Cleo Bagels

Cleo has all the markings of a bagel shop with a loyal following: people line up with a mission; selecting just one spread takes hard deliberation; everyone in sight is gripping coffee as if they're life preservers on the Titanic. But this West Philly spot separates itself from other bagel shops in Philly thanks to some impressive, unexpected combinations. Cleo treats chewy bagels and bialys like canvases, not just fuel to power you through morning traffic or hearing about your boss’ Poconos weekend. 

photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO

photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO

photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO

photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO

photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO

Cleo can only riff on classics because they know how to do the classics well. Their onion poppy and roasted black garlic sesame bialys are so puffed, they look like someone blew into the sides and expanded the edges like a balloon. Bagel options include the usual, malt-boiled suspects, as well as a "French Everything" with sesame, lavender, and thyme that adds extra texture to an already-bubbly crust. As for sandwiches, there’s a "Beans, ‘Deens, & Greens" that doubles as a sardine, salsa verde, and gigante bean salad with the bagel playing the role of an oversized crouton. Although Cleo doesn't have any hot sandwich fillings, which means no BEC, you won’t miss your scrambled eggs. The Ramen Thing is on our short list of food we picture after hitting snooze on our 10th alarm. In fact, we’d probably accept this marinated egg mashup as an engagement ring, even if that meant getting pickled ginger, bamboo, togarashi mayo, seaweed crisps, and scallions all over our hands. Each bite has everything that makes a bowl of ramen great—the sweetness, the umami punch—without the possibility of spilling broth on your Arctic Splash shirt.

Exciting combinations aside, Cleo is still a classic bagel shop. That means utility is the standard mode of operating here. Customers order at the counter and buy coffees they'll only have four sips of before a meeting. There's not much seating, except for in the backyard garden area where people unwrap green and white paper next to West Philly wildflowers. But when you come to Cleo, you’re leaving with a bag full of bagels, bialys, and pastries that aren’t just meant to start your day—they'll be the bready highlight of your week. Eating a bagel doesn’t have to be a robotic task with an endgame of getting full. At Cleo, it can be a pleasant meal unto itself.

Food Rundown

photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO

Bialys

The bialys here meet the usual criteria: baked not boiled, no hole in the center, and a little more English-muffin-like than a bagel. We’ve had both the onion poppy and roasted black garlic sesame. Both are evenly seasoned, lightly salted, and could double as kid floaties.

photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO

Herby Egg Salad

A soft, hearty bagel stuffed with shaved red onion and an egg salad with an incredible balance of herbs. Each inch has bits of dill, tarragon, parsley, and tangy pickle sauce seeping through it. This is the egg salad sandwich that makes every other version look like a letdown by comparison.

photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO

Nova Classic

This sandwich is a bagel shop staple, and a good one at that. Expect layers of nova, homemade cream cheese, capers, red onion, and cucumber. It won’t blow your mind, since you’ve probably had a version of this 100 times before. But the quality ingredients make it a worthy daytime choice.

photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO

Ramen Thing

Will this sandwich make your tongue drunk on ginger? Yes. Yes it will. But consider that a pleasant side effect of eating slices of marinated egg, pickled ginger, toasted ground sesame, bits of menma, creamy togarashi mayo, seaweed crisps, and scallions all in one chew. We would happily fund a bagel-shaped statue that commemorates this sweet-earthy mix of toppings colliding with a salty egg.

photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO

Apple Things

A good addition to any order, this cinnamon sugar muffin mound occupies the surprising overlapping space between classic Jewish apple cake and a cider donut. If it sounds like a good idea, that's because it is. Although the pastry has bits of apple inside, it’s still surprisingly light.