I am no bagel connoisseur, but even I know the ongoing battle that exists between two institutions, St-Viateur and this equally famous purveyor, for the title of Montreal's Best Bagel. Jamie W and I didn't waste any time trying this one. It was a bus ride away from our hotel, and we were anticipating a long line when we arrived in the morning. Surprisingly there was a queue but not for Fairmount. It was for the obviously popular gnocchi next door at Drogheria Fine. Lucky for us we walked right in and didn't really have a chance to think about our order. The no-nonsense order takers were not up for chit-chat, so we impulsively decided on two C$1.40 Sesame and one C$1.50 Cinnamon & Raisin (Photo 8) plus a couple of C$0.80 mini-packets of Philadelphia cream cheese. There wasn't much to our interaction, so we took our haul across Boulevard Saint-Laurent to Parc Saint-Michel where we found an open picnic table. We immediately noticed how much softer they were than the ones we were used to. They were also a bit smaller which we didn't mind at all. The sesame bagels were nicely aerated, and the cinnamon and raisin one had a sweetness beyond the raisins. It turned out the cream cheese was somewhat superfluous, even though we ordered it more out of habit. As it turned out, we did end up trying a bagel from St-Viateur later that day, and I'm here to report that we are Team Fairmount. There wasn't a huge difference between the two, and St-Viateur has the advantage of showing how they make their bagels, but flavorwise, Fairmount has the slight edge. FOOD - 5 stars...chewy, sweeter, and nicely aerated AMBIANCE - 4 stars...small shop set up for takeout SERVICE - 4 stars...very much all-business, fast transaction TOTAL - 5 stars...Montrèal's best bagel?...could be RELATED - Exploring Montreal? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/jmMWXoPbnE read more

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This may get my New Yorker card revoked but ... Montreal Bagels are better than New York Bagels. There, I said it. That is strictly based on preference ... If you're preference leans towards less carbs, more flavor, welcome to the Montreal Bagel Lovers - NYC Chapter. Fairmont was the most pleasant mistake I've made recently. I thought the line was for gnocchi but instead I ended up with the best bagels I've had in years. The bagels are fresh and packed with flavor. The Pina Colada bagel is life changing. The wait is well worth it and I highly recommend that Fairmont be your first stop in Montreal during your visit. read more

Fairmount Bagel - Store front - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

One if the famous bagel shops in Montreal. We didn't get a just- out-of-the-oven bagel but the sesame seed bagel was still good. Service was fast, friendly and efficient. read more

Fairmount Bagel - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

This bakery is really famous and people come specially to try it, but I found the place to be overhyped. Firstly, the place is really small and you can't expect the staff to guide you - specially if you are going for the first time. Although I know their bagels are made fresh, mine was cold and very dry. Definitely didn't meet my expectations. There is no sitting space, but the outdoors area looks great if you want to enjoy your bagel. I tried the blueberry, raspberry and regular flavour - all of them had undesirable texture. I ended up discarding it. read more

Fairmount Bagel - Iconic bagels - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Simply put, YES! I have converted to the Montreal bagel. I can't believe it after trying so many bagel places in my lifetime in the US, I thought nothing compares. Well, I was wrong. These bagels are light, crunchy, pillowy and full of a baked and smoky flavor that is so hard to describe yet so enjoyable to eat. T my favorite was the sesame bagel but they have a lot of other flavors to enjoy. Please try them out. They do not accept credit cards, only Canadian debit or Canadian cash or US cash. The place is old and crowded and parking is limited on the street, especially when it is busy in the morning. The servers are friendly enough. Go and check this place out! read more

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My preference between the two main bagel places for sure! I enjoyed the blueberry bagel, the cream cheese had a gritty texture that I didn't love but I appreciated that they have a more full menu than the grab and go across the street read more

