Bagel World
417 Bloor St W.
Phone: 647.350.6910
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I found Bagel World #2 a few months ago (it's been there for six). At the time they were still getting their bagels shipped from Bagel World #1, but told me the plan was to start baking their own around February. Sure enough, I walked over there yesterday and was greeted by a sandwich board indicating on-site daily bagel baking (there was also a sandwich board that said "try our cheesecake" to which Alyssa audibly replied "yes, okay"). 
We did not try the cheesecake, unfortunately. We didn't try much from the great looking selection of sweets, aside from a couple of rugelachs ($13/lb). But they were excellent in chocolate and raisin, so I can infer that the other sweet stuff is quality. I had my eye on what looked like a massive chocolate chip cookie, shortbread I thought, though I couldn't be sure. There was definitely a lack of signage. We didn't know what any of the bagels were or how much they cost (and there are some hidden costs so the big price sign isn't necessarily accurate). So it was a bit confusing... (If, however, this is just a ploy to get customers to ask the staff questions, I have to applaud it. Because the staff is exceedingly pleasant and I think everyone should talk to them. They're so smiley and helpful.)
They offer a small but enticing selection of bagel categories: flat, regular and Montreal style. I brought my choice to the counter and was told it was a poppy seed pumpernickel flat bagel. I had it toasted and plain cream cheesed for $4.49. Alyssa had salmon cream cheese (this is premium) on a toasted sesame bagel for $5.95. We also both had a coffee (which is bottomless!) for $1.80 each.
I really enjoyed my bagel. It was dense, chewy and nicely salted on top, which made the cream cheese so good... I like it all even more in retrospect. Today I'm craving one like crazy. I also appreciate that we were offered cucumbers and tomatoes on the bagel for no extra charge (My other plain-bagel-and-plain-cream-cheese-loving friend found she couldn't say no, in spite of herself).
I want to go back to that small and busy (and warm - there's a fireplace) bakery. The final cash tally was a bit steep, but they offer plenty of day-olds and there is, of course, bagel special day Tuesdays. You can also take home their cream cheeses. And should I ever have some extra dough to spend on fresh bagels (and this is my dream, for everyone) Bagel World #2 would be my top choice around the Annex.
Photography by Alyssa Bistonath.
Comments (20)
Don't understand why they close at 6 when everyone is on their way home. That's when I buy my grocery as well as all the other walking traffic does.
My mom always said "never breathe the air north of St. Clair" but I always thought Bagel World on Wilson was the last best bagel in Toronto. I am thrilled that they are now on Bloor. Try the flattened ones- all skin, salt and poppy seed, the best parts of a great bagel.
I ate there today! A bagel with lox and cream cheese and a coffee set me back 11 bucks, which seemed rather steep, but it was good. If I had known the coffee was bottomless I would have had another cup. The young guy who served me was very cute, as well, which is always nice. :)
Thanks for the review. It's not that far from where I live. I really miss St-Viateur bagels from when I lived in Montreal. I'm going to check it out.
I'm not a cheap person, but am I the only one who thinks its outrageous to pay $5 for a bagel and cream cheese or $11 for a bagel with lox and cream cheese? I think a bagel costs something like .40 at Gryfes, and are pretty damn good....
Not to my taste. I found their bagels too tough, too hard, almost like they were stale, and too, too expensive. Sad, really, because there isn't a good place to buy bagels around the annex - and isn't that surprising.
But then again, there are Montreal-style people and Toronto-style people. Those Montrealers seem to like their bagels tough and small and expensive. For my money, I'll take What A Bagel on Eglinton, fresh and hot on a Sunday morning.
...so according to Mark, 'Montreal-style people' like their bagels tough, small and expensive.
Do yourself a favour Mark, next time you are in Montreal (and I do hope you've been), stop by Fairmount or St. Viateur and pick-up a half dozen fresh bagels from eiter (or both).
You'll see what us Montreal-style people are talking about. Fresh as, and not expensive, nor tough.
Get a clue.
A real Montreal bagel is a little chewy, but not tough. Although nothing beats a piping hot Montreal bagel fresh out of the wood-fired oven, you can apparently get St-Viateur bagels in Toronto, or even order them online. Check out my link above.
Lox and cream cheese toasted bagel?
Try Karine's by Maggie's in the Village by the Grange two steps south of AGO.
Price $5.99 The whole lot and fresh fruits on the side.
Worth my money any day of the week.
We'll go back again and again again....
it's not shortbread cookies just so you know. My bubbie would roll over in her grave if she saw that a bagel bakery offered those next to rugelachs! Oy!
