Wood-fired · Self-serve · Kitchener

Wood fired bagels freshly baked every morning.

Wood fired Bagels, Fresh pastries, scones, loaves, and a self-serve coffee station. Grab what you want, make it how you like it. We'll be here.

We're a little strange. Come find out why.

See the menu →
See what's fresh
In the cases today

A taste of our selection

Just a sample. The full selection changes daily depending on what the bakers get through.

View full menu →
Wood-fired plain bagels piled in a wooden crate
Plain Bagel $1.50 to go

Classic wood-fired Montreal-style. Simple and right. $3.00 eat in.

Chocolate chip scones on checked paper in the window light
Chocolate Chip Scone $3.00

Classic. Goes well with a cup from the station.

A scored loaf of crocodile bread dusted with flour
Crocodile Bread $6.00

The classic. Scored crust, soft all the way through.

Butter tarts in paper cases on a wooden board
Butter Tart $4.00

All-butter crust, plain. A Canadian classic.

An all-butter croissant on red checked paper
All-Butter Croissant $3.00 to go

Made fresh every morning. Properly laminated. $4.00 eat in.

Squares of fudge brownie on red checked paper
Fudge Brownie $3.00

Dense, not cakey. Made in-house daily.

View the full menu →
How it works

Self serve, make it your way.

No counter to line up at, no one to take your order. Grab what you want, make it how you like it, and sort yourself out on the way past.

Grab your bagel

Tongs are by the bins. Slice it yourself at the station. Add your preferred spreads.

Pour your coffee

Pump dispenser, self-serve. Cream, milk, and cocoa packets are all right there.

Keep a running total

Prices are on the little tags beside everything. Add it up as you go.

Pay your way

Cash in the box by the door, or tap at the machine. Whichever suits you.

Inside the café

Ottawa Street, Kitchener
Tables and chairs under warm pendant lights inside the café
Wooden shelves stacked with the morning's pastries below the melts board
A sliced bagel spread with cream cheese on red checked paper
Daylight through the front windows across the seating area
Lunch

Melts, ready to order.
Every day, 11–2.

Turkey, ham, reuben, or tuna, with chips or fries. Come in and we'll make yours fresh.

A basket of melts and chips on the counter by the window

4.6 from 900+ Google reviews

What people say

Read more on Google →

“Definitely one of the best breakfast spots in Kitchener-Waterloo. They have the best bagels straight out of the oven, and their Boston cream donuts and butter tarts are on another level.”

Ahmed N. · Google

“Not much can beat a warm, fresh baked Montreal bagel. The toasted sesame seeds give the exterior a pleasant crispiness while the bagel itself has a soft, chewy inside.”

The Grilling Father · Google

“You have to try their sandwich melts. You will not regret it.”

Carole N. · Google
Flames burning at the back of the wood-fired oven
Every morning

The oven stays on all day.

The fire goes in before sunrise. By the time you're pouring your first coffee the bakers are two or three trays deep.

  1. Shaped, then stretched by hand

    Each ball goes through the shaper, then gets stretched to size by hand before the boil.

  2. Boiled, then seeded

    Boiling is what makes a Montreal bagel chewy instead of bready. Seeds go on while it's still wet.

  3. Into the fire

    Six at a time on a long peel, straight into the wood oven. You can watch the whole thing from the counter.

The City Café Bakery storefront and patio on Ottawa Street
Find us

Ottawa Street, Kitchener.

50 Ottawa St S, Kitchener. Patio's open when the weather's right.

Get directions → Open daily, 7am–3pm