The Best Bagels in Toronto

Difficult to classify but easy to devour, the fluffy, light bagels at this North York bakery are handmade the old-fashioned way. Boiled then baked, they're available in a variety of flavours, from flax to cinnamon raisin. 

At this family-run shop in Liberty Village, the Beaches and more, Montreal-style bagels take a turn in boiling honey water before baking to a golden brown in a wood-fired oven. Order them plain, or turned into towering sandwiches topped with deli meats, breakfast staples or satisfying spreads.

Warm bagels are always on the menu at this 30-year-old local chain. Hand-select your favourites—from rye to rainbow—then mull over a glut of topping options. From eggs and smoked salmon to cream cheese in every flavour imaginable, there's plenty to consider. 

Seven days a week, bagel stans get their fix at this Oakwood Village take-out spot. Hybrids between Montreal- and New York-style, offerings here are hand-rolled and malt-boiled for delicate sweetness that runs through their every fluffy crumb. Sure, there's smoked fish and cream cheese but it's the Yossel, a combo of pastrami, Swiss and Russian dressing, that really makes a statement.

With a tempting assortment of bagel and cream cheese flavours, plus sandwiches, pizza bagels and more, it’s likely you'll find your fit at this popular chain. Montreal-style options for breakfast, lunch or dinner, bagels here range from tried-and-true classics to attention-seekers, like double chocolate and cheddar and dill. 

At this North York institution, the kneading, shaping, boiling and baking begin at the crack of dawn. Whether you swing by for the first batch or pop in before the store's 3 p.m. close, you'll be rewarded with fresh bagels, twisters and flagels (a.k.a., crispier, flatter bagels) in assorted flavours.

Montreal's venerated bagel traditions are upheld at this multi-location chain, at Bayview and Leaside, Avenue and Lawrence, and more. Boiled in honey water to form the coveted crust, the bagels are then crusted with seeds and baked in a brick oven. On a menu that leans classic, they're available with countless toppings, including egg, chicken liver, jam and white tuna salad. 

A one-stop spot for Jewish delicacies, this Annex sandwich shop specializes in bagels and their must-have accessories. Here, Kiva's European-style bagels are dressed with sundry items, from hot smoked turkey to pastrami gravlax. Made by a team dedicated to generous portions, these demand a firm, two-handed grip.

Seductively yeasty and plump, the bagels at this St. Clair West spot are served open-faced and ready for their close-up. In sesame, everything and cinnamon raisin, they're only available dressed, whether you go for the simplicity of sea-salted butter or the luxury of velvety egg salad topped with heirloom tomatoes and cowboy pepper drizzle.