My sister and I did the touristy thing and compared Fairmont vs. St. Viateur. Obviously, if you're in the area and have the time, just go to both! They're about a 10 min walk from each other. Don't take my (or anyone's) word for either- decide yourself!
I liked St. Viateur better of the two. The bagel is less sweet (I thought Fairmont was too sweet for my taste) and a little thinner. I thought that the St. Viateur bagel had a little bit more character- not sure how to describe it but the Fairmont was consistent throughout, whereas the St. Viateur bagel had its patchy spots and some slightly burnt spots, which I actually really liked. (You can kind of see it in my picture).
There's a bench outside but it was also bees galore at the bench. Nope, bees are not for me. Thankfully, there's a nice David's Tea next door with a really nice seating area so I went and paired some iced tea with my bagel.
4/5.