I wish I lived in Montreal so that I could become a regular here. The bagels are supreme! In concurrence with a lot of the reviews on here: the sesame bagel is astounding! Possibly life changing!
The overwhelming smell emanating from the building immediately threw me into a food trance breaking me out of my inner grumblings about the salty, dirty snow banks I had to summit and the ice rink sidewalks I had to skate over in order to find this local gem. Upon entry I noticed the bagel conveyor belt dumping hot bagels out of the oven and into public view. I felt instantly justified in my trance as if this strange mechanical display of bagel making was a testament to the possibility that I was about to embark on a brief adventure into some of the best bagels I've ever had. My intuition was correct: these are the best bagels I've ever had... For me, a trip to Montreal from L.A. just for a St. Viateur bagel is well worth it!
Forget Patrick Roy, celebrate Montreal through its rich colonial history, Moshe Safdie, Buckminster Fuller, Quebec's astounding cultural independence, and St. Viateur's bagels! I can't wait to return!