You know how it feels to crave a bagel. And you know that when that hankering hits, any old bagel just won’t do.
The ultimate bagel offers just the right amount of chew, prime softness, the perfect layer of spread, and ample toppings. And luckily, there are a number of spots in the city that are offering up the greatest of goods.
These are twelve of the city’s most beautiful bagels.
Lox + Schmear
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Whether you’re craving a classic bagel topped with lox or a more elaborate sammy, Lox + Schmear’s got something for you. Their tuna melt is something to behold, and vegans can have a happy tummy when they choose the vegan cream cheese option and load their sandwich with tons of veggies — pickled or not.
Address: 1030 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto
Phone: 647-627-8655
What a Bagel
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What a Bagel is a prime spot to stop, pretty much wherever you are in the city. With plenty of locations, a delicious breakfast sandwich — or rainbow bagel — is always nearby. Which is perfect for when you’re hungry on the way to work.
Address: Multiple locations across the city
Schmaltz
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This spot is wicked, and there’s only one left. With the Ossington location no longer, Dupont is the only street in the city hawking those classic Schmaltz offerings. Bagel options range from poppyseed to pumpernickel, horseradish mayo is on deck, and toppings include whitefish salad, chopped liver, lemon dill gravlax, pastrami smoked lox, pickled onion and capers. A stop here is the biggest yes.
Address: 414 Dupont Street (behind Fat Pasha)
Phone: 647-350-4400
am bagel
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Making its home in the Queen and Roncy neighbourhood, am bagel is serving fierce bagel sandwiches, hot coffee and the coziest atmosphere. All their options are delicious, but we’d be remiss to not highlight the delightful vegan option on weekend rotation: a carrot-based lox over dairy-free cream cheese, sprinkled with capers and bursting with flavour. If you’d prefer sweet over savoury, this spot’s got Penny Candy Jam, which layers perfectly over cream cheese.
Address: 53 Roncesvalles Avenue
Bagel House
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This comforting spot offers up the classics: breakfast sammies, lox, and build-your-own creations. The bagels are bouncy with just the right amount of chew, and they’re open late. This means if you’re needing a carb-loaded bite after a beer or two, you’re supported. Bagels have got your back.
Address: Multiple locations across the city
Nu Bügel
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This Kensington Market gem is worth the visit. Their smoked trout sandwich is served with sweet horseradish jelly and pommery mustard. They’ve also got New York-style pastrami, smoked chicken with pesto mayo, corned beef and “Le Chèvre,” made with goat cheese, baby arugula, and house jelly.
Address: 240 Augusta Avenue
Phone: 647-748-4488
Bagel Time
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This Greektown spot is slinging Montreal-style bagels, made fresh on the daily. To keep with the theme, they’ve got a Montreal smoked meat option on-deck that is very much worth a try, if you’re so inclined. And they’ll do up other flavour combos for you too. Say, peanut butter and cheddar?
Address: 582 Danforth Avenue
Phone: 416-546-0177
St. Urbain Bagels
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St. Urbain is a saint in that it’s got something for everyone. Cream cheese-fiends, check. Can’t have dairy? Got you. Love classics, healthy twists or sweet takes? You’re covered. Here you can get a chocolate chip bagel with vegan cream cheese, a pretzel bagel with lox pate, a flaxseed bagel with babaganoush, and everything in between.
Address: 93 Front Street East
Phone: 416-364-8305
Almond Butterfly
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This spot is totally gluten-free, baby. So you can have your bagel and eat it, too. With vegan options on-deck, plenty of sandwich choices and both savoury and sweet toppings on the menu, you can satisfy your cravings without compromising your digestive system’s integrity.
Address: 100 Harbord Street
Phone: 416-792-7994
Bloomer’s
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Vegans, rejoice. Bloomer’s serves sinfully good fluffy bagels and you can top them with a cashew-based cream cheese style spread, in an herby flavour or sharp cheddar. That alone is drool-worthy. Add the fact that during weekday mornings, the spot serves a vegan breakfast sandwich featuring artisanal Rescue Dogs Vegan‘s maple breakfast banger, and you’re in paradise.
Address: 873 Bloor Street West
Phone: 416-551-0532
Kiva’s
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These sandwiches are loaded. Piles of roast turkey, lox, chicken salad and more are served with fresh and crunchy lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes on top. With three locations across the city, you can get your bagel fix whether you’re uptown, midtown, or right in the downtown core.
Address: 15 St. Clair Avenue West; 133 Richmond Street; 2496 Yonge Street
Primrose Bagel
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One of the city’s best bagel pop-ups, Primrose Bagel, is now open in the middle of St. Clair West Village. The self-described “bagel lifestyle brand” offers up “hot bagels, smoked fishies, soups, salads, and a curated selection of items you might find at a NY style bodega.” You’ll struggle to choose between a proper schmear or a loaded pizza bagel… so you should probably just get both.
Address: 317 Oakwood Avenue