Following Toronto’s excessive obsession with gourmet sandwiches last summer, it’s looking like summer 2026 is all about premium bagels. That’s what it would appear, anyway, if the sold-out opening weekend of Arthur’s Snackette is any indication.
Tucked in a laneway off St. Clair Avenue West, Arthur’s Snackette gets its roots from Montréal’s Arthur’s Nosh Bar. Celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year, the traditional Jewish deli and brunch spot was opened by Raegan Steinberg and Alex Cohen in honour of the former’s father, Arthur Steinberg. Though it has built a loyal following in Montréal, Steinberg says they always had the vision of bringing it to Toronto.
“We just love Toronto,” she says. “Some of my very dearest friends are from Toronto and we just always felt that it was a little New York inside this Canadian country of ours. We just loved the possibility of bringing something that we felt passionate about to a whole new place.”
Enter Dara Gallinger, co-founder and former partner of Toronto’s Brodflour. Gallinger has been friends with Steinberg for two decades since she attended school in Montréal. Joined by Ari Zuckerbrot, the old friends decided it was finally time to join forces and bring a version of Arthur’s to Toronto.
“When we started, we were really looking for a full restaurant to bring Arthur’s (Nosh Bar), as it is now, here, but as we went on that journey, it occurred to all of us to think, ‘how can we do it in a way that is really doable, really scalable, and would make sense for starting fresh in a new market,” Gallinger says. “With my background in bakery and with us really loving what’s happening in the sourdough bagel world in New York and L.A., we thought this sounds great. This works with the Arthur’s brand and it’s a great segue into the Toronto market.
The sourdough bagels at Arthur’s Snackette are 100 per cent naturally leavened with a sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast. Taking place over three days, the long-term fermentation results in what Gallinger says is the “best parts of sourdough bread but in the format of a bagel.” And, with high hydration, the bagels are lighter and healthier.
At Arthur’s Snackette, the bagels are served open-faced and topped with classics like butter, homemade egg salad, and, of course, lox and cream cheese. Arthur’s also serves cookies and coffee.
While some of the bagels come with a price tag — the smoked salmon is $22 — they are generously topped and, with its tartine-like plating, designed to be shared.
“When you come here, you could literally come with a friend and share one of our bagels and each take half and walk away super fulfilled,” she Gallinger. “We know there’s sensitivity to price, especially now, but we’re working with some of the best food producers in the city and we’re supporting artisanal suppliers and small businesses. We’re really featuring the best of whatever you could imagine on a bagel, on the bagel. We’re really proud of that and we want people to walk away saying that was an amazing bite of food.”
Though for now Arthur’s Snackette is only open Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. until sold out, the team will soon be opening on Fridays, as well, and continuing to respond as needed. They hope to soon have additional space to serve up even more premium bagels.
“We’re just trying to do it slowly so that we do it right and so that the product is good,” Gallinger says. “Our goal is to make as many bagels a day as there are people who want to buy them and we don’t want to turn people away.”