These are definitely my favorite Montreal bagels. As a NYC native, I think I am qualified to judge bagels. NYC bagels are definitely the best but these bagels are right up there as well. The biggest difference has to be the hint of sweet that comes from the honey. I did really like that hint of sweetness in my bagel. I was especially enamored with the poppy ones, the aroma and flavor of those were really punchy. The onion and garlic were also very aromatic. I also enjoyed these bagels as the natives do, ripping and dunking them in the cream cheese. The Tre Selle containers of cream cheese were lighter and less dense than the Philadelphia cream cheese I normally get with my bagels. Supposedly it's not a dense because it has less preservatives. I tried the bagel crisps and other items but the bagels are definitely the draw. I ended up grabbing a dozen for my trip back to the states. Fairmount doesn't have as many locations as the main competitor in the area and these is no where to eat in. This is strictly a grab your bagels to go, the ambiance is compact once inside. read more

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This was our second stop on our bagel journey. I was having high hopes that this would even be better than the last store we went to however we did notice that there was no line and unfortunately they do not accept credit cards unless you have a Canadian debit card and you spend over $10. They gave you a one-to-one ratio on American dollars which means they pocket the rest. The bagels were a little bit more moist and softer than the other place. However, it had an off taste that I did not enjoy as much as the other bagel. Make sure that if you're visiting to go to both places and make an opinion by yourself as to which one is better. read more

Fairmount Bagel - Chocolate chip bagel - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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WOW! Most delicious bagel I've ever had. The golden bee has honey, butter and salt and I will never go back to making bagels any other way. There are so many flavours you can try it's really a bagel lovers paradise. Staff were helpful in deciding what bagel suited the Golden Bee best despite how busy they were. It was very busy when we went, around 11am on a Wednesday. It probably took 25 minutes of waiting to get our food but they were hustling and it was worth the wait. There's a nice patio but it was full so we didn't eat there. read more

Fairmount Bagel - Golden Bee on a sesame bagel - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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All I'm saying is... Canada bagels CANNOT compete with NJ/NY bagels. Coming to Montreal, you heard that this is one of the spots you MUST try. So try I did... and disappointed I was. Ordered a scallion bagel with cream cheese and I got a bagel cupcake???? Bagel = cupcake, cream cheese = frosting. Bagel was okay. Nothing crazy that made it a must try. If you are on the search for real bagels.... Pull up to NY or NJ. Service was quick. Shop was crowded and rowdy. read more

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When planning my trip to Montreal, I was somewhat surprised to find out that the city was well-known for their bagels. As a native New Yorker, I have strong opinions on bagels - I may be biased but I think we have some of the best bagels out there. That being said though, I wanted to see what the hype was all about - and since Fairmount was one of the more well-known bagelrys in the city, I made plans to visit. The main differences between a Montreal and NYC bagel are that the former are thinner and denser, with a larger hole in the middle. They are also slightly sweeter as they use sugar in their dough. I learned that two of the most famous spots for bagels in the city were St-Viateur and Fairmount, so I wanted to see how both compared to each other. As I approached, I was greeted with a line - but it wasn't too long and before I knew it I was placing my order. The space is small, there's really no room inside to do anything except place your order. There's a semi-open production area behind the counter with the walls lined up with bagels and spreads. I found it odd that none of it was able to be taken off the shelf, so you need to ask. I decided to get a plain and a garlic bagel. They were fine - too dense for my taste and lacking the chewiness I love in bagels (I get that's a NY thing). It's interesting because I enjoyed the bagels at St-Viateur, but the ones here at Fairmount didn't do it for me. I would be open to giving them another try, but for now I feel there are better bagel spots in the city. read more

Fairmount Bagel - exterior signage - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Small shop but always a short line gives you enough time to decide what bagels you're going to choose. But the line moves fast. The sesame seems to be a favorite. The bagels are soft and chewy, can't stop eating just one in a sitting. read more

The other bagel place you must try in Montreal (or is this THE place, and they're the "other"). Came here on a Monday morning in March, and can only imagine how crazy this place gets in the summertime and/or the weekend. Line out the door (just barely), but that's usually a good sign right? Once I made it in the door, I saw ALL the bagels, and I mean ALL THE BAGELS. What's nice is they also have a small, refrigerated area with drinks and different types of cream cheeses and such (in case you didn't happen to have some already). Had to dry the all dressed bagels and they were LEGIT. Did a side by side comparison with St. Viateur and our family was split 2:2 with which on they liked more. Needless to say this was a solid bagel offering, and one which we were more than happy to take back to the US with us (they too provide a paper bag and a plastic bag in case you'd like to freeze them to consume later). OVERALL - gotta go. like American and Lafayette in Detroit, you gotta try both premier bagel outlets in Montreal, or you're doing yourself a disservice. CELEBRITY RATING - Catherine O'Hara read more

