St-Viateur Bagels Review: All You Need To Know About Montreal’s Best Bagels
A review of St-Viateur Bagels: Are these really Montreal’s best bagels?
Montreal is known as the food capital of Canada, and for good reason. It’s particularly famous for a few key delicacies, such as smoked meat sandwiches, poutine, and of course bagels.
Out of all the bakeries in Montreal, St-Viateur Bagels is consistently ranked as having the best bagels in the city. So each time I visit Montreal, getting a St-Viateur bagel is a must for me.
Luckily, I’ve had the opportunity to visit a couple of St-Viateur locations and try these famous bagels several times. So, here are my thoughts on why they are Montreal’s best bagels!
What Is A Montreal Style Bagel?
Montreal bagels are wood-fire baked bagels which are first boiled in honey water before baking. They differ to New York style bagels in that they are slightly smaller, thinner and denser. They also have a larger hole and a subtle sweet taste.
The most common toppings on Montreal style bagels are sesame seeds or poppy seeds. But you can also get them all-dressed or plain, and in different flavours such as cinnamon and raisin, blueberry, whole wheat or pumpernickel.
In Montreal’s best bagel shops, the bagels are prepared and baked in an open-concept kitchen, in full-view of the customers. Getting to see how the bagels are made is part of the experience when trying a Montreal style bagel!
Montreal’s Best Bagels
As bagels are a staple in Montreal, there are plenty of excellent options to choose from, and every local has their favourite. There are a couple of particularly iconic bagel shops which everyone needs to try at least once.
But to enjoy this classic Montreal food, you don’t always have to queue for the most popular bakery. Instead, if you’re in the city for a few days, it’s worth trying a few different ones. So, in order from 1 to 5, here are the most popular places to get Montreal’s best bagels:
1. St-Viateur Bagels
It’s no secret that St-Viateur bagels win the title of Montreal’s best bagels, with a huge fan base. They are a must-try for anyone visiting the city. And with good reason – the bagels are absolutely delicious!
2. Fairmount Bagel
St-Viateur’s biggest competitor, and close second, is Fairmount Bagel. Although not quite as popular as its rival, Fairmount is considered by many locals to make Montreal’s best bagels.
Plus, it’s actually the oldest bagel shop in Montreal, first opening in 1919 as the Montreal Bagel Bakery. The bakery moved to its location on Fairmount Avenue in 1949, where it gets its current name and still operates as a family-run business.
Fairmount’s bagels are so similar to St-Viateur in quality that it’s honestly hard to tell the difference. Although their loyal fans would argue that Fairmount bagels are better, some bagel connoisseurs believe that the slightly sweeter and less smoky flavour places them second to their rival.
If you have time, I suggest you try both for yourself and decide which is better!
3. Bagel St-Lo
A popular Bagel spot in the Verdun neighbourhood, Bagel St-Lo has been operating since 2014. What makes this bakery so special is their wide selection of cream cheese flavours and their specialty, the ‘benedictine’. On the menu you will find this bagel version of a classic eggs benedict in different varieties, including smoked salmon, bacon, pesto and ham.
4. Bagels on Greene
This family-run bakery in Montreal’s Westmount neighbourhood is more than just a bagel store. This locals favourite has one of the most expansive bakery menus in Montreal, offering bagels and bread, sandwiches, soups, salads, pastries, cakes and desserts, as well as deli items. You won’t leave Bagels on Greene feeling hungry!
5. Dizz’s Bagels & Deli
Selling a wide range of baked goods, deli items and even Chinese food, Dizz’s Bagels & Deli has something for everyone. But the real reason to visit them is to try their rainbow bagel. As the home of Canada’s original rainbow bagel, Dizz’s is the best place in Montreal to enjoy this colourful treat.
About St-Viateur Bagels
As one of Canada’s oldest bagel shops, St-Viateur has been building a reputation for making Montreal’s best bagels since the 1950s. And so successfully that it’s the name synonymous with Montreal style bagels!
