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80 reviews for Fairmount Bagel
Review Highlights
"Viateur but this place is just plain awesome."
(in 14 reviews)
"...bagels are either the poppy or sesame seed but we LOVED the..."
(in 7 reviews)
"They sell three varieties and smoked salmon."
(in 6 reviews)
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79 reviews in English
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Review from Robin M.
1/21/2012
There's this ongoing St Viateur--Fairmount Bagel debate in Montreal -- which is chewier, which is more authentic (to what, I'm not sure), which has more sesame seed to bagel ratio, which has a crispier outside, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. But the fact remains: it's a personal thing. I just so happen to side with Fairmount in this dispute.
There was a time not too long ago when I could eat the wheat, and Fairmount was the final destination on any given Montreal debauchery-laden night. In the dead of winter, the seducing waft of freshly baked bagels hit my drunken nose like a baker's bag of day-olds and I'd wait in minus 30 degree weather just for a taste -- JUST A TASTE -- of that doughy offering of bagel bliss.
Straight out of the oven and baked to a crispy, crunchy, cushy, comfy bagel perfection, these are the bomb at anytime of day. Perfect sesame seeds and *just* sweet enough, these round dough-boys are the things dreams are made of.
But here's the real beauty of the Fairmount bagel: you got 50 cents? There's a sesame bagel. Got another 25? You just got yourself some cream cheese too.
Man, I miss Montreal.Listed in: I miss Montreal
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Review from Linh N.
12/13/2011 4 photos
Bagels.
Freshly made by the minute. The sesame bagel with regular cream cheese was plain and simple yet it served its purpose as bagel. The bagel was lighter, it had a crusty crunch to it and yield a great sesame flavor. The best part (at least to me) was their cream cheese. If you ever had New York's cream cheese, they're a lot more dense and heavy so once you taste Fairmount's cream cheese you can definitely tell the difference. Fairmount's cream cheese is so much lighter, felt like it was whipped which is not bad. By whipping, you're adding more air into the cream cheese, hence the texture will be a lot lighter.
The pairing of the bagel and cream cheese is what made Montreal bagel a winner. NYC bagel, please step aside. -
Review from Jay B.
12/3/2011
Montreal and New York have a thing for bagels. You may even hear people arguing which is better. As I went back for the second time, I sat outside on a sunny day, spreading my own cream cheese on my delicious crunchy and soft everything bagel, I thought, "they're just different." While in NY you get a huge doughy on the inside, crunchy on the outside bagel, with a LOT of cream cheese (in any of the various flavors you can choose from), in Montreal, you get a smaller bagel, but still soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside.
Now, about Fairmount. I was a little intimidated going in the first time. It's SMALL. It's a bakery. You squeeze in, look at what bagels they have and order. One, a dozen, whatever. But here's a tip, most likely they are pulling out some sesame bagels out of this amazing wood fired stone oven so get one of those. Or whatever else they just finished baking.
It's difficult not to just want to stand and watch them pull and roll the dough, boil them and then bake them. It's ok to stand there and watch while the helpful staff is getting your order ready. They are patient because most people that are there, know what they want, order, pay and get out. Don't be intimidated by all the French speakers either. Just don't get in the way. -
Review from Danan R.
1/30/2012
I really liked the poppy seed and all dressed-up bagels. They are fresh out of the oven with a crunchy shell and soft, light interior.; they are also very slightly sweet. Try either one with the cream cheese, which is also fluffy and light. I really wish that we have one of these back home. Spread bagelry just doesn't come close. This is the real deal when it comes to Montreal bagels. St. Viateur is good, too, but I like the everything bagel here.
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Review from Risa D.
11/18/2011
Alright, I love St Viateur as well, especially the high spirits of the late night crew, but I have to say my heart will always give first place to Fairmount. I remember the first Fairmount bagel I had: teen gal adventuring in the Mile End with cute boy, eating them hot out of the bag, dipping into the Liberty cream cheese on a stoop in the autumn sun, and maybe they will always taste like that sweet day to me.
