The inviting facade makes you irresistibly want to enter this small business located on Boulevard Saint-Laurent, in the heart of Little Italy. There we discover an old-fashioned artisanal donut factory offering around ten varieties, each more tempting than the last, which can be accompanied by a Myriade coffee or some refreshments.
Beigne Habitude is above all the story of a couple passionate about baking. Rachel Berriman and Michael Lottner traveled the United States in order to taste the best American pastry creations and, of course, bring back some ideas for their future business. Rachel specializes in baking and has notably worked at Larrys. Michael is more skilled with pastry, having completed an internship with the late Patrice Pâtissier.
After an obsession with lemon tarts and tartlets of all kinds that he photographed and published on an Instagram account, Michael turned to bakery-inspired donuts. The first sweet creations were sold to order via Instagram, then in their green alley in Plateau Mont-Royal. Word of mouth having done its work, pop-up shops were organized in the restaurants and cafes Pumpui, Nouveau Palais and Le grand cormoran.
With such great enthusiasm, we had to take the leap and launch a store. Beigne Habitude opened its doors on May 25 and offers creations without the heaviness of traditional donut shops. The donuts are so light and airy that they almost melt in your mouth. We are told that the secret is in the use of butter and flour to create choux pastry or wet dough.
Our favorites after two visits: the lemon and strawberry, the babka (cake of Polish origin transformed into a donut) and the rhubarb and buttermilk. It seems that customers are instead setting their sights on the mango coconut chili. One thing is certain, you will have to go back so you can taste them all!
