in Montreal, try out their non cheese cake :)
Read moreGuest
Alycks
Points +13
Wonderful Restaurant - Edit
I'm not one to typically frequent vegan/vegetarian exclusive restaurants, but I must say that of the few I have been to this one definitely stood out.
Read moreThe restaurant states that is mission is to change the perception of vegan/vegetarian food, that it can be tasty. They certainly accomplished that with me and have further reinforced my choice in being a vegetarian. Any line you may encounter are worth waiting in. I will make sure to stop by again the next time I am in Montreal.
Pros: Excellent Food, Inexpensive, Quaint Interior
Cons: Busy
Guest
happycowgirl
Points +5631
Good No-Frills Vegan Comfort Food - Edit
I wanted to write a rave review about Aux Vivres, but it wouldn't be honest. We went at 5pm on a Sunday, hoping to avoid the crowds. There were open tables and were seated immediately. Then we just sat there for 10 minutes with no one coming over. The people at the table next to us suffered the same fate. It wasn't until two other tables were seated in our section that it seemed like a waitress was assigned to our area. Maybe we caught them in the middle of a shift change, who knows. The service from then out was great but we were off to a shaky start.
Read moreThe good: the appetizer Chana Paratha. It's a spiced Indian flatbread topped with chana, sour cream,
tamarind & mint chutneys. Extraordinary! My partner had the tempeh burger and loved it.
Not so great: everything else. The BLT was blah. It was mostly lettuce. I couldn't wait to try the coconut bacon it's made with but was terribly disappointed. The bacon has the kind of taste that would make it great on an appetizer but I didn't want to eat a whole sandwich of it. The soy chai lacked spices. The mango lassi was good but plain.
All this said, if I lived in the area I can tell this is the kind of place I would come to again and again for the comfort food. But if you are in Montreal for only a few days, this would be the kind of place you'd go to for a quick lunch not a special meal.
Guest
ajl902
Points +40
Montreal's Vegan Restaurant - Edit
Favourites: Dragon Bowl, La vie en rose (smoothie), Chipotle brownies and waffles at brunch!
Read moreA bit pricey for the quality level of the food.
Pros: Good Choice, Healthy Options, Brunch
Cons: Priced high for quality, Inconsistent at times
Guest
MarkMtl
Points +38
Good Food, Great desserts! - Edit
I love Aux Vivres!!! Yeah, it can get busy but it's one of the few 100 percent vegan restaurants in Montreal! I found the best time to go if you don't want to feel crowded is around supper time Monday to Thursday.
Read moreThe meals that contained "bacon" were a tad salty, but all the other meals I tried there were great. I do enjoy the sandwiches the best as far as meals go, and for dessert the cheesecake is to die for
Pros: Cheesecake, Good Food, Good Service
Cons: Salty Bacon
Guest
raphalla
Points +619
Good! - Edit
We went there for dinner on a Wednesday night. There was already a small queue outside. Since it was only two of us, we were very lucky to be seated in less than 10 minutes. We had appetizer, corn bread with guacamala. Taste fairly good. For main course, we had lagsange and rice in the bowl. Both taste a bit too sour. With the appetizer before, the portion of the main course was a bit too big for us to finish and not even menioned to have desert. Just too full! So, if you intent to have desert, may be don't order an appetizer. Service was ok, consider how busy they were.
Read morePros: Vegan food
Cons: Too busy, not very baby friendly
Guest
fondducoeur
Points +1167
Very Enjoyable Meal - Edit
I ate lunch at Aux Vivres while visiting Montreal and really enjoyed my meal. I had the macro bowl, which was brown rice topped with steamed and fresh veggies/wakame, delicious seasoned grilled tempeh,and a miso tahini sauce. It was excellent! To drink I tried the cafe frappe which was tasty as well. The prices were a bit high ($14.50 for the bowl, $4.50 for the drink), but at least the quantities were large (I could barely finish my bowl). There were several other items on the menu that I'm sure I would like (the seitan slouvaki plate, thai bowl, delicious sounding desserts, etc) as well. I would definitely go back if I visit Montreal again.
