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Just a shmear of a year after Absolute Bagels closed on December 12, 2024, bagels are back at 2788 Broadway between West 107th and 108th streets.

New Absolute Bagels officially opened with a soft launch on Monday, December 29. Though not affiliated with the original, which opened in 1992 and earned iconic status before being shut down by the health department after a brutal inspection that found “evidence of rats or live rats” and “live roaches,” there were some familiar sights: Nick behind the counter and wire baskets (new ones, thank God) holding fresh bagels. The space was completely gutted and gloriously glowing for its debut. ILTUWS was there to take it all in.

“I thought the line would be longer,” said Eileen, a long-time Upper West Sider who lives on 107th Street, as she got in line behind us. By 7:50 a.m., ten minutes before opening, the line had already reached the corner of West 107th and was turning down the street. We speculated that the rain might have affected turnout, but those who came clearly had more passion. Indeed, there were lots of smiles, waves, and hellos as neighbors recognized one another at this familiar old spot, eager to test the new iteration of a local legend. The original Absolute Bagels will never be forgotten. Ever.

Walking through the door brought a familiar flair, with a distinctly original personality for New Absolute. To your left, artificial greenery stretches up to a planet suspended above, giving the space a playful cosmic vibe. Eileen, like me, immediately noticed how bright this New Absolute feels compared to its predecessor. A vegetarian, she was happy to see tofu cream cheese varieties on the menu. I, however, didn’t spot bagel pudding, a staple on the original menu. Truth be told, we were really hoping for it, to give credence to the Absolute name being used without its original owner and to honor tradition. The standing counter in the window to your right made good use of the space, letting customers feast as the rain came down on and off.

The New Absolute menu lists prices for cash and credit card. Single bagels run $2 each ($2.08 on card). A half dozen is $12 with one free ($12.48 on card), and a dozen is $24 with two free ($24.96 on card). Flavors include plain, everything, egg, salt, sesame, poppy, cinnamon raisin, onion, garlic, pumpernickel, pumpernickel raisin, whole wheat, whole wheat sesame, and whole wheat everything.

Any bagel with plain cream cheese is $4.50 ($4.68 on card), or $5.95 ($6.19 on card) with flavored cream cheese. Tofu cream cheeses are $5.50 ($5.72 on card) for plain and $5.95 ($6.19 on card) for flavored. These rates are a step up from the original’s prices, but hey — find me anything that isn’t going up these days.

The cream cheese lineup was stunning in the display, as New Absolute employees moved quickly to serve the eager Day 1 patrons. Flavors included plain, low-fat, scallion, vegetable, jalapeño, blueberry, walnut raisin, chive and garlic, strawberry, sun-dried tomato and basil. Lox spread was highlighted in red while everything else was in black type; no fresh lox appeared on the menu, another notable change from the original. Olives and pimentos, apple, and bacon and cheddar rounded out the cream cheese options. Tofu spreads included most of the flavors above, minus a few like blueberry, and substituted lox herbs for lox spread.

Salads served with bagels include egg ($6.50/$6.76), chicken ($8.50/$8.84), tuna ($8.50/$8.84), whitefish ($10.50/$10.92), and salmon salad ($10.92). Bagel meats include roast beef ($9.50/$9.88), roast turkey ($9.50/$9.88), boiled ham ($9.50/$9.88), salami ($9.00/$9.36), and beef bologna ($9.00/$9.36). Coffees start at $2/$2.08 for a small, with large iced coffees going for $4.50/$4.68.

We opted for our classic original Absolute order: an everything and a cinnamon raisin bagel with plain cream cheese. When it came time to pay, we were blown away with a surprise — all the bagels were free that day! I can’t think of a better way to welcome yourselves to the neighborhood. I was smiling as I took my haul back to our traditional spot — the Broadway median benches right outside. They were (sort of) surprisingly empty, probably due to the rain, but we had our gear on and were feeling nostalgic for our first time at the new joint.

New Absolute’s bagels are ‘good.’ We asked for them untoasted and could tell they were freshly warm, with a slightly tougher exterior, but the chew was a delight. The cream cheese ratio at New Absolute was well executed — I always felt the old shop’s spread was a bit heavy. While under the cover of nearby scaffolding for our everything bagel, it was a joy seeing other Absolute customers walking by with their brown paper bags, finding refuge nearby for their feast.

Welcome to the neighborhood, New Absolute. As Shakespeare wrote in Romeo and Juliet, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” meaning that a name doesn’t change the quality of what’s inside — and these bagels prove it.

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