Ahh Ellefsen, what to make of you? I am surprised to be the first to talk about this local Villeray/Rosemont joint! It used to be a rather sleazy dive, was promptly bought and has become the only competitor to everyone's favorite furniture store for Scandinavian food. Slight modification: Ellefsen is Norwegian(-style) rather than swedish.\n\nThe decor is lovely:pastel tones and wooden surfaces, the menu is written on blackboards (isn't that the new hip thing of the moment or what?). It's a a bit european-clich\u00e9 but i'm totally buying it anyway. Their specialty is the smorrebrod (with dashed o's), a typically Scandinavian open-sandwich on rye bread, or rather a slice of bread, if you're a \""glass-half-empty\"" kind of person. Their slection is astounding: squash, salmon, caviar, quails (?!!!). Ellefsen brings together chic cuisine in a caf\u00e9 setting! I've had some excellent Elk bavette. Last time I went, they even offered horse bavette! Chanterelles also seem a staple of the menu. If you'd like to stay a bit closer to Quebec, try one of their poutines (one with meatballs, the other with cod). Their main dishes are all delicious, although the chef seems to like salt, alot, everywhere, on everything.\n\nTheir breakfast earned the european-parents-seal-of-approval: strong black coffee! The muffins and croissants are obviously fresh of the morning, and to die for (take note of the unusual flavours: orange-grapefruit muffins! YUM!). My own favorite is the Ellefsen fruit plate (it's huge! with sour yoghurt and muesli) with a glass of freshly-squeezed juice. Sadly, no desserts! :(\n\nWhile I love the food, I'm still unsure of my opinion of Ellefsen. While i was snapping pictures for this review, an older lady randomly asked me: \""Is it strictly for students?\"". And you'd think it's hipster central! Berets, leggings and white laptops galore! The free WIFI is extremely attractive I admit. I've also seen families, but only rarely encounter middle-aged people. Hmmmm. Alright, I'll say it: I'm bugged by the service: sometimes I'll come and the waitress will be at my table ready for my order, other times none of them will budge and after an epic wait, I'll go to the counter and then when I automatically go to the counter they seem surprised.. What to do for a smorrebrod!! Another thing I've picked up on is a discreet but steady rise in prices..\nRegardless, I love the food, I love the setting and I am back, relentlessly..