This family run business, originally opened its doors in 1957. Given their popularity, over the years the bakery has expanded to several different locations around Montreal and even has a food truck which can cater events.
The flagship bakery is located in Mile End, in the borough of Le Plateau-Mont-Royal. Here you can buy bagels individually, or by the dozen or half-dozen, as well as a range of different flavour cream cheeses. It’s worth noting that this location is cash only.
If you’re looking to dine in, or try one of their delicious bagel sandwiches, you will want to visit one of the St-Viateur Bagel & Café locations. Currently they have cafés in Mont-Royal, Dollard-Des Ormeaux, Laval and Anjou.
And if you can’t make it to a St-Viateur store, or you want to skip the often lengthy queues, you can also try these delicious bagels at a couple of other iconic Montreal eateries. Both Beauty’s Luncheonette and Hinnawi Bros Bagel & Café sell St-Viateur bagels.
St-Viateur Locations
St-Viateur Bagel Shop (Flagship Bakery)
Location: 263, rue St-Viateur O, Mile End, Montréal
Opening Hours: 6 am to midnight, daily
Dining Options: Takeaway
Contact: 514-276-8044
St-Viateur Bagel & Café Mont-Royal
Location: 1127, av. Mont-Royal E, Montréal
Opening Hours: 7 am to 8 pm daily (Café from 8 am to 6 pm)
Dining Options: Dine-in and takeaway
Contact: 514-528-6361
St-Viateur Bagel & Café DDO
Location: 821, rue Tecumseh, Dollard-Des Ormeaux
Opening Hours: 6 am to 9 pm weekdays; 6 am to 7 pm Saturday & Sunday
(Café from 7 am to 2 pm daily)
Dining Options: Dine-in and takeaway
Contact: 514-542-3344
St-Viateur Bagel & Café Laval
Location: 1585, boul. Dagenais O, Laval
Opening Hours: 7 am to 7 pm weekdays; 7 am to 6 pm Saturday & Sunday
Dining Options: Dine-in and takeaway
Contact: 450-625-5552
St-Viateur Bagel & Café Anjou
Location: 10350, rue Renaude-Lapointe, Anjou
Opening Hours: 6:30 am to 7 pm weekdays; 6:30 am to 6 pm Saturday & Sunday
(Café from 7 am to 3 pm daily)
Dining Options: Dine-in and takeaway
Contact: 514-360-7251
St-Viateur Bagel in Marché Esposito
Location: 340, boul. Marcel Laurin, Montréal (inside the Esposito Market)
Opening Hours: 8 am to 5 pm, daily
Dining Options: Takeaway
Contact: 514-747-1649
St-Viateur Menu
The bagel menu is very similar across all of their stores. You can get the classic sesame, poppy seed or plain bagels for $1.20 each, $6.90 for half a dozen or $13.75 for a dozen. They also have a variety of specialty flavours, such as all dressed, cinnamon and raisin, whole wheat, blueberry, and pumpernickel.
However, not all flavours are available at each St. Viator store. So you should check the menu for the store you’re planning to visit, to make sure your preferred variety is available.
At the four Bagel Café locations, there is also a sandwich (and sometimes salad) menu for take away or dine in. The menu is pretty consistent across all locations, but prices vary slightly and some cafés have a slightly more extensive menu.
My Review Of St-Viateur Bagels
The Flagship Bakery at Mile End
On previous trips to Montreal I have always bought St-Viateur bagels and a tub of cream cheese from their flagship location in Mile End. There is often a long queue at this store, but it tends to move quickly and the staff are very efficient.
The flagship store really is just a bakery where you can see the bagel production line and buy a bag of bagels. But there’s something special about getting your bagels there, since it’s the original location on St-Viateur street, after which the store is named.
St-Viateur Bagel & Café Mont-Royal
However, on my most recent visit to Montreal, I stopped for lunch at the St-Viateur Mont-Royal location. As this location is a Bagel Café, we were able to get a bagel sandwich and drink, and dine in.
As it was a sunny day, we chose to sit on their patio which is out the front of the store. Although they also have seating inside. And there is of course the option to do take away.
