The counters in Montreal worth queuing for: bread, pastry, and the morning ritual.
Bakery counters in Montreal worth queuing for: levain breads, laminated pastry, regional bakes and the morning ritual.
St-Viateur has hand-rolled and wood-fired Montreal bagels around the clock since 1957, the Mile End benchmark for the honey-boiled, denser city style.
Worth the queueSesame bagel, hot from the oven
TipBuy them hot by the dozen; a sesame bagel straight from the wood oven needs nothing but your hands.
Fairmount Bagel is Montreal's oldest bagel bakery, wood-firing sesame and poppy rings around the clock on Avenue Fairmount since 1919 a block from St-Viateur.
Worth the queueSesame bagel
TipPick a side in the Fairmount-versus-St-Viateur debate by buying a hot dozen from each and comparing.
Hof Kelsten is Jeffrey Finkelstein's bakery on Saint-Laurent in Montreal, turning out challah, rye and babka plus a lunchtime smoked-meat sandwich.
Worth the queueChallah and rye bread
TipCome for the challah on Friday and the babka any day; the counter also does a serious matzo-ball soup.
Mamie Clafoutis is a French bakery on Rue Saint-Denis in Montreal, filling its cases with laminated croissants, tarts and country loaves through the day.
Worth the queueAlmond croissant
TipThe almond croissant and the namesake clafoutis are the buys; it stays open later than most bakeries.
Au Kouign-Amann is the tiny Plateau pastry shop in Montreal that made the caramelised Breton kouign-amann a local ritual, baked warm in small daily batches.
Worth the queueKouign-amann
TipGo by 09:30 for a warm kouign-amann; when the day's batch sells out, that is it until tomorrow.
Kem CoBa is the Mile End ice cream shop in Montreal whose salted-butter soft serve and rotating sorbets draw a summer line down Avenue Fairmount.
Worth the queueSalted-butter soft serve
TipThe salted-butter and one fruit sorbet twist is the order; it is seasonal, so check before a winter trip.
Guillaume is a modern Mile End bakery on Saint-Laurent in Montreal, prized for its sourdough loaves and a chocolate croissant many rank among the city's best.
Worth the queueChocolate croissant
TipBread sells out by afternoon; morning is best for the croissants and the seasonal fruit danishes.
La Bete a Pain is chef Marc-Andre Royal's bakery-cafe on Rue Fleury in Montreal, part boulangerie and part counter for sandwiches, quiche and viennoiserie.
Worth the queueSourdough baguette
TipIt works as a bakery and a lunch stop; the baguette sandwiches and quiche are the midday move.
Automne Boulangerie is a Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie bakery in Montreal whose long-fermented sourdough and buttery croissants earned a citywide following.
Worth the queueCroissant
TipWeekend mornings sell out fast; go early for the croissants and grab a loaf while they last.
Premiere Moisson anchors the Atwater Market bakery corner in Montreal, a Quebec chain baking country breads, viennoiserie and a classic tarte au sucre.
Worth the queueSugar pie (tarte au sucre)
TipPair a loaf here with cheese and charcuterie from the market stalls for a canal-side picnic.
Guided tour · 2 hours
Explore Montreal's Old Port on a walking tour with a local guide. Enjoy a pastry tasting, discover hidden alleys, and learn about the area's history and culture.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Discover the Mile End neighbourhood in Montreal on a guided foodie walking tour. Enjoy 7 food/drink tastings, and learn about the history of Mile End and its culturall...
Guided tour · 3 hours
Taste your way through Montreal’s Mile End on a guided tour featuring warm wood-fired bagels, classic poutine, street-style gnocchi, and a savory Mediterranean secret dish.