Fairmount Bagel – Montreal, QC
The Original Fairmount Bagel Bakery
74 Avenue Fairmount Ouest
Montreal, QC
(514) 272-0667
Montreal’s first bagel bakery, continues the tradition with a time-tested recipe of hand-rolling, and baking in a wood burning oven. This is another perfect example of a single store, making one thing, really, really well.
I enjoy bagels, but growing up in Western Canada, my exposure to this carbohydrate packed treat has been limited to those available in grocery stores or the local donut shop. When we arrived at this bagel factory, I’ll admit that we were overwhelmed with over 20 varieties to choose from. So, we asked if the purveyor would choose a dozen of his favorites, plus a couple of the ones which just came out of the fire.
Blueberry, carried a nice sweetness and for reasons out of our comprehension, was much more plump and lighter than the others.
Mueslix (whole wheat flour, honey, triticale flakes, oat flakes, millet, sesame seeds and raisins.) This tasted a little too ‘healthy’ for my liking 
Chocolate Chip, had a secondary flavour of an orange. Reminded me of that Christmas chocolate you open by smacking it on a table.
All dressed ( onion, garlic, caraway, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and coarse salt). I’m sure the charred side of the bagel is not ideal, but it didn’t seem to bother me very much – as this was my favorite of the bunch! As this was still warm, it added another dimension to making this a standout.
I apologize for only photographing the four bagels above, as by the time I had setup a place to photograph these, the tempation to start sampling took precidence.
Seems as though “I love food”, was also in town around the same time – and snapped a great pic of the sesame bagel.
Take-aways from this experience: the wood fired oven imparts an enjoyable outer crust, while the interior remains dense and chewy. This is a Montreal classic, which I would love to have more time to become familiar with…
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Did you try St Viateur? Curious to see which one you liked better. It’s a pretty classic Montreal comparison.
Almattone brought me a half dozen of each last time he visited. While everyone has a difference preference, the winner in that case was clearly…me
Oh, and fresh and warm is the best comparison. Im not a huge fan of the flavoured bagels.
I had planned on giving them a visit the following day, but after spending a few HOURS stuck in traffic due to road construction – we bailed.
The flavoured bagels were hit & miss, but from all of the flavoured bagels we sampled – the most memorable was the blueberry, and definitely the all-dressed.
Oh how I miss all of these great spots…
Warm and fresh is the best indeed! My favorites have always been poppy seed and sesame seed. Maybe boring now-a-days, but the two best options IMO. When we moved back to Alberta, the family joke was everyone out here got ‘buns with holes’. Real Bagels FTW!
I love the charred bits of the bagel. I usually grab the darkest bagel of the batch. I also love anything cooked in a woodfired oven.
The Fairmount vs St Viateur rivalry is a classic – I choose no sides and will happily eat bagels from either establishment.
Thanks for the link! I’ll link you on mine as well.