Upon arrival we first had to queue outside and once we got towards the front of the queue a staff member asked if we were looking to buy bagels or sandwiches, and whether we wanted to sit inside or outside, or take away. We were then directed inside to join the correct line.
Ordering is very straight forward. You just choose your bagel variety and then the type of sandwich you want, and any add-ons or drinks. I got a traditional sandwich on a sesame bagel and had an iced tea to drink.
The traditional is their most popular sandwich. It comes filled with cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers and onion, and a wedge of lemon on top.
The staff speak both English and French, so we had no issues communicating with them and they were all very friendly and helpful. They even got us some extra lemon and ice for the ice teas.
Once we had placed our orders we took our drinks and went to sit outside to wait for our food. They then brought our sandwiches out to us when they were ready. The sandwiches came served in small baskets with a couple of slices of melon on the side, which was a nice sweet surprise.
Are they really Montreal’s BEST bagels?
Admittedly, I haven’t tried every bagel in Montreal. But, based on what I have tried, I agree with St-Viateur’s loyal fan base that these are Montreal’s best bagels. At the very least, these are some of the best bagels I have ever tried!
I have typically always preferred a New York Style bagel, since I usually prefer lighter and softer breads. However, something about the St-Viateur bagels makes them very moorish, and I actually really like the texture.
They have the right amount of crunch on the outside (the sesame seeds really add to this) and although they are dense, they aren’t tough. Instead, each bite is really satisfying and I love the subtle sweet flavour to them. For me, the subtlety of this is what places them slightly higher on my list than Fairmount Bagels, as I don’t like my breads too sweet.
Plus, they look and taste authentically handmade (as they are), which is unfortunately not the case for many other bagel shops.
The traditional sandwich was also right up my alley. It was my perfect ratio of cream cheese to salmon. And I love that it comes with both capers and red onion.
The sandwich was a little messy to eat. Although it did come sliced in half, but this didn’t really help me (I actually think it may have been less messy if it wasn’t cut). But the mess is just part of the experience, and the taste is really what matters.
This was a delicious and filling lunch and I will definitely be back for another sandwich (and some more take away bagels) next time I’m in Montreal. And I highly recommend you try them too!
St-Viateur Bagels FAQs
What’s so special about Montreal bagels?
True Montreal style bagels are slightly smaller and denser than New York bagels are always baked in a wood-fired oven. This makes them crunchier and can give them a deeper flavour.
They are also slightly sweeter than other bagels, since they’re boiled in honey water before baking. This combination of unique flavour and texture is what makes Montreal style bagels so special.
Are St-Viateur bagels boiled?
Yes! St-Viateur bagels are boiled for 5 minutes in honey-sweetened water before being baked in the wood-fired oven.
Are Montreal or New York bagels better?
Whether Montreal or New York style bagels are better really comes down to personal preference. If you like a crunchy crust and enjoy a sweeter bread, then Montreal bagels are definitely for you. Whereas, if you prefer a softer bread then you will likely prefer the New York style bagel.
However, I would highly recommend trying both, as in my opinion both are delicious!
Where are St-Viateur bagels made?
St-Viateur bagels are made in-house, at the St-viateur bakeries and bagel cafés. When you visit a St-Viateur store you will see the open kitchen area where the bagels are freshly made each day.
How many bagels does St-Viateur make a day?
Each St-Viateur location bakes a different number of bagels per day. The most bagels are baked at the flagship location in Mile End, which produces around 12,000 bagels per day!
Final Thoughts – Montreal’s Best Bagels
A Montreal style bagel is a must-eat treat when visiting Montreal. And whether you prefer to grab a bag of bagels to go, or sit down and enjoy a sandwich, St-Viateur bagels will not disappoint. With their long-standing recipe, traditional baking methods and attention to detail, their bagels are hard to beat.
Although many of the other popular Montreal bagel spots also have a following of loyal fans, most would agree that St-Viateur makes Montreal’s best bagels!
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