Read morePros: Tasty Cuisine, Many healthy options, Vegan desserts
Cons: Pricey
Guest
Nyanko
Points +50
Nice place, but lack inspiration - Edit
I know everyone seem to love this place, but I have a hard time knowing why it is *so* popular.
Read moreTheir food is good and comforting, but since they benefit of a huge popularity, I think they should improve some of their meals :
like the chili which is okay but every vegan can do a chili alike if not better at home, and for cheaper
-their sandwichs are filled with a lot of green salad! For the price you pay for a sandwich, they could improve their recipe
-The salad bowls are good but they don't come with enough sauce, and honestly, that's why you order the bowl, for the sauce ;)
-Their desserts are too filling, too dense, this is definitely not fine patisserie/bakery! And their cookies are limp, lack taste, and smell like baking soda.
Overall, this place is a staple in Montreal, but could improve their menu, with more original food.This is going to sound cliché but I'd like to feel more "soul" in their food - I'd like to see *amazing* food not just comforting home meals! Or at least make meals less expensive.
Pros: Comforting food, Satisfying (maybe too much?)
Cons: Inspirationless (sandwichs and chili), Dense desserts, Too crowded
Guest
Dmichl
Points +21
Great Spot - Edit
This was our first time visiting Montreal, and we tried this spot for dinner. The menu was diverse, but it seemed everyone around us was going for their veggie bowls. My boyfriend and I both had sandwiches and the chillie fries. We stuffed ourselves and would definitely go again if we had more time. Go early, the place gets packed!
Read morePros: Menu
Cons: Popular
Guest
veggie_gourmande
Points +33
Simply the best vegan restaurant in Montreal - Edit
I live in the neighbourhood, I eat here about once a month with friends, and it is always consistently good vegan food. Most of my friends aren't vegetarian, and they love this place. The menu doesn't change that often, but that's why the food is so good- it's simple, fresh as it can be in Montreal in the winter, and they always have a daily special. Brunch on Sundays is also very good.
Read moreThe best thing on the menu: their veggie bowls. The Macro is my favourite, but the Dragon and Thai are also very good. All three consist of seasoned warm rice on the bottom with various fresh veggies and/or seaweed, tofu or tempeh on top and yummy sauces. Tres tres bon.
Pros: great, fresh food, good value, good portions
Cons: always busy!
Guest
button_boxer
Points +34
Good food, good atmosphere - Edit
I went to Aux Vivres twice during a recent trip to Montreal. The first time I had the "brunch complet" - tofu scramble, tempeh bacon, sweet potato, cornbread and salad, washed down with a cup of chai - and the second time I had the famous BLT chapati and the chocolate banana pie. Both visits were excellent, the staff are friendly and helpful (and all speak English and French), the atmosphere is relaxed and I didn't feel rushed. All in all a great find (thanks HappyCow!) and I definitely recommend it to vegans and non-vegans visiting Montreal, particularly if you're staying in the plateau area.
Read morePros: BLT, great staff
Cons: too far from England :-(
Guest
teal_ocean
Points +122
Super Delicious - Edit
We have visted a few times and at first thought it was kind of bland and boring. Went tonight again and had a GREAT meal, cornbread ( amazing), Thai Bowl(tasty Daikon) and Montreal Fume ( shaved Seitan sandwich), and Banana/Chocolate pie. Very much enjoyed the meal, outdoor patio and server was friendly and joked with us a little even. A must go if in town. Can't wait to try the brunch!
Read morePros: good value, diverse menu, huge portions
Cons: busy
Guest
iwilldeny
Points +148
mmm, breakfast - Edit
I try to plan my Montreal trips around weekends so that I can go to brunch on Saturday and/or Sunday at Aux Vivres. I get 'Le Complet'-scrambled tofu, tempeh bacon, homemade corn bread, some fruit, sweet potatoes, a salad and comes with tea or coffee. Last time I was there it was $9, so I'm sure it hasn't gone up in price drastically. It is a really great way to start the day, filling, nutritious, tasty, and a little bit of everything.
Read moreThe BLT is what most people I know go for. I've tried a little bit and it's not really my thing, but my non-veg boyfriend says it's the best sandwich he's ever had and every time myself or a friend is going to Montreal, BLTs are always mentioned.