Montreal-style bagels are sweeter and harder than a NY-style bagel. They're also smaller. They are not my preferred bagel, but definitely fun to try! The everything bagel was my favourite. The all-dressed bagel had an overpowering fennel taste. Bring cash or debit. The line moves quick. They don't toast or spread cream cheese for you. read more

Fairmount Bagel - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

COUNT YOUR BAGELS BEFORE YOU LEAVE! It is a simple menu, just bagels and cream cheese. You queue up outside and when inside place your order. It is a very small shop. If you want cream cheese, you'll need to buy a tub of Philly cream cheese at $6.50 and they provide a plastic knife so you can spread it. They have a good assortment of bagels so we ordered 7 different ones. Upon settling down at a picnic table at a nearby park to enjoy our bagels, we counted only 6 and we were so looking forward to trying the chocolate bagel. The bagels were excellent. I had the cranberry bagel and was pleasantly surprised to find pepita/pumpkin seeds inside. My daughter had the bubble gum bagel and you can smell and taste the bubble gum flavor. It is cash only, accepts US dollars on a 1:1 ratio or Canadian debit card. We think it was worth the trip. read more

Had a sesame bagel with plain cream cheese. The bagel was really good, though I wish the sesames were better toasted. But it did take 15 minutes for them to bring out my one bagel. For the cost and wait i probably would prefer somewhere else. Nice and clean inside, small seating area. read more

Fairmount Bagel - Sesame bagel with plain cream cheese - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

These are fine bagels if you've never had an excellent bagel - chew is good but they need more salt. They were out of half of the flavors when we went at 9 am. Cash or Canadian debit only - if you have US dollars, they do 1:1 exchange, so the bagels cost 30% more, in which case you should order from DoorDash for pickup instead and use your credit card! read more

Bagels are not worth a 1 hour wait. CASH OR CANADIAN DEBIT! If you're eating them within the hour they're decent but not life changing. NYC bagels are definitely more of my style. I got several dozen bagels of almost every kind and even got the bagel sandwich with lox and cream cheese. Nothing stood out as amazing. read more

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Came noon on a weekday. 4 minute wait to order. Lots of people waiting inside but most have already ordered and are waiting with their tickets to be called to pick up their order from the same counter as you order from. Would love if the pickup counter was seperate. Cream cheese available and they just spread it on-top. If you get cream cheese you get your bagel in a plastic container which is super wasteful but also keeps the cream cheese safe. Bagel was delicious and even more so with the cream cheese. Lots of benches in the area to sit and eat. 2 bagels with cream cheese $11. read more

Fairmount Bagel - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Wife picked up two bagels in the evening while I waited in the car. Have I had worse bagels? Yes. Have I had much better bagels? Also yes. Problem one is the bagels were kinda stale. Problem two is they are very much on the sweet side which is odd for a bagel. Also the wrong ratio of chewy to crisp. NY bagels are on the whole better, as are Kettleman's in Ottawa. I recall NY friends trying the bagels on a visit in 2018 and saying they weren't very good. I stayed at the hotel and watched curling and now 8 years later, I concur. They were cheap though, but I mean, meh. read more

Went here on a whim today and definitely worth the stop! The staff that helped us was patient and kind, we don't speak french and he was able to assist us accordingly. The shop takes USD and CAD at a 1:1 conversion. Quick service with a smile, definitely what you'd want and expect on a busy(ish) street! We chose 8 bagels, 4 varieties of flavors. The bozo is THREE TIMES the size of a typical bagel- and 3x the flavor as well. The blueberry bagel's scent entices you before you even take your first bite. The raspberry-chocolate bagel was devoured before the picture, and there was no way it would sit untouched more than 2 minutes. The cranberry bagel was accompanied by some nuts/seeds that tied all the flavors together. If you enjoy bagels, I definitely recommend this one stop shop- you can purchase various toppings here as well! read more

