Move Over New York, Montréal Bagels Put Canada on the Bagel Map
Characterized by a hint of honey sweet flavour and a wood-fired finish, Montréal bagels are a must-try treat from Canada’s largest province. If you mention their name to our neighbours to the South, don’t be offended if you’re met with a fierce defence in the name of the New York Bagel. Cheeky rivalry aside, Montréal residents know their bagels are superior. What is the difference, you might ask?
While a New York bagel is thick & fluffy, with a soft white centre and often tiny donut hole, Montréal Bagels tend to have a thinner and denser dough, hand-rolled into a loop leaving the centre hole quite a bit larger than that of its New York cousin. The key difference though is reflected in the final flavour which is dictated by the bagel’s cooking method. The dough of a Montréal Bagel is boiled in honey water, imparting that characteristic touch of sweetness, and it is finished in a wood-fired oven, giving the bagel its golden-colour and chewy interior.
Though there are varying origin stories on who baked the first original Montréal Bagel, we do know that they arrived in the early 1900’s with a wave of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. Dictated by tradition, little has changed in the methods used to make Montréal Bagels since, so we can still enjoy the same slightly sweet bagel with a crispy exterior and dense, chewy interior that Jewish immigrants who introduced us to the coveted treat brought with them back then.
Here is a round-up of five must-try Montréal Bagel bakeries in, you guessed it, Montréal, for your eating pleasure. Try not to drool on your phone.
Arguably the most well-known Montréal Bagel purveyors, you can find St-Viateur Bagels at one of their bakeries in Quebec, in grocery stores across the country, and you can even order them to your door. St-Viateur has been mastering the art of Montréal Bagel making since 1957, so there is over 60 years of tradition and expertise in every chewy bite. They are available in a range of classic flavours including Sesame, Blueberry, and Pumpernickel.
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Fairmount Bagel was the very first bagel bakery to open in Montréal. This iconic establishment dates back to 1919, at the back of a laneway just off of Saint-Lawrence Boulevard. At that time, the bakery was known as “The Main”. It wasn’t until 1949, when the bakery moved to Fairmount street in the back of a charming little cottage that Fairmount Bagel got its current name. Every Fairmount Bagel is still imbued with the legacy and tradition that befits its history.
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Visit Bagel St-Lo for a more modern take on a classic staple, and enjoy your Montréal Bagel with all the fixings in a cozy café space. With bagels baked on site in the heart of Verdun, this small neighbourhood restaurant features bagels as the star of menu items like one of their many delicious versions of Eggs Benedict, a club sandwich, or a smoked meat deli sandwich.
Address: 5411, rue de Verdun, Verdun
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This bagel factory in the heart of Griffintown sticks to the tried and true Montréal Bagel methods, with fun little twists that make their shop “Trou”-ly unique. Visit their café for a classic assortment of bagel flavours like sesame, everything, or cinnamon raison, or one of their bagel sandwiches like egg & cheese or smoked salmon. But while you’re there you’ll also find fun flavours unique to them like the Griffintown bagel which is beer & parmesan flavoured, a fun take on the sweet bagel – choco-cranberry. A nod to another iconic Canadian café, Tim Hortons, Le Trou serves bagel holes.
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Enjoy hand-made, wood-fired bagels by owner Glen Spence at MTL Bagels café in Côte Saint-Luc and you can find classic sandwiched like breakfast, smoked salmon, and smoked meat. However, MTL Bagels can also be savoured from the comfort of home by ordering your very own stockpile online for local delivery, long-distance delivery, or pick-up.
