Since 1957, St-Viateur Bagel has been a central part of the culture and daily life of Montreal. Its legendary landmark bagel shop operates 24/7 and sells over 1,000 dozen bagels a day.
St-Viateur Bagel is widely praised as an iconic Montreal bagel experience, with bagels hot from a wood fired oven, crisp on the outside and chewy inside, delivering a slightly sweet, classic Montreal flavor. The shop is typically grab-and-go with limited or no seating, cash only in most locations, and an on site ATM; lines can be long but move quickly as staff keep the process efficient. Reviewers enjoy a broad selection of toppings and flavors including sesame, poppy, plain, everything, cinnamon raisin and more, and many appreciate watching the bagels being baked right in front of them. The experience is often described as authentic and worth a trip, with bagels fresh, flavorful, and best eaten warm, though some reports note occasional inconsistency, drier textures, or a lack of cohesion when many hands are involved. Price and value are generally regarded as good for a classic Montreal staple, with suggestions to buy a dozen or more to enjoy later, and to bring cash and a bag for transport. While most feedback emphasizes the positive aroma, tradition, and quick service, a minority expresses concerns about hygiene or seating and one-off cases of variability, but overall the consensus remains that St-Viateur Bagel offers a quintessential Montreal bagel experience.
Cash only! ATM on site that charges about $4 in fees. They help people really fast & the line moves fast! I got a variety of bagels & they were patient & courteous helping me out.
When we're ever in Montreal, we have to make a stop for St. Viateur Bagels! The shop sits along the 80 Avenue du Parc North bus line & is just a minute from the bus stop, making it easy to reach by public transit. It operates as a grab-&-go storefront with no seating. If you don't have cash, an ATM is located near the entrance. Our friends & family love St. Viateur Bagels & can't wait to come back again to make a large pick up when we are ever in the area!
Their bagel selection sticks to the basics & expands into a broader range, including the classic Sesame, Poppy, & Plain, alongside more varied options like All Dressed, Cinnamon & Raisin, Rosemary & Sea Salt, Whole Wheat, Blueberry, & Pumpernickel. The pricing is available per single, half dozen, or full dozen, which helps us plan quantities for take-home consumption. Their bagels are constantly made fresh, & the store can get really busy, being so popular with long lines at different times throughout the day.
The store also offers merchandise such as t-shirts, tote bags, bagel chips, oils, all-dressed seasoning, pucks, & mugs, as well as refrigerated items like spreads & dairy products. The packaging provided for bagels is a brown paper bag, but they offer plastic bags for storage afterwards. The staff suggests slicing the bagels in half before freezing to preserve freshness. Lastly, make sure to bring a bag to carry it all home!
Feb 15, 2026
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I visited St-Viateur Bagels on New Year's Day, & despite all the history & hype, my experience was a bit underwhelming. The bagels were fresh & tasty but on the harder side rather than soft. They also lacked consistency-one side of the bagel was thin while the other was thick, which made me feel that having so many hands involved in making these bagels affected the quality. Overall, the bagels seemed uneven, & I've had better elsewhere in the city. On top of that, they only accept cash; even though there's an ATM on-site, it was still inconvenient.
** Cash only, so bring it! There's an ATM but fees are higher than a bank ATM. ** Bagels are worth the trip! Try all the flavors - especially the Everything & Pretzel Salt bagels. Note: Montréal style bagels are thinner, denser & more flavorful - best eaten warm from the oven or toasted. At this flagship location, no seating inside, so pop over to a nearby coffee shop (recommend: Cafe Felice).
Sweet baby Jesus these are good bagels. They said sesame was their most popular, I vote the everything. It was amazing. I don't know how they make it so all the goodies don't fall off the bagels.
One tip I didn't know, that my wife should've relayed, as she did the research for this place is that it's only cash, though they do have an atm in the shop.
We also took advantage of the coffee shop two doors down that was pretty good too!
Great stop to try the world-famous Montreal bagel. Went by at 5pm today & they were still making fresh bagels; & even though the sweet ones I bought (maple apple & cinnamon raisin) were not recently made, they still had a super good texture & delicious flavour. Totally recommend giving them a try.
Just as a heads-up, in this location they sell for takeaway & only accept cash (there is an ATM in one corner).
Nov 9, 2025
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I ordered half a dozen bagels (assorted) as it was my first time trying Montreal style bagels! I wish I asked for their fresh bagels as it definitely made the difference. The fresh sesame bagel I got was pretty tasty (8/10) & I bought a small size of butter to try it out. This location was cash only so ensure you have cash in you - or use the ATM located near the entrance.
had the pleasure of trying the traditional bagel at St-Viateur Bagel, & I have to say it was incredible! The portion size is very generous - definitely filling enough for a hearty meal. The bagel itself was perfectly baked with that authentic Montreal-style texture: crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, & packed with flavor.
The price-performance ratio here is excellent. You get great quality for a very reasonable price, which makes it a must-visit spot for bagel lovers or anyone looking for an authentic Montreal experience.
