Apollo Bagels

Apollo Bagels and Absolute Bagels represent two distinct bagel philosophies in Manhattan. Absolute delivers the classic New York style, fluffy, salt-forward, and deeply nostalgic, while Apollo leans into Montreal technique with a denser, wood-fired approach that emphasizes crust and chew over volume. If you grew up on New York bagels and want that exact memory replicated, Absolute is your spot. If you're open to a lighter, more refined take that still delivers on flavor and texture, Apollo offers better technical execution at a similar price point.

For booking and convenience, both operate as walk-up counter-service spots with no reservations required, so your main decision comes down to location and style preference. Absolute's Upper West Side address makes it ideal for a pre-museum breakfast before hitting the Met or the Natural History Museum, while Apollo's Greenwich Village location works better if you're spending the day in SoHo, the West Village, or Washington Square Park. Weekend lines at both can stretch to ten or fifteen minutes during peak brunch hours, but turnover stays fast enough that you're rarely waiting long.

If you're visiting Manhattan for the first time and want to check a bagel off your list, start with Absolute for the quintessential New York experience, then circle back to Apollo on a second trip if you want to see how Montreal technique translates in a Village setting. If you're a local or repeat visitor who's already worked through the classic spots, Apollo offers enough differentiation to justify the visit, especially if you're tired of the usual overstuffed, underseasoned bagel sandwiches that dominate the city's brunch scene.