I should really experiment more with the menu, other than breakfast I've only had a slice of pizza there which was good.
Pros: vegan breakfast!!, fast service, bright and open layout
Guest
MonicaWeinhold
Points +104
Delicious!! - Edit
We just stayed one night in Montreal and went to this restaurant to check it out... we had the Buddha and the Thai dishes and a chocolate & banana pudding and a chocolate and apple cake that were sooo good! If we ever come back to Montreal we'll definitely go back to Aux Vivres.
Read morePros: Interesting area, Delicious, Excellent service
Cons: Very warm during hot days, Far from home
Guest
Bean_A_Broad
Points +151
Will definitely go back! - Edit
My husband & I went to Aux Vivres 2 of the 4 days we visited Montreal. We would have gone a 3rd time had time permitted! The food was creative, flavorful, & delicious. We both had the breakfast the 1st day, mine with polenta & my husbands with a tempeh "bacon", both of which were really, really yummy. The 2nd time I had a Pad Thai rice dish that I really liked while my husband had a tasty sandwich of some sort--shaved seitan I think. We were impressed with the pretty presentation of our meals.
Read moreOur service was fast & friendly. No problems at all with speaking English either.
I was hesitant to even try this place due to the description "funky commune-type setting". I was picturing it to be small & more of a coffee shop or back of the health food store kind of setup, but the restaurant has great ambiance: bright & cheery & of good size. We sat indoors once which was very nice & out in the back patio area the other time, which was great.
Awesome place. We will go back for sure next time we visit Montreal!
Pros: Flavorful, healthful food , Good atmosphere, Many meal choices
Guest
jedzen
Points +108
Love it. - Edit
I went many times to Aux vivres, and i always enjoy it. I prefer going there for lunch : the service is quick and the place is not overcrowded. At dinner time, it can be full and difficult to find a place : good thing is you can order your food to take out and eat on the park!
Read moreTheir corn bread with vegan butter is my favorite item on the menu. I also love their juices and smoothies ( try the creamsicle ) I like having one of their bowls or one of their GIANT sandwich on chapati bread. You can also order all kinds of sides, like tempeh, tofu, small salads, bread and spreads.
The desserts are not the best i had but they are quite good. I just don't find them to be so original and unforgettable ; but they are not bad! Try the spicy brownie, if they have it ( sometimes they don't ) it might be the best one.
About the service... since i've been there many times, it is hard to tell. Some of the servers are really nice and friendly. Some of them are not. No one has been rude. It never took an hour to get the food. Nobody made huge mistakes in my orders. I never had a bad experience, it's just that sometimes i feel like they are not focused on being nice with the customers. Not a big deal.
Just understand that the experience will be totally different whether you go there on a weekday, for lunch, during winter or on a friday night during summer. Like everywhere else!
Guest
~Jen~
Points +58
fresh and tasty vegan food - Edit
I've been going to Aux Vivres for years and I have seen it blossom into something extraordinary!
Read moreIt used to be half the size, dark and the service was horribly slow, but it was worth it for the meal. Now it is open 7 days a week, accepts credit and debit cards and there are so many waiters and waitresses that the service is excellent!
As for the grub, they use primarily organic, local produce and even grow some ingredients in the back (which is gorgeous terasse during warmer months of the year).
Their deluxe salad is a favorite of mine, the BLT (of course), tofu burger, weekend brunch (open till 4 pm!) and their daily special and soup are never a disappointment.
Desserts are great too, cookies that no one will believe are vegan, chipotle brownie, faux-mage cake, parfaits and tons more!
Can't miss with this place, they even have speedy takeout!
Pros: fresh and vegan, fast, take-out
Cons: sometimes overly trendy crowd
Guest
veganbackpacker
Points +69
Always my first stop when visiting Montreal - Edit
I've eaten here many times and have always had a good experience. Montreal is sooo lucky to have an all vegan restaurant!
Read moreIt's always fun to sit in the back courtyard on a nice day. I highly recommend the sweet potato fries, coconut BLT and all of the smoothies.
The only thing I've ever ordered that I didn't love was the smoked seitan sandwich. It had wayyyy too much seitan on it and the seasoning wasn't that great.
