Arthur’s Snackette: sourdough bagels by Arthur’s in Toronto

Since April 2026, Toronto has a new address worth keeping an eye on. The people behind Arthur’s Nosh Bar — the Mile End brunch staple —, Romies, and Arthur’s Dinette have just opened Arthur’s Snackette on St. Clair West, a small sourdough bagel counter designed for takeout service. No seating for now (a terrace eventually), and a product you really can’t find anywhere else in the city: a three-day fermented bagel, made without commercial yeast, from Quebec flours. In short, quality!

The Arthur’s Snackette project was born from people we know well. It’s actually Raegan Steinberg and Alex Cohen, co-owners of Arthur’s and Romies, who have teamed up with Dara Gallinger, a Toronto-based sourdough master. Dara and Raegan have been friends for over twenty years. After a career in the corporate food sector, Dara was looking for the right project to dive back in. “I knew I wanted to do something for myself again, but I wanted to find the right partners,” she explains. For their part, Raegan and Alex had long dreamed of planting a flag in Toronto. After months of searching for a space for an Arthur’s Nosh Bar without finding the right spot, the idea of a lighter, more focused format naturally took hold.

The heart of the Arthur’s Snackette concept is the bagel. Not a Montreal bagel, and not quite a New York one either. “It’s a truly unique bagel. The big difference is that it’s sourdough. We don’t use any commercial yeast, it’s 100% naturally leavened,” Dara sums up. The process spans three days, including a 30-hour fermentation, using premium Quebec flour, with no improvers or additives. “Nobody has really tackled this here, or in Montreal, because the process is long and demanding. But that’s exactly what we love.” At the counter, production is starting at around 400 bagels per day, in two options: sesame and the “Arthur’s everything” — a house version with onion, garlic, salt, caraway, poppy, and sesame.

Open-faced sandwiches and coffee

For now, Arthur’s Snackette serves them only as open-faced sandwiches, topped with cultured butter, cheeses from Tony’s Cheese, smoked salmon from Smoke Bloke, almond butter and jam, or Arthur’s famous egg salad. On the drinks side, coffee from Java Coffee Roasters, a women-founded roastery, and freshly squeezed orange juice round out the offering. The team promises to grow the menu gradually, and pre-order brunch boxes should be added in a while.

For Dara, the timing is no coincidence. “Sourdough bagels are what’s happening right now in New York and L.A. We’re very confident we can have the best bagel in town.” Arthur’s Snackette is only open on Saturdays and Sundays for now, while they fine-tune production. Happy discovering!

Written by Jean-Philippe Tastet
Photography by Scott Usheroff

Updated on April 16, 2026

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