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.
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!
These bagels are to die for ! Every time I visit Montreal I need to bring home at least a dozen of these delicious bagels . This place is legendary & I can't wait to get back for more .
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.
Bought a dozen. The top four in the bag were fresh, hot, delicious. The lower eight were not warm, but not fresh. I know what a day-old bagel is... These eight were day-old bagels. Disappointing!
Took the kids here to try montreal bagels for the very first time. There was no line even though, it is supposedly one of the most famous icons in the area.
We ordered a half dozen each of the all dressed & sesame bagel with a smoked salmon spread.
The bagels are supposedly fresh but when we tried cutting it & schmearing the spread to try, we find the bagels to be a little too hard & definitely have a good chewy texture but just not that great tasting. Is the place over-rated???
Should we have gone down the street & try out its rivalry bakery? The line was super long for that establishment.
Perhaps, we may just have to go try out that bakery on our next visit to Montreal.
In summary, we definitely felt a bit disappointed by the qualtity & taste of the bagels from here. We may try it again once we visit the'other' bagel shop. :D
The traditional bagel sandwich was excellent. This place definitely deserves all the hype it gets. The toasted sesame seeds was chef's kiss 👨🏾?🍳 also the half dozen/dozen bagels were relatively cheap which is great :)
Apr 27, 2025
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As a New Yorker surrounded by incredible bagel options, I have high standards when it comes to bagels. In fact, bagels are one of my all-time favorite food. if I had to pick one thing to eat for the rest of my life (with all the sandwich fixings, breakfast variations, or pizza bagels), it would be bagels! So, I was beyond excited to try Montréal bagels in their home city. I started with a blueberry bagel, which I devoured plain, no cream cheese, no butter, just the bagel itself. & let me tell you, it was heavenly. Sweet, dense, moist, it was perfect on its own. I could never enjoy a New York bagel without toppings with the same reaction. Later, I tried an everything Montréal bagel as the base for a breakfast sandwich (at another restaurant), & while it was delicious, I have to admit-nothing beats a New York everything bagel for sandwiches. So, are Montréal bagels better than New York bagels? My answer: yes & no. For eating plain, the blueberry (& I'd image any sweet bagel) a Montréal bagel was unmatched. But for sandwiches, New York bagels still holds my heart. That said, Montréal bagels from here deserve all the praise-they're so flavorful, & absolutely worth a visit. I took a half-dozen blueberry bagels home with me because I just couldn't get enough. 5 stars all around!
As a visitor to Montreal, I learned of these bagels several years ago. Now Everytime I visit, I grab a dozen. Outstanding bagels. Make the trip & take the time to go by
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Must-Visit Bagel Shop in Montreal! If you're in Montreal, you must visit this incredible bagel shop. They bake fresh bagels from scratch, & the entire process happens right in front of your eyes! Watching the dough being prepared, rolled, boiled, & baked is such a unique experience. The bagels are delicious - crispy on the outside & soft on the inside, with that perfect chew. The prices are also very reasonable, making it a great spot whether you're grabbing a quick bite or buying a dozen to take home. Don't miss out on this authentic Montreal experience!
Fast & friendly service. Freshly baked sesame bagels came right out of the oven when we got there ordered a dozen of those & 1/2 dozen mixed. Many different bagels to choose from
St-Viateur Bagel delivers an exceptional bagel experience. We sampled a dozen, split between regular & sesame, & each was superb-fresh, perfectly chewy, & bursting with flavor. The regular bagels had a delightful density, while the sesame added a crunchy, nutty twist. Service was friendly & efficient, making the visit even more enjoyable. If you're a bagel enthusiast or just looking for the best in town, St-Viateur is a must-try. Hands down, the best bagel I've ever had!
Aug 9, 2024
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We always go here for our bagels when in Montreal. We went early in the morning on a weekend day (around 8am). We got a dozen bagels expecting them to be fresh, but the batch we got was cold. Bagels were soft, so not day-olds, but they were also not recently made. Warm, fresh bagels are the best! We gave one less star because they were not freshly made.
We had a close friend who is an Ex-Pay Montrealer who was visiting from Raleigh, NC for the weekend. We drove around for him to visit "Old Haunts" & ended up @ St Viateur Bagel where he bought Five (5) Dozen assorted bagels to bring back home with him & we bought two (2) dozen! The car had that delicious freshly-baked aroma that made us each did into our bags for a munch on the drive home. A Montreal Institution for so many years.
Fantastic place for bagels, an authentic experience I recommend getting a full dozen & freezing some of them (sliced) for use on a later date. Vets when hot & fresh out the oven!
One of the best bagels in Montreal, hands down better than NYC bagels, while I am from Queens where all the bagels are made. Growing up eating NY bagel, every time you eat one, you are full for the whole day. It is a lot of doughs, vs Montreal bagels smaller lighter, crispy outside & light & chewy & sweet inside. We ordered like 9 dozens for friends & families, good thing we called in earlier or else it would be hard to get all of the bagels we needed. Great service chatting with the manager or owner, Joe at the counter. He was friendly to chat with & knows how to run the business well!