I like to order a dozen of whatever is freshest, then they'll pick the ones that just came off the fire and they are soft and hot and crisp and perfection. The fancy flavours are fun but for me the whole point is the raging fire right in front of you and the skilled people slinging them out of the flames on the long paddles. There is room inside for about 6 people to make their orders and wait in line (unless you are there when they are prepping the deliveries for grocery stores and restaurants - then there's room for about 2 skinny people) so the line frequently stretches out the door; but it moves fast and the hot homey bagel smell melts all but the coldest hearts and makes the wait mello, friendly and fun.Listed in: Weekend in Montreal
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Review from Candace C.
12/2/2011
The Skinny: there isn't anything better than hanging outside in a beautiful fall day, munching on a hot crunchy sesame seed bagel with cream cheese (4) service: it's counter service... but it's still really slow. On the plus side, it's open 24 hours, 7 days a week to allow you a constant bagel fix. FYI - cash only. (3) Value: $3 for an experience not to be missed (4).
Open 24/7, this place is bustling with the workers churning out bagels from their real flaming oven on the large wooden boards. The smell is pretty outrageous as you walk into the yeasty goodness. Bagels come out smoking hot - wonderfully, warm by the time they reach your hands complete with cream cheese.
These bagels differ significantly from the bagels that I have ever had. They are very crispy on the outside while very surprisingly light on the inside. Unlike a regular styled bagel, I could have easily eaten at least 2-3 of these in the space of a few minutes.
I would say though, it would have been nice to have more cream cheese on my bagel (I love a large mound of cream cheese on my bagels) considering that it was piping hot and melting a little of it away.
Service for a place this busy is pretty slow and it only takes cash.
Culturally though, this place epitomizes the best of Montreal. -
Review from Victor F.
11/17/2011
Again, like Chinese food, bagels are also something I gladly detest like a sickness in NYC.....but eat to no end and thus dissolve all logic once I'm in Montreal.
Fairmount's bagels are much thinner and crispier...and fresher by a longshot compared to the smelly ring-sponges NYC passes off for a bagel, no question! Sucks that they don't have butter...juat cream cheese, jelly or lox...but that's also a testament to how heavenly they are by themselves. -
Review from Antoniette C.
9/29/2011
My acronymic experience at Fairmount Bagel:
F-resh out of the oven
A-iry and slightly crisp exterior and studded with sesame seeds adds
another textural dimension!
I-ndecisive when it is my turn to buy so I buy a few of every flavor
R-an outside to find a bench to enjoy my bagel bliss
M-ore of a selection to choose from than St. Viateur Bagel
O-nion bagels and garlic bagels---potent! Need mints after consumption.
U-ndeniably the best bagels I have had
N-ever can just eat one!
T-asty ring shaped bread especially slathered with cream cheese -
Review from Jando S.
9/7/2011 6 photos
Whenever I'm in Vancouver / Toronto, the first must eat food that comes to mind is Dim Sum. Other parts of Canada, it's all about poutine. But in Montreal, it's seems to be bagels. I couldn't resist a shot at trying Fairmount, a bagel shop where many locals have told me I'd have a life changing experience in bagelgasm.
To Fairmont's credit, I'm probably not the best person to evaluate bagels considering I rarely ever eat a decent breakfast and if I do, I'm always thinking of hash browns. But since hash browns are rare in the northeast, I've become more bagel friendly, but far from a bagel enthusiast. Having been spoiled from the amazing variety in New York, Montreal's finest bagel would certainly be hard to impress. And unfortunately, Fairmount's version didn't strike a chord with me like I had hoped but that's not to say they're not good.
These bagels were soft. Even when I had driven down from Montreal the batch in my bag somehow remained in a edible state, not chewy or stale, but had a nice bite to it. Their sesame bagels are quite good when toasted and taste awesome with a thin spread of onion cream cheese. Their everything bagels and wheat bagels have a certain density about them, certainly far from my favorite options here. Thankfully, all bagels were inexpensive and felt even more so when considering the US-CAD conversion at the time.
It's strictly a takeout joint and more importantly, a local staple in the community. I've been here twice and though it's been super crowded each time, I should also note my visits were during their afternoons. I can only imagine their mornings.
And while I don't want my NY bias to get in the way, I can say I prefer the "down south" version over these babies. The regional debate will always live on, but I'll be itching to give Montreal bagels another go when I'm back in town. -
Review from Claire F.
