Café
St-Viateur Bagel
Mile End bakery founded in 1957, where bagels are still hand-rolled, boiled in honey water and baked in a wood-burning oven, open from 6am to midnight.
Fairmount Bagel
Family-run Mile End bagel bakery whose story begins in 1919 with the city's first bagel bakery, still rolling bagels by hand and baking them in a wood-fired oven.
At a glance
- Type
- Bagel bakery
- Area
- Mile End, Montreal, Canada
- Price
- $ · Budget
- Official site
- fairmountbagel.com
Good to know
- Wood-fired oven
- Cream cheese and spreads
- Family run
Why we recommend it
Fairmount Bagel traces its history to 7 September 1919, when Isadore Shlafman, who had moved to Canada from Russia, opened the Montreal Bagel Bakery in a lane off Saint-Laurent Boulevard, the street known as the Main. The bakery describes it as the city's first bagel bakery. In 1949 the business moved into a cottage on avenue Fairmount, with the family living upstairs, and it has stayed at that address ever since.
It is still a family business. Ownership passed from Isadore to his son Jack and then to Jack's son Irwin, and the bagels are still rolled by hand and baked in a wood-fired oven. Like other Montreal-style bagels, they are made with honey and malt syrup, the classic Montreal-style combination.
Sesame is the best seller, accounting for about 70 per cent of sales, and it is the one to try first if you are comparing Montreal bakeries. The shop also sells fresh products and schmears, including tubs of cream cheese, so you can assemble breakfast on the spot. In May 2008 the astronaut Greg Chamitoff, a nephew of the owner, took Fairmount bagels to the International Space Station on the shuttle mission STS-124.
The family connection to the Main is part of the story: the original bakery stood in a lane off Saint-Laurent Boulevard, the same street as Schwartz's deli, before the move to avenue Fairmount. Opening hours are not published on the bakery's home page, so call (514) 272-0667 if you are planning an early-morning or late-night visit.
It suits families, budget travellers and anyone on a food walk through the Plateau and Mile End. A stop takes only a few minutes.
If you are comparing the two famous bakeries, keep the test fair. Both roll their bagels by hand and bake them in wood-fired ovens, so order the same variety at each, and sesame, Fairmount's best seller, is the natural choice. Eat them while they are still warm for the clearest comparison.
St-Viateur Bagel, its long-standing rival, is nearby, and the two are close enough to compare in a single morning. Pair them with an espresso at Café Olimpico on rue Saint-Viateur Ouest for a classic Mile End breakfast.
Fairmount Bagel FAQs
When did it open?
Its story begins on 7 September 1919 with the Montreal Bagel Bakery; it moved to avenue Fairmount in 1949.
Who runs it?
The Shlafman family, from Isadore to his son Jack and grandson Irwin.
How are the bagels made?
They are rolled by hand and baked in a wood-fired oven.
Which bagel should you try?
Sesame, which makes up about 70 per cent of sales.
Does it sell cream cheese?
Yes. It sells schmears, including tubs of cream cheese.
Where was the original bakery?
In a lane off Saint-Laurent Boulevard, before the 1949 move to avenue Fairmount.
What are the hours?
Hours are not listed on the home page, so call (514) 272-0667 to check.
Did Fairmount bagels go to space?
Yes. Astronaut Greg Chamitoff took them to the International Space Station in May 2008.