The Best Spots For Delicious Bagels in Montreal, Canada
Montreal bagels are famous across North America – and for good reason. Sweeter and smaller than their New York counterpart, Montreal bagels are soaked in honey and baked to perfection in wood-fired ovens before being enjoyed on their own or smeared with cream cheese. These are the absolute best bagel bakeries in Montreal, from the Southwest to St-Viateur Street.
You can find Montreal bagels at just about any breakfast restaurant in the city, but to get them fresh out of the oven, you have to go straight to the source. A lot of bakeries in the city have upheld the traditional Montreal bagel recipe, while some also experiment with different sizes, ingredients and toppings for a more modern take on the classic bread. Whether it’s classic sesame or something more adventurous, you really can’t go wrong with a steaming hot bagel.
Cooked using a wood-fire and dipped in honey, Montreal bagels are a must-try | Charles Knox - Creative / Alamy Stock Photo
© Alec Lacroix / Courtesy Fairmount Bagel Bakery
Quite possibly the oldest bagel bakery in the city, Fairmount Bagel opened its doors in 1949, and has been providing the city with fresh, warm bagels every morning since. Fairmount does the classic sesame well, but the bakery also touts an impressive variety of options, from the chocolate chip to the blueberry – making the bagel establishment a great option for those with a sweet tooth. The bagels are available to go, always served straight from the oven with the option of a spread of classic cream cheese. Fairmount Bagel is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Saturday queue outside St-Viateur | © QUOI Media Group/Flickr
Competing with Fairmount for best bakery in Plateau Mont-Royal is the St-Viateur Bagel Shop. Also open 24/7, St-Viateur is a landmark destination serving delicious Montreal-style bagels. As with Fairmouth, this is not a place to have a sit-down brunch, but who needs seats when the food is so tasty?
Although the name may suggest otherwise, Bagels on Greene is not a bagel-specific establishment. In fact, it serves up a lot of breakfast and lunch options, from sandwiches and lunch boxes to bagel platters for parties and healthy vegan dishes. This is a great option for anyone looking for a filling breakfast. Order a classic sesame or poppy-seed bagel topped with anything from roast beef and curry chicken to brie with grilled vegetables or vegan schnitzel.
While there may be a lot of great breakfast options in Saint-Henri, Bagel St Henri is the only one doing fresh Montreal bagels. The tiny breakfast joint in the West End of the neighborhood is both cozy and inviting, serving up a German rendition of the classic Montreal variety, which is smaller in size, but thicker and fluffier than a traditional bagel. Both bakery and breakfast joint, customers are invited to select their bagels, grab a seat and enjoy a hot breakfast with their morning coffee.
Ville-Émard Bagels is a tiny bagel shop tucked away in the Ville-Émard neighborhood. While customers can grab one of the two seats in the bakery, most opt to get their bagels to go. However, despite its size, Ville-Émard Bagels churns out some of the most delicious and creative bagels in the city. From classic sesame and cinnamon raisin to adventurous options like jalapeño or carrot, this neighborhood bagel shop is well worth a visit to the Southwest.
Nosherz backstory came from the dedication of a single man. What started with a bagel salesman named Solly, who sold bagels door-to-door, became one of Côte Saint-Luc’s most well-loved institutions. Here, customers will find a variety of fresh baked goods, but the most popular by far remains their cheese bagel, a cheesy take on Montreal’s classic. Keep in mind that Nosherz is more of a grab-and-go deli than a sit down restaurant, but the variety of spreads and toppings makes it conducive to packing for a picnic at neighboring Yitzhak Rabin Park.
Another Côte Saint-Luc institution, owner Glen Spence has been serving up hot Montreal bagels for more than two decades. Bagels are available individually or by the dozen, and can be enjoyed to go or in the cozy dining space with cream cheese, lox or smoked meat. What’s more, MTL Bagel’s variety of flavors rivals that of a New York deli. From classic sesame and cinnamon to cranberry and coconut, there’s something for every palate, and mixing and matching is half the fun.