Tried these bagels for the first time after having seen them in a supermarket in West Van (expensive, but wonderful place... the name slips my mind).

Mount Royal is a familiar name to Montrealers, so I thought I would look these folks up.

These bagels are round and kind of LOOK like the real thing... but flat bottoms suggest conventional-oven baking rather than the wood-burning baked, hand-rolled versions that make the Mtl bagel what it is.

So how come if the oven is different (which should change the taste, right?), they taste right? I have some poppy seed bagels in front of me and just chomped into one. Excellent. The texture is a bit different, but nothing to make me care.

Price:? They are just as expensive as Siegel's making them expensive. However bagels seem to cost that much in BC no matter where you go.

I LOVE BAGELS is gone from North Van and they were an 8 out of 10 (even when the original owners ran the place). Mount Royal is a 9.5 at least as far as the poppy seeded version goes (i haven't tried the sesame yet. As Montrealers know, flavoured bagels don't count!)

Would I go back?

Absolutely! Without a doubt!! Nice people. Clean place. Parking is easy (street).

Hours: They are only open til 6 pm... but they aren't in a heavy commercial area either.