Fairmount Bagel - 4 bozo, 2 blueberry, 1 cranberry and 1 raspberry-chocolate (not pictured) - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Delicious Bagels! I've wanted to try the famous Montreal Bagels for quite a while. And I'm so glad I did. This is a very small bagel shop, but everything is made fresh all day long. So, don't overthink it here. Just order a bag of bagels and get out of the shop. The bagels are really flavorful with a nice chew. The Blueberry Bagel has lots of real blueberries, and they will stain your clothes if you're not careful. The "All Dressed" bagel is coated with all the seeds and salt your palette desires. The service is quick and, because of the volume they serve each day, some of your bagels will likely be fresh out of the oven and warm. That's a good thing. Do yourself a favor and grab some Fairmount Bagels whenever you can. read more

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We heard a lot of good things about Fairmount Bagel, but was quite disappointed by the price and selection. They do serve smoked salmon and cream cheese topped bagels (the toppings are spread on top of an uncut bagel and there are no toasting nor guarantee that it's hot and fresh, on top of that, it's very pricey and the price is no where to be found on the price board. They are mostly a purely a fresh bagel shop, plain and simple. They do; however, offer bagel accoutrements in fridges to take with you to make your own bagels. At least we got to try the place, just don't come with too much expectations, bagels only! Cash only. read more

I know everyone compares Montreal bagels to NY and NJ bagels but they are 2 different foods in my opinion. These are made in the same fashion as NYC bagels but much thinner and a tad sweet as they boil them in water with honey. These Montreal way is to eat the traditional sesame bagel hot out of the oven in a bag with nothing on it. This is similar to how you would eat a pretzel. They are very good and definitely crave worthy. Fairmount in my opinion is the best of the "famous" Montreal bagel joints. You can't eat here as it's only take out and often the line runs out the door and down the block so prepare for a wait. read more

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Solid bagels! Go for the sesame. I went in the afternoon so there was no line and it made it totally worth it. read more

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I haven't eaten here....YET. But just look at the Apple Maps description of the place: "...Fairmount is the only one to have been authorized by NASA to go into space. ..." I would go here just because of the description. This place seems like they know what they are doing. And ask about the "Bagel Toss" that they do. Go on. Enjo read more

Fairmount Bagel - Place description. - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

They hold the cards for oldest bagel shop in Montreal, but I wouldn't go out of your way to have bagels here. There were flies around the bagels which needs to be solved for sure and the sesame bagel didn't taste like anything. It would be great if they warmed it up or sold drinks to accompany the bagels. We had a sesame and an everything bagel and neither of them wowed me. read more

Fairmount Bagel - Main entrance - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Slightly disappointed with this bagel spot. Although you get your bagels fairly quickly (even when there is a long line), and the price is very good, they don't give you your bagels warm. We got the all dressed bagel and the garlic one (burnt garlic flavor), herbs spread and lox. I get the concept of making it yourself but at least serve it warm? I liked the size of them though. Perfect for me to be able to eat one full bagel by myself. read more

Fairmount Bagel - Bagels - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Les bagels sont délicieux, mais ce n'est pas le seul endroit où trouver des bagels succulents. Cela dit, l'endroit est non seulement une destination bien connue des Montréalais, mais il est aussi très fréquenté par les touristes. Malheureusement, les fins de semaine, l'attente est assez longue, trop longue pour des bagels! The bagels are delicious, but it's not the only place to find great bagels. That said, it's not only a well-known spot among Montrealers, but also very popular with tourists. Unfortunately, on weekends, the wait can be quite long, too long for bagels! read more

We heard Montreal is known for their bagels, so we stopped by on a Tuesday morning on our way out of the city. There's street parking in the area and no tables/seating here. We tried a few different flavors: Blueberry, Cranberry, Sesame, and Sun Dried Tomato. The sesame bagels were freshly made and so good. The blueberry and cranberry were okay and wasn't a fan of the sun dried tomato. The bagels do not come with cream cheese, but they sell Philadelphia Cream Cheese in the tub. read more