9/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
I forgot this is in the anglophone part of Montreal. So when I ordered in French (like I had been trained to do over the past few days) the very weird server kept replying in English -- the opposite of how things were in the rest of town. Ah, the politics of language. But she kept giggling oddly and half talking to me, half talking to the bakers behind her. It made for a strange experience, like I was talking to someone playing the role of insane asylum escapee. Anyway.
The bagels were sweeter than a NY bagel but my favorite part was that there was less to them -- so you didn't feel like you were eating four servings of carbs (which is about what a NY bagel is) but maybe just two. I got a few of these on my last day and the sesame was by FAR the best, and the heavily carroway-seeded/salted bagel a surprising close second. The one with chocolate chips in it tempted me but I tossed it after a few bites because it just tasted off -- poor quality chocolate and not the right dough to mix with it.
I'd recommend these as "straight from the oven" as you can get them, but the couple I took home remained chewy and delightful for a few days in the tied up bag.Listed in: Sweet teeth : cupcakes,…, O Canada (Montreal)
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Review from Jennifer M.
Toronto, ON
10/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
So I could not leave Montreal without bagels. A quick browse on Yelp and I knew where to head.
Our hotel was in the downtown area, and Fairmount was a couple of km away. Luckily we had a car, as it may be a little far for tourists.
YES it is the Montreal Bagel place you see on tv. I could not help but crane my neck over the heads in from of me in line to peer into the back where men were making bagels. A MASSIVE chunk of dough was slowly being snipped and the bits formed into bagels and set into a boiling bath. Once removed from the water, they were slung on a long plank, dusted with sesame seeds or seasonings and put into the oven.
"Excuse me, can I have some all dressed." "yes one minute..." "How long til the All dressed come out of the oven?" "Madame, it will be two minutes."
2 min later, me.. giggling with three dozen hot fresh bagels to eat on the five hour drive back to Toronto.
Tonnes of flavours available! We particularity enjoyed sesame and all dressed. Western cream cheese. They sell three varieties and smoked salmon! Plus the car smelled like bagels for days and my coworkers were all thrilled when I arrived bearing gifts.
Read the back of the bags, the entire family story is on the back. The family brought the bagel to Montreal in 1919, and moved to the current location in 1949.
Delicious! a must stop. Open 24/7Listed in: Montreal
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Review from D'Arcy L.
Terrebonne, QC
11/6/2011
It's been a while since I got some of my favourite bagels! 6 cinnamon raison and 6 blueberry. The cinnamon raison just came out of the oven and were amazingly crunchy/crisp and soft in the centre. I know some people go to St. Viateur but this place is just plain awesome!
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Review from Vanessa S.
8/11/2011
Taking advice from a local, I bought two dozen sesame bagels to stock up at home.
SO. GLAD. I. DID.
Sorry, NY bagel, you do not even compare. Montreal bagels in general are more bread-y and less dough-y, so they have a great chew. Fairmount bagels, specifically, are handmade, as evident in their misshapen size, and they're so popular that they go straight from the oven rack to people's hands. I initially didn't understand why they're open 24 hours, but now I see the appeal!
I should also mention that having two dozen fresh bagels in a car will set you on olfactory bliss. -
Review from Vikas I.
Pickering, ON
7/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
FRESH BAGELS!
Fairmont Bagel is a great treat, but if you go here, please eat your bagels right away, they are best served fresh!
I had never ever seen bagels being made right in front of you it was entertaining to watch, and they make your fresh bagels 24 hours a day in a wood fired oven.
We ordered half a dozen bagels and ate most of them within 2 hours of getting them.
Don't fuss with all the different types of bagels, just get the freshest ones they have which are the white sesame seed bagels, because chances are those ones are going to be the freshest ones.
If you are good in the kitchen their bagels taste awesome with fresh Tzatziki. -
Review from Haiku-Project H.
8/10/2011
Bagels in New York
Are supposed to be the best.
Wrong! Frenchies makes 'em. -
Review from Tara F.
Montréal, QC
8/14/2011
The controversial question that divides the people of Montreal - Fairmount Bagel or St. Viateur?
Although my vote is St. Viateur, it's a close call, and Fairmount does serve a great bagel.
