I spotted the line in front of this neighbourhood bakery from about a block away.
Snaking its way along Monkland Avenue, a queue of bread-lovers waited patiently outside the newly-christened home of Montreal’s best baguette.
When it comes to bread in its many forms, whether we’re talking about bagels, baguette and anything else on a bakery shelf, Montreal has us covered.
From Mile End’s bakeries to Verdun’s breakfast spots, the city is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to hot bread right out of the oven.
The 2025 edition of the Best Baguette in Montreal competition organized by Maudits Français and the Union Française, celebrates the beloved baguette and the Montreal’s bakers who make them.
This year’s finalists? Automne Boulangerie, De Froment et de Sève, Joe la Croûte, L’Amour du Pain, La Meunerie Urbaine, Les Co’Pains d’abord, Ô Petit Paris, and Le Toledo all brought their very best baguettes.
Turns out, waiting in line at La Meunerie Urbaine is actually kind of a pleasure.
Outside, the terrasse is all Adirondack chairs, potted plants and benches. And inside is a sleek mix of white painted brick and wood panelling the colour of golden loaves.
After the initial drunkenness from the smell of freshly baked bread wore off, I started to peruse the impossibly white meringues, deep dark chocolates and beautifully packaged cans of sardines strategically placed along the low partition that runs down the middle of the long, narrow space.
(It’s no wonder they also won the award for best table presentation.)
Inching closer to placing an order, I read (and re-read) the bakery’s menu spelled out on a giant board, re-thinking my bread choice over and over again as one does when spoiled for choice.
(For the record, I ended up ordering a full loaf of the Intégral, sliced, but am still thinking about the grain-heavy Suédois and La Galette, which a friend of mine swears is one of the best cookies in town.)
I eavesdropped on my neighbours debating the merits of the Canadien versus the Porridge Avoine breads—which was entirely distracting—and listened as a father explained to his daughter why she would not be taking home one of each of the aforementioned cookies.
By the time it was my turn to order, I had performance anxiety.
I knew why I was there and exactly what I needed, but my head was being turned by waves of olive and tomato-studded focaccia, sandwiches bursting with smoked salmon and rapini and feta, and lemon cakes choking in icing.
Feeling the eyes of the crowd upon me, I asked for the loaf, and one of the famous baguettes, and made my way to the cash.
As I was about to settle up, I made eye contact with a Basque cheesecake—its caramelized burnt exterior glistening under the bakery’s bright lights—and I knew it also had to be mine.
Tucking the award-winning bread under my arm, I counted down the minutes until I was home, where I would finally take a bite of the winning baguette: a crisp, slightly sweet, nutty crust surrounding a pillowy, satisfyingly chewy interior—the soft center offering a perfect contrast to the crunch of the crust.
There aren't a lot of things worth waiting in line for, but this is definitely one of them.
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