Fairmount Bagel - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Another recommended spot upon others learning of my forthcoming trip to Montreal. Although I am not a huge fan of Montreal bagels - New York is more my preferred style - I really liked Fairmount! Chewy, flavourful, and fresh. I had a plain and blueberry, which was not too sweet. I also had a pretzel which was HUGE and chewy and had just the right amount of salt. Prices are quite reasonable, but you need either cash or Canadian debit (with a minimum spend amount). read more

Fairmount Bagel - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Got the bogel and it was so yummy. The salmon was so soft and just melts in your mouth. The bagel itself was chewy and delicious. Would love to get another one read more

Fairmount Bagel - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

I've heard Montreal bagels are a must to go try, but I thought they were okay unfortunately. Maybe it was just the flavor I got (I love cinnamon raisin bagels usually) but I thought it was a little bland and too chewy. The service was great though! Very fast though it was busy even during non-busy hours.A casual spot to grab a quick bagel. Note: got engaged in Montreal hence the little green figurines. I took pics of all the spots I tried with them! read more

Fairmount Bagel - Outside of the building - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Baffled that this place has been around for so long, disappointed by the Montreal bagel, and generally underwhelmed by this experience. Bagels were dry, dense, and neither chewy nor the right flavour -- desperately in need of more salt. We received the most confusing "cream cheese and lox" bagel where they sliced the bread open but put the spread and measly pieces of lox on top, and proceeded to charge us $12 for this. Hard to eat and not worth it at all. The cinnamon raisin bagel was better, but by a small margin. The line was long, the staff was rushed, curt, and unfriendly, the space was crowded. There's no reason to go to this place and, again, I cannot fathom how they've stayed in business for so long. Great location though? read more

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I went to stop by and try the Fairmount Bagels since it's so famous in Montreal! I had a fresh sesame bagel. I thought the packaging was great, but it wasn't necessary the freshest bagel I've had. Additionally, I saw a fly inside one of the display cases with other bagels so I do think they should do a better job with cleanliness in the future which is a reason why I have to knock a star down :'(. Line was long, but it moved at a decent pace and they have a system to get through all of the people. read more

Fairmount Bagel - Bagels Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Superb bagels and lox. Not NYC good but the best I've had outside of NYC. Smoked lox were delicious. Had that on my bucket list to try Fairnount bagels and mission accomplished. read more

While in Canada, we came here at night to get bagels to take home to NY. They open 24/7. We had Abdul who helped us with our order. He's very patient with what we were ordering because we wanted a little bit of this and that. They have some interesting, especially Canadian bagels, which are two colors. Yummy! For some reason, the bagels in Canada are surprisingly excellent! Maybe the water? Yes yes, check the water, maybe clearer? Maybe fresher? I need to inspect the water because the water makes the best bagels, they say. The front cashier counter is enough space for people to order the bagels and then you should move aside for others to order. We can see the workers in the back making bagels. It's a bigger section in the back than the front of the store. We enjoyed the bagels! Thanks! read more

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Have to be true to my NY roots so this place was utterly disappointing. Line took about an hour just to receive an unsliced bagel with cream cheese and lox plopped on top...how do they not know how a bagel and schmear is supposed to be prepared to ensure even coating of flavors? read more

Solid bagel. Good crust, chew was ok. It seems like they don't add salt to their dough or cream cheese - which is different than bagels Americain. Just saying! read more

This shop is open 24 hours and the 2 times I went here, I did not have to wait in line. You might have to wait in line if it's during peak hours, but the line will move fast. The bagels are very good, although my palette is not really nuanced enough to tell the difference between these bagels and other competing bagel shops. One thing I noticed is that the all dressed bagel here has fennel seeds on it. The bagels were fresh and there's a variety of flavors. It's a popular destination so I assume the turnover of bagels is high and hence you get fresh bagels. Note: they will not heat or cut your bagels. This is purely for buying bagels for takeaway. There are some special items where they will spread your bagels but these would cost you $5+. I suggest to skip these and just buy the bagels. The inside is very small and they are cash only. The also sell cream cheese, salmon, capers, etc. so you can go home and make your own bagel sandwiches. read more

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