There are tons of varieties here - blueberry, choolate chip - although in my books the classics (sesame, poppy) are the best.
Bagels are made fresh, and are best eaten on the spot. There's even a little bench area right outside where people can always be seen digging in right away. -
Review from Serena R.
9/4/2011
Got a sesame bagel straight out of the oven...so good. It was worth the burn blisters I got because my greedy ass couldn't wait until they cooled a little before eating it. So light and airy. The bagels are delicious on their own, no cream cheese, jelly , etc needed. It was kind of cool to see the bagel making process.
For those wondering if NY bagels are better than Montreal bagels - it's not a competition it's just a matter of preference.
FYI Jersey bagels tops 'em all :-) -
Review from melissa m.
10/30/2011
Two ladies used to a New-York style bagel walk into a bagel shop...
We're glad we tried the tasty all-dressed bagel from Fairmount. Lighter, smaller and less chewy than the hefty treat we're used to. Probably still loyal to the comfort food of our people as we grew up eating it, but this charming shop provided a tasty bagel to nosh on a bench bathed in fall sunshine. Better-salted than the St. Viateur bagel, and less sweet, which appealed more to our New York-oriented palates. -
Review from Frank L.
Toronto, ON
9/27/2011
I got someone shipped the bagels to me at home. It takes them around 6 hours and by the time of arrival it is too late at 2 a.m. to try them. The next morning I pick the Cinnamon and toast it. The texture is thicker and more chewy than those in Toronto. But with the high expectation I can only rate it a 3 star. I may have to go to Montreal one day to try it fresh from the oven before rating it again.
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Review from Jeff O.
9/16/2011
This was the bagel shop I liked better than the other one. Although Schwartz's smoked meat I like better than Katz's, NY definitely is my preference in bagel.
Listed in: Canada!
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Review from V B.
3/2/2011
My 250 Review!
NOT! I had 441 reviews in my previous Yelp life. So technically I have *counting fingers 691 horribly written and useless reviews.
But wait, I have had two flagged which again *counting fingers means I have 693!
Ok end rant.
NY Bagels are great, Montreal style bagels are better and are my favorite bagels in our solar system. And my favorite Montreal bagel are Fairmont's! I discovered these while on a romantic week long trip through Eastern Canada by myself. But traveling alone has it's benefits too, like you can make the call on what to have breakfast. So once I latched on Montreal bagels I made a point of eating one every single morning. I'm guessing your significant other would tire quickly of such a breakfast. But me? oh boy! I was in carb heaven!
Hey Fairmont Bagel, if you are ever looking to expand to the US, I know a small town that would welcome you with open arms. -
Review from Jenny H.
9/3/2011
We went around 9pm and got some warm sesame bagels. It was a pretty impressive operation, a mass of dough on the wooden table, and workers putting them on wooden planks, sticking them in the wood oven, boiling them, bagging them, etc. It was a nice, chewy bagel, kind of tasted like a philly soft pretzel to me, but warm. it was yummy! We got their sesame, garlic, and mixed bagels to go.
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Review from Peter S.
1/18/2011
Too much hype I guess.
Not the greatest bagel I have sampled. But I am sure the debate will rage forever!
I had an all dressed with cream cheese and salmon. Maybe a bit too much salmon for a little bagel?
Cash only. Really? They make buckets of dough outta this place, and can't be bothered to accept Interac. Come on, I know they have been around for years, but make it easier for us to spend $$$.
I was also under the [foolish] impression that there might be a place to eat your bagel inside. Nope. Out to the freezing ass street I went. Argh.
Perhaps on a sunny summer day this review would be an easy five star.
Till then Fairmount keep slingin your doughy delights. -
Review from D D.
Montréal, QC
5/4/2011
If you are looking for something tasty to spend your carbs on, have a just-out-of-the-oven sesame Fairmount Bagel sliced in half and slathered with full fat cream cheese. Then have another one. And another one. And eat every single one of the bagels that you bought, because these bagels are best on day one when just baked.
On day 2, you can freshen them up in the toaster, but it isn't as good as just baked. Also, tossing some in the freezer for a rainy day bagel binge in the future works well too at preserving the goodness, somewhat. But Day 2 and Defrosted bagels from Fairmount do not represent.