Pros: great food, cute place, nice outdoor courtyard
Guest
Ken4057
Points +1200
Sweeeet - Edit
Their BLT with toasted coconut is out of this world, matched only for coconutty goodness by the fried coconut tempeh at Toronto's Fresh restaurant.
Read moreAlso had a thick and deeply satisfying pizza, not always available.
Decent freshly made smoothies, too.
Very busy. Packed even, and for good reason.
I'd live there if I were a resident of beautiful Mt. Royale.
Pros: huge menu, unique items
Cons: crowded, not so clean
Guest
TRaeCH
Points +384
Reason enough to love Montreal - Edit
I consider myself eternally lucky to have grown up in Montreal and the city should be equally thankful that it is home to such a wonderful vegan restaurant. Though I personally have more local restaurants to discover, especially considering the other HappyCow reviews, this is one of Montreal's finest.
Read moreI can't complain at all about the service and the menu has various delicious and inventive dishes on it. The smoothies are well worth trying - the creamsicle flavour is delicious but I haven't yet had any as good as the "green something-or-other" (sorry, forget the name... it's the one that appears most healthy also).
The BLT they make is out of this world - one of the finest vegetarian, let alone vegan, sandwiches that I've had the pleasure of tasting. As for their variety of (salad) bowls, each has their own particular charm. I would recommend either the Tofu (wonderfully cooked) or Macro (pasta style) bowl.
The portions are very large which, for me, justifies the prices; some will consider them a bit high.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Aux Vivres is less than a 10 minute trek from Mont-Royal metro station so while it may be sightly out of the "downtown core," it is easily accessible.
If you're in Montreal, definitely check out Aux Vivres.
Pros: Delicious food, Great, diverse menu, Juice bar/smoothies
Cons: Not all that it was pre-renovations
Guest
Ketty
Points +133
Fantastic restuarant - Edit
Everything I tried here was great -- the dragon salad with tofu, the brunch with maple tempeh & tofu scramble, and a couple of smoothies. Good vibe, great food & good value (a complete brunch in Nov 2009 was $9.25). Delicious! Went two days in a row, and would've gon back if I had been staying in Montreal another day!
Read moreGuest
thelink
Points +165
Fabulous - Edit
We spent a couple of weeks in Montreal in June and went to Aux Vivres twice, once for lunch and once for weekend brunch.
Read moreThe wheather was nice and so we enjoyed sitting in the lovely courtyard. The service was fast and very friendly.
For lunch we had burgers, dragon bowls and smoothies which were all great. For brunch we had the brunch specials that you can only get on weekends and they were also great. The coffee was nice and strong.
The absolutely best item on the menue was the Banana Chocolate tart though. It tasted like heaven!!!
I ordered it on our first visit and gave a little taste to my friends and of course they ordered it on our second visit because they were so impressed. I decided to try the "Uncheese cake" on our second visit but unfortunately it wasn't near as nice as the Banana Chocolate tart : (
So whatever you do, don't leave without trying the Banana Chocolate tart : )
Guest
BruceWayne
Points +57
Awesome - Edit
Visiting Montreal for the first time, I checked out Happy Cow for some vegan restaurants. This one seemed to have the most positive reviews, and most detailed. It is one of the only all-vegan restaurants in Montreal, and it absolutely did not let me nor my meat-eating friends down. The BLT was awesome. We also got the cornbread with guacamole and butter and it was an amazing starter. Our server was awesome, her name was Jolie? I think? and she was really helpful and friendly.
Read moreThere was nothing unsanitary about the servers or chefs that I noticed, despite the reviews I've read about poor practices. I also got the Cafe Frappe I think it's called...it's a coffee-chocolate smoothie and it's pretty good too.
I'm coming back for lunch before I leave. I recommend everyone to try this place out. It's on an awesome road (Rue De la Saint-Laurent) full of cool shops with crazy cheap used clothing and junk for anyone with a hankering for "trash-treasures". Check this place out.
Aux Vivres!!! For Life!!
bruce
Pros: service, food, location
Cons: not in philly, not in america, not in my house
Guest
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