I Tried 6 Bagel Places From New York And Montreal To Determine Which City Wins (2024)

Helloooo foodies! My name is Abby, and if there's one thing you should know about me, it's this: I LOVE BAGELS. They could be the greatest food of all time. What else is equally acceptable to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or as a snack? Nothing. No, like, I don't think you get it... I was RAISED on bagels. My parents framed a painting of a bagel in their house. And although I've learned the hard way that not all cities have decent bagels (ahem, Calgary), bagels in Toronto (where I'm from) just don't compare to the "Big Two": Montreal and New York. I've spent my whole life listening to friends and family from these two cities argue about whose bagels are better — but I've never actually sat down and compared them before. THE PEOPLE DESERVE AN ANSWER: Which are better, Montreal or New York bagels, once and for all?! Welllllll, I went to both Montreal and New York recently, with the sole mission of tasting bagels. And I'm excited to announce that we have a winner. But first, the breakdown. In Montreal, I tried Fairmount, St. Viateur, and Dizz’s. In New York, I had Best Bagel & Coffee, Tompkins Square Bagels, and Brooklyn Bagel. It was extremely difficult to choose, but I vetted all of these spots on Google Reviews and TikTok — believe me, they're the best of the best. The style and taste of each city's bagels is 1000% different. Montreal bagels are a hint sweeter, and the hole in the middle is bigger. They're also smaller and crunchier. Montreal is arguably more famous for their classic bagel and cream cheese — along with smoked meat sandwiches, of course. Meanwhile, New York bagels are bigger and doughier. They're more maximalist, crafting these huge sandwiches, and they have about a gajillion cream cheese flavours. Like, I couldn't finish my New York bagel sandwich in one sitting, and meanwhile, I gobbled my Montreal bagels down in just a few bites. Sooooo, with all of that considered, I have my winner — which sort of depends on bagel flavour and occasion. I judged each city by category: best cinnamon raisin bagel, best everything bagel, best bagel on its own, and finally, best sandwich. The first category: CINNAMON RAISIN BAGELS. I judged these based on level of sweetness, raisin generosity, and overall cinnamon flavour. Because there's nothing worse than a cinnamon raisin bagel that doesn't taste like cinnamon. BLASPHEMY. And the winner is... ...Montreal! The sweetness of the bagel complemented the flavour much better, and they were much more generous with the raisins. I had SO MANY of these bagels on their own as a snack throughout the day — they were SO. GOOD. And now, for EVERYTHING BAGELS. I'm judging on the true quality of an everything bagel: how much flavour can you truly pack in a bagel? And, you know, how much do I want to keep eating it despite the garlic breath? My pick is... ...New York! I found that the doughiness of the bagel and more extravagant flavours worked better for their everything bagel, rather than Montreal's. Although both were pretty great, I'd definitely rather get an everything bagel in New York than Montreal. Next: best bagel on its own! Like, no butter, no cream cheese, NOTHING. Essentially, which is the best to take a bite out of as you're leaving the bagel shop, because you can't quite make it home before you start eating? My winner is... ...Montreal has New York beat here! The more dense texture and slightly sweeter flavour just works better when it's plain. They feel more... I don't know... authentic. Like, you know when Harry Styles said "this movie feels like a movie" about Don't Worry Darling? Well, Montreal bagels feel like a bagel. So there's that. And finally: I happen to be a "go-big-or-go-home" girlie, so that means that arguably the most important category is SANDWICHES. AKA, which bagel goes best with something on it? Because, TBH, that's how I want to be eating my bagels most of the time. Drumroll please....... ...New York bagels just appeal more to me. DON'T HATE ME, CANADA! There's just nothing on the planet I'd rather eat for lunch than this New York bagel sandwich (yes, even smoked meat). Montreal bagels just don't work as well for sandwiches, not just because of their size, but also their texture. So my overall winner is New York, since this was the greatest bagel I've ever had in my life. LOOK AT HER AND TELL ME I'M WRONG. She's beauty and she's grace. Check out that soft-yet-a-bit-crunchy bread, and how it envelops the whole sandwich. I'm in love. But before Canadians start yelling at me in the comments (and before my Montreal family shuns me forever): this doesn't mean I don't LOOOOVE Montreal bagels, too... it just means I'd rather have a New York bagel sandwich than literally any other kind of bagel ever. PERIOD. And there we have it: your official review from the biggest bagel fan you'll ever find. I gotta go have a bagel for lunch, but in the meantime, tell me what your pick for best bagel ever is in the comments, yeah? 🥯 Also, make sure you follow BuzzFeed Canada on Instagram and TikTok — even if you're not fans of Montreal bagels — because us foodies gotta stay together.