Yes, Fairmount Bagel is a small place that only accepts cash. Yes, there is no place to sit down. Yes, eating 6 bagels with cream cheese in one sitting is not necessarily healthy. But who cares? When bagels taste this good, it's worth it. -
Review from Ana W.
4/6/2011
Fresh out of the oven!
Not only do I love the great selection of fresh bagels, but I love stopping by to watch the bakers do their magic.
I find these bagels big and dense. No fluff!
My favourite bagels is the blueberry (only because I love sweets).
They has a great selection of bagels made with unbleached flour, organic whole wheat flour, organic spelt, organic buckwheat (great for those on gluten-free diets!).
I can't wait to go back and try other varieties! -
Review from Ajay R.
9/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was told I should only write a review after a comparison with St Viateur, and then contrast them with NYC bagels. I'm sorry to say Montreal, that while your bagels are good, and while they may have their place in this world... they are not NYC bagels. Good try though.
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Review from David M.
Toronto, ON
10/25/2010
I was reluctant to "spend" my 100th review on an establishment outside my home of Toronto, but for a Montreal or perhaps Canadian (but for sure, Jewish) institution, I'll make an exception.
What can I say? A visit here is a great experience. A step back in time. Highlights include a view of the bagel making process in action, and a pair of men carrying a "slab" of dough the size of a human body.
We hired a cab to take us here on the way to the train station (totally opposite direction) and wait while we went in. No surprise, this wasn't the first time the driver received this request. (He also received a fresh bagel for his trouble.)
Don't be misled by the (1951) in their name. Their origins go back to 1919. A must-visit if you're at all interested in the origins of the Montreal bagel, or Jewish culture in general. (It's at Fairmount and St. Urbain, for goodness sake.)
PS; I have one bone to pick. I truly doubt that Grandfather Isadore would approve of chocolate chip bagels. I think they should have stuck to sesame, poppy and plain. But that's just me.Listed in: 5-star Reviews, Montreal
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Review from Aaron M.
8/16/2011
It's all true:
- Probably the world's best bagels
- Open 24/7, from a miniscule little store with not much place to eat... but they'll sell them to you in whatever quantity you want, with cream cheese and a knife and a napkin if you so prefer. You can sit on the little bench right outside while eating if you are lucky.
- They generally have hot ones available, just ask (usually sesame, I've been told) but they won't serve these to you in plastic bags because the bags will melt!
- The magic in Montreal bagels is that the outside is almost toasted so that it has just a touch of crunchiness, while the inside is super duper soft and moist, literally almost like mochi. The overall flavor is slightly sweeter than that of New York style bagels, as Montreal style bagels are made using honey water. Amazing. Saint Viateur (sp?) bagels up the street are also pretty good and pretty famous, but didn't have quite the magical contrast between crunchiness and warm moistness that Fairmont bagels had in our two taste tests from five or so foodies.
- But before you get excited and take three dozen back home to the States, know this: they have a shelf life of about 12 hours. You've got to enjoy them right away!
BEST X AARON'S EVER HAD AWARD WINNER: MONTREAL STYLE BAGELS -
Review from Derrick V.
7/10/2010 1 Check-in Here
I'm told this spot has the best bagels in Montreal. The texture is nice, crispy with a nice chewy inside. I had the garlic and the onion, which were full of flavor. They have a bunch of spreads like hummus, tzaziki, lox, etc.
Another must try Montreal institution. No worries, the long line moves fast.Listed in: Montreal
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Review from Heather M.
9/20/2010
Nom, nom, nom... Fairmount Bagels is hands down my favourite bagel place in Montreal. Always a long lineup, but it moves briskly. Love that you can see them making the bagels as you order.
Bagels are always fresh, with crispy outsides and chewy insides, and discounts are available if you buy a half or full dozen.
The all dressed, onion, and garlic bagels are great, but my all time fave are the sesame bagels. The bagels are so good that I once ate through a half dozen in less than an hour. True story.
Also, generally the bagels are so good on their own that you don't even have to sully them with cream cheese or other condiments. These are bagels that stand on their own! -
Review from Joe J.