On my first visit, we waited about 40 minutes in line, which might seem long, but the friendly atmosphere & the smell of fresh bagels baking made the wait enjoyable. We decided to eat inside, & the experience was wonderful - fresh, warm bagels served with great service.
The next day, we wanted to enjoy the same delicious bagels at home, so we ordered via Uber Eats. Even through delivery, the quality & taste didn't disappoint. It was almost as good as eating there!
The staff at St-Viateur Bagel were very kind & helpful during both visits, which made the experience even better. One thing to note: they only accept cash & debit cards, so be prepared for that. Credit cards are not accepted.
Overall, if you're ever in Montreal, St-Viateur Bagel is an absolute must. I'm already looking forward to my next visit & can't wait to enjoy these amazing bagels again
Nice atmosphere.
It is obvious that the place has been touched by all this kind of publicity.
Tasted a) the plain, b) all seeds, c) poppyseed, d) onion. I tasted them as they were & with cheese-ham.
They were pretty nice.
Now.. comparing it with the NYC… tough call. But.. i think i will go with the NYC.
Nevertheless nice flavors, cut the too much social activity.
Best
This is my first time in Montreal. I was looking for an authentic place to eat the best bagels in town. This place is a match. I loved the bagels & the way they have created the menu is smart. I have visited this place twice in straight 2 days. I have also taken some Bagels home for my roommates. The service is good & every staff member is so humble. Bagels are delicious, even the vegetarian options as well. The Wow bagel & Le coco one are my favorite. Atmosphere is there is very aesthetic. I will definitely visit again if I will be in town again.
I recently visited St-Viateur Bagel, & unfortunately, my experience was far from what I had hoped for. While the bagels were undeniably delicious, I couldn't overlook the concerning lack of food safety practices I witnessed during my visit.
It was alarming to see that the cooks & prep staff were not wearing proper sanitary gloves or hair nets. They were handling food directly with their bare hands, which is particularly concerning when it comes to high-touch areas like bagels, especially in a food establishment. Several staff members were seen touching various surfaces & then handling the dough & bagels without washing their hands or using gloves. This lack of attention to hygiene made me question the cleanliness & overall safety of the food being prepared.
As a customer, I found this to be quite unsettling, especially considering the importance of food safety in a public kitchen. While the staff was friendly & the atmosphere was warm, the disregard for basic sanitation protocols left me with a bad impression. For a place that has a reputation for its iconic bagels, I was surprised & disappointed to see such carelessness in handling food.
I truly hope this review encourages the management to address these hygiene concerns, as it is crucial for customers to feel confident in the cleanliness & safety of the food they're consuming. Until then, I'm hesitant to return.
I found St. Viateur's bagels to be overrated. The hot & fresh poppy seed was not bad, & the cold sesame had a good flavor, but in general the cold bagels were hard & void of much flavor. I made this a central place to visit during my time in the city, & I definitely wouldn't next time. I don't know if I came on an off day, or if this style just falls far short of the NYC style. A reminder that it's cash only, & take-out only. My favorite aspect of the bakery is the quaint atmosphere, & you're not really able to enjoy it because of the nature of the line & it being take-out only.
WARNING - they only take cash. We took a 20-minute Uber without realizing this & I only had my credit card. They have an ATM on-site so I used my credit card but had to pay extra cash advance fees. Posting this so others know - bring cash or your ATM card. Staff were very friendly & apologetic. They had the sesame bagels warm out of the oven & they were good (tasted good but nothing outstanding). Their maple & apple bagel was interesting (good & unique) & their pretzel-salt bagel was good too.
Very iconic MTL place! Cash only! But there's an ATM in the store! Always try the sesame bagel, it's the one which is always fresh & almost always hot from the oven 😋 There's no spot to sit in this branch, but you can buy small portions of cream cheese, Nutella, or even salmon to put on your bagel & enjoy it fresh 😊
The bagel's? Possibly the best I ever had. All the stuff on sale they didn't make? Very overpriced, tourist trap, gift shop junk. There are plenty of reviews on the delicious bagels, so I'm going to stress the latter. I bought 20 bagels to bring home to Minneapolis. I smelled up the flight home, I didn't care. I spent weeks savoring all of those bagels. However, the coffee mug I bought broke as I was unpacking due to the cheap, very thin construction. The mug is pictured next to a high-quality mug for reference. I super-glued the handle back together. From a design perspective, it's the worst coffee mug I own. The thin design, besides fragile, insulates the coffee poorly & is usually too hot to touch with fresh coffee. I only keep it for the cute bagel mascot & to remind me of Montreal. Also, it's cash-only, & the ATM conveniently placed at the entrance charges a several-dollar fee & dispenses $20s, like most ATMs, so if this the only place you spend CAD cash, you have to find a reason to spend $20 or $40 here, or save the rest for the duty free shop. Ultimately though, this place isn't a mug or t-shirt shop, you come for the bagels, & those are easily 5/5. Come in with your CAD cash, get your bagels, maybe some salmon, & enjoy.