I'm still thinking montreal and new york bagels are the best...toronto still has work to do although bagel world isn't bad at all.
somechick, don't get started on the 'bagel wars'. There are already firmly entrenched camps in Toronto who have their own favourites and steadfastly stand by them without bringing in Montreal and New York bagels. My personal favourite is the 'twister' from either Bagel World on Wilson or Kiva's on Steeles. Interesting urban lore about how Bagel World changed hands and then Kiva's sprang up. The twisters from Bagel World and Kiva's are almost indistinguishable from each other since they both come from the same great (but not very lucky) mind. The Montreal and/or New York bagel probably deserve their own place at their respective ex-pat's breakfast table but there are more than enough good bagel bakers in Toronto to argue about who makes the best bagel in T.O.
They have a flat bagel here you can get with egg and brie and mushroom or something like that, and I am addicted to it, even though it's pricey. My mouth is watering...
Also, I fell for that big cookie. It's not shortbread, it's a regular sugar cookie and it's surprisingly bland. :(
I tried out this place soon after this review was written.
I found the service lax and the set-up of the establishment confusing. I helped myself to one of the bagels in the serve-yourself bins (although there was no labels to indicate WHAT type of bagels they were.) When I told someone I wanted to dine-in, the (unfriendly) waitress told me to take a seat and to put back the bagel, as someone will take my order. "But I already touched it!", showing her the bagel in my hand. "Just put it on top of the counter and we'll make sure you get it back." Okayyy. I left the bagel on the counter, not knowing if I would be getting back my man-handled bagel, or if some other unlucky person will.
I ordered a bagel with the basic cream cheese ($5) along with a smoothie ($3.50). My partner ordered a bagel with a western omelette ($9) with a coffee ($2). I found my bagel to be underwhelming - overly dry and small in size. The cream cheese was fine, but comparable to the Western's brand, which I often buy at supermarkets. The omelette was good but very basic, and something we could have made ourselves at home.
The service was spotty - they appeared understaffed, and the one waitress (who told me to "put my bagel back") barely paid attention to us, and we had to get up and get extra utensils and condiments ourselves.
We found out after our bill was served that coffee refills are NOT free, and in fact cost the same as ordering another coffee ($2). After taxes and the extra cost of tipping (because we foolishly chose to dine-in) our bill was roughly $25.
To say the least, I left feeling very unsatisfied and slightly ripped-off. I'll stick to buying my bagels at St. Urbain in St. Lawrence Market.
wow. Bagelworld #2 seems so different from bagelworld #1. I think I'm going to have to go for a drive and see what all the fuss is about. Bagelworld #1 is amazing. The only problem is the line out the door. Not very expensive either. I go for the BLT add Havarti cheese. It's less than $4, and it's MASSIVE. A bagel and cream cheese is $2. Five dollars for a bagel! You guys have got to be kidding me.
att: ELLE DRIVER
I am a favoured customer at both Bagel World locations ( bathurst and wilson, 417 spadina and bloor) and would like to comment on your inacurate blog.
Starting off, I have been to the bloor location countless times, and not once have I heard of such ridiculous complaints. Lack of service? Ive never seen such enthusiastic, friendly staff members who try extremely hard to please their customers; always giving myself and my wife the desired attention needed while dining.
The waitress, on the weekends, couldn't be more friendly and attentive when serving us, as well as going out of her way to give our table complimentary ruggalach(no one makes them like Bagel World) Furthermore, Im sure the staff are trained to approuch customers when they walk in the door asking if "are you sitting in, or taking out" its pretty simple- straight forward I'd say. So, when one makes such a complaint on the lack of service and a "man-handled bagel" you wonder if they take the time to realise how hard these students are working to make sure that she and her husband are satisfied and at the same time ensuring that new customers understand the poloicies of eating in on a weekend.
BTW---- had "the famous" eggs and onions with an untoasted poppy twister, with a side scoop of cream cheese. Just the way I remeber Shelley making it growing up on Wilson. And for your information, you pay for your experience, and I am more than happy to keep going back and recieveing the warm and inviting atmosphere at Bagel World on Bloor.
PPS- if you could make a better western omellete at home- try to expand your pallette ... eggsand onions are timeles... and YOU could never make them the same at home. so do everyone a favor, stop hating, enjoy life and stay home !
Yeah its more like they close when they feel like it. Dont buy day old bagels there, when I brought it home there were baby maggots inside one of them!
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