10/3/2010
The best bagel in the world: just maybe. Montreal style is very different from NY style and I prefer it. The Montreal style is about the same diameter, but has much less dough, so there is a large center hole. The dough is also a bit more dense but with larger holes and slightly sweeter. Because of the different geometry, it cooks differently with a high crust to interior ratio.
Fairmount is one amazing business. The place is unassuming. It is about the size of a house and when you enter (anytime, as the place is open 24/7), the place is stacked to the ceiling with bakery trays of bagged sesame bagels. The sesame bagel is by far their best selling item. As you approach the counter you can watch the whole process from hand rolling the dough to boiling, seeding, and baking.
Order a sesame bagel with cream cheese plus a bag of fresh ones to take home. Eat the bagel on the bench out front and be prepared to be amazed. It may very well be the best in the world. -
Review from Tee F.
Montréal, QC
7/1/2011
Love these bagels! Get them fresh out of the oven if you can. You can't sit in but you can eat them out of the bag on the street like all the other cool kids.
I prefer these to St-Viateur.. there, I said it! -
Review from May N.
10/23/2010
I didn't get a chance to compare the rival Montreal bagel shops so this was my only bagel experience on my trip. It's a small shop with plenty of visitor parking around. Important because the space is mainly a bagel bakery, there is barely room to turn around in to leave after you place your order and pay. It smells wonderful as soon as you step in the door. There are plenty of prepackaged bagels to go, but you can also order individually. Jam and cream cheese sold separately. We were running low on Canadian cash so we got our bagels naked and took them to Jean Talon market to enjoy then shop for gifts for family.
We both got the sesame seed bagels. The bagels are about the usual size with a large central hole. The texture was a little chewier than usual, but not in a bad way. The dough was a little sweeter than usual, again not in a bad way, just different. It was good and the cream cheese was not missed.
Easy to stock up and take home if you're driving! Cash only. -
Review from Krsna V.
8/7/2008
Hands down, the best bagel store I've visited in my life. Nothing comes close.
The only "machine" I saw here is the cash machine. Everything else is hand made. You can see the bagel preparation process while ordering. Everything is hand made, with care.
Get the Montreal style bagel. It is the equivalent of everything bagel. There is no match to it. Other winners are cumin, chocolate chip, and sun dried tomato bagels.
We took our bagels to Illy coffee next door to eat. There is no space to sit at Fairmount bagels, there is barely enough space to stand.
I bought a whole bag of the Montreal style bagels to bring home and forgot them on the plane. I listened to my man for an entire week, as a punishment. Yeah, they are that good.Listed in: Montreal - The land of hot…
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Review from Gaelan D.
Toronto, ON
8/16/2010
You walk into a little building, crammed with crates of product and ingredients necessary to make that product, to order a half-dozen of SUPER-DENSE bagels for less than five.
They don't just have the regular flavours, poppyseed, sesame, etc... but novelties (for me) like cardamom. Tried it, and it definitely works.
I don't lean a particular way on NY bagels vs Montreal bagels or this place vs. St Viateur, but these bagels are definitely an experience and definitely worth having when you have the chance. The bagels have to be earned, you can easily spend a good 1/2 hour per bagel to fight and chew the dense material. The taste, sublime.
The one minor quibble I have is that they won't break change, so you might be upsold if you don't want to go hunting for an ABM before acquiring delicious delicious bagels. -
Review from Megan G.
7/22/2009
I'm such a tourist.
So yes, I had to grab a famous Montreal bagel on my recent trip. I hiked out here from my downtown hotel on a lovely Friday morning and was surprised to arrive to a line out the door. Fortunately, Fairmount is very efficient and I was quickly at the front of the line. I ordered one sesame and one cinnamon raisin bagel, paid up, and was out of there because there is no place to eat in the store. I settled on a bench outside, decided to save my cinnamon raisin bagel as a snack during my later Mont Royal hike, and started eating. Having finished the sesame bagel, I promptly reversed my decision and also ate the cinnamon raisin one. I'm a tourist with poor impulse control.
My Lonely Planet tour book informed me that Montreal residents refer to our American bagels as "hockey pucks" (whether or not this is true, I have no idea). And I can see why. These bagels are definitely "wetter" than ours are - perhaps because they're dunked in water before they go in the oven. They're also slightly sweeter. I dunno...at the end of the day they were good, but a bagel's kind of a bagel's kind of a bagel. After the hype I was expecting this bagel to change my life and make me swear off American bagels forever. Let's just say I've already purchased a Dunkin' Donuts bagel since my return.
Prices are super reasonable, and I saw they had bags of day old bagels for even less money available at the front of the store.Listed in: Megan visits Montreal
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Review from Daniel B.
9/6/2008
I've never liked Montreal bagels. I've always thought they tasted more like pretzels than bagels.
But, I was in Montreal, and my friend from the area, said this was the place to go. So, I trekked out here. In the rain. Pushing a stroller. With an overtired child in the seat.
First, I got here, and was disappointed there was no place to sit and enjoy the bagels I was going to buy. The shop itself was great. And watching the process was amazing. But the place was small. And not quite what I expected.
I bought a few bagels, took a bite out of one before leaving the store. I was woefully unimpressed.
Then a local cabbie comes in. He has left his cab double parked outside. He asks for "two of whatever is hot". Pays his money and is on his way.
I go back to the counter. And I now ask for "two of whatever is hot". And I have a bagel that changes my mind about what a bagel can be. Holy sh*t those were good bagels.
Cabbies. Say what you will about them... they know how to eat.
So screw the fancy flavors. Seriously. Get what just came out of the oven. Eat it on the spot. Then repeat. Until you can't shove any more white flour down your gullet.
Are they the better bagel? Honestly, I am still partial to the NY bagel on the whole. But Fairmont has encouraged me to keep an open mind. -
Review from Jef S.
1/25/2009
This is not a cafe. There are no tables, cafe au laits, or wireless internet stations.
It's a friggin' bagel store. Like, you know, a bakery.
It amazes me that people want so much goddamn razzle-dazzle these days that they'll rate stars down on THE BEST FREAKIN' BAGELS IN THE UNIVERSE just because it doesn't meet their Lacoste Sportif wearing, cosmo-sipping, gentrified yuppie ideal.
Cynical New Yorkers should avoid Fairmount as well. This isn't fucking
Zabar's, and the bagels aren't those puffy monsters that the Apple is so famous for.
As for me, I'll take 7 dozen sesame seed bagels to go, please.Listed in: Canada!
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Review from cherie c.
9/27/2008
My bf and my friends LOVE Montreal-style bagels.
When we visited Montreal, this was a must-stop. We stocked up on enough to bring home to the States, and we savored every one.
Chewy bagels with a nice density, and not sweet at all (that's a big issue for me in bagel shops outside of NYC--too many places add a lot of honey or sugar). Perfect simply toasted with butter. Mmm. -
Review from Julie K.
6/9/2009 5 photos
I knew I had to try a bagel at Fairmount when I was in Montreal, so I grabbed a taxi at my hotel. When the doorman asked where I was going so he could tell my driver and I said Fairmount Bagels, he smiled and teased me, "Are you going to bring some back with you? You'll have a lot of friends!"
Even when I walked in the door of the little storefront, I wasn't sure if I was in the right place. The vestibule was stacked high with bagged bagels and all I could see were people in various stages of bagel-making. For a moment I thought I'd walked into the wrong part, because I didn't see a retail counter anywhere. But when I asked the first worker I saw, she pointed me around the tower of packages to the counter.
While contemplating what to order and then waiting for my smoked salmon and cream cheese on a plain bagel, I was able to witness the process: one man sliced bits from a huge ball of dough and formed the bagels. At the other table another man lined up uncooked bagels on a 6-foot-plus narrow wooden paddle and placed the bagels into the roaring wood-fired oven. It was quite a spectacle, especially when the bagels were extracted from the oven on the long paddle and tossed into a waiting receptacle.
I ate my bagel as I walked back toward my hotel, down St.-Laurent. At first glance, it was definitely smaller than its U.S. cousins. At first bite, it was harder, more pretzel-like than doughy, and slighty sweet. But as with all bagels, it was delicious with the cream cheese and smoked salmon. The trip to Fairmount was certainly worth it, but I still prefer American bagels.Listed in: An Homage to Montreal's Great…
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