The scoop on the best ice cream shops in Montréal
Whether you’re taking in some of Montréal’s summer street festivals or about to crest the meanest scream machine at La Ronde, nothing says summer like going for ice cream. Here are some of the coolest places to grab a cone in Montréal to beat the summer heat.
Far East flavours
Ca Lem
This little ice cream shop offers big flavors. As a local favourite, it’s not unusual to see a lineup that stretches out the door. Asian flavours are on the menu such as pandan, coconut ash and black sesame, Vietnamese coffee and rosewater-pistashio. Their soft serve creations change weekly. Get one of everything. Multiple locations.
Various locations
Website
Kem CoBa
This modest ice cream shop is run by a super duo Vincent Beck and Diem Ngoc Phan, classically trained chocolatier and pastry chef, respectively. The husband and wife team behind Kem Coba sees lines that stretch the length of a city block where patrons often wait between 20 to 30 minutes to satiate their ice cream cravings. With signature soft serve flavours that change weekly like, like rosewater, raspberry/lychee and Orange/coconut, it’s easy to see why people are willing to wait!
60 Fairmount Avenue West
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Crèmerie Meetha
Located in the Parc-Ex neighbourhood, this family-run ice cream shop serves up scoops inspired by traditional Indian desserts. Think mango rasmalai, jalebi, haldi doodh, gulab jamun but in ice cream form!
787A de Liège Street West
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Bouza
Bouza specializes in Middle-eastern ice cream. Known for it’s stretchy characteristic and texture, this ice cream is like no other, just like the flavours. Check out Bouza for traditional achta, kaki and rose water cones amongst others.
3821 Saint-Martin West Boulevard
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Icy Italian gelato
Dalla Rose
A venture by two former employees from the popular Italian eatery Nora Gray, (Dalla Libera and Nick Rosati) comes this Saint-Henri ice cream oasis. Using locally sourced organic dairy products and seasonal ingredients, their flavours change often. Don’t forget to try the ice cream sandwiches – pick-up and delivery now available.
4609 Notre-Dame Street West
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Pizzeria Gema
It’s not exactly gelato, but Pizzeria Gema’s walk-up take out window has people lining up for their frozen custard in Little Italy. Have your cup of their deliciously decadent soft-serve topped with sour cherry, crushed bacci or have your cone dipped in dark chocolate ganache.
6827 St-Dominique Street
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Gélaterie Pierino
Ice cream isn’t all about funky flavours that tempt the palates of little ones, grown up deserve an icy treat too! Visit Gelaterie Pierino for their boozy wine infused gelato.
10601 Georges-Pichet Avenue
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Mollo Café
Neighbourhood third-wave cafe Mollo offers all natural artisanal gelato made with local and seasonal ingredients.
2069 Wellington Street
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Classic cones
Ripples
With seasonal hours that start from the moment the mercury rises in April until the first sign of autumn (mid-September) it’s not uncommon to see lineups at The Main’s favourite ice cream parlour. Try the halavah or blackberry chocolate chunk cheesecake ice cream!
Various locations
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Crèmerie Bo-Bec
This classic neighbourhood ice cream shop offers up soft-serve and hard-packed ice cream, homemade sorbets, banana splits, shakes and ice cream sandwiches.
1330 Laurier Avenue East
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Le Glacier Bilboquet
With multiple locations across the island of Montréal, Le Glacier Bilboquet has been a fixture in the ice cream scene for over 40 years. With a promise for only using the highest available locally sourced ingredients (milk and cream from the Saguenay, chocolate from the Montérégie, fruits from Eastern Townships) everything is made with love.
Various locations
Website
Wild Willy’s
Wild Willy’s has been wrangling ice cream cravings for over 20 years. A great selection of homemade flavors including apple pie and even a stout flavoured ice cream, try the “King Kong” bowl with five of your friends (it has 15 scoops of ice cream!), they’ve even got icy treats for our four-legged friends.
20 Cartier Street, Pointe-Claire
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Crèmes Boboule
Located in the eclectic neighbourhood of Verdun, Crèmes Boboule is known for their classic soft serve
4640 Wellington Street
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Cool off with a dip
Chocomax
Driven by his passion for chocolate, Chocomax’s owner John Chan pursued his chocolate making dream by studying at Callebaut College in Belgium before settling in Montréal and opening Chocomax. Since then, he’s been tantalizing the locals uptown with his chocolate treats and signature Belgium chocolate soft serve and variety of dips.
835 Décarie Boulevard, Saint-Laurent
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La Diperie
What started as a modest shop in the Plateau has expanded to over 20 locations across the city. Soft serve with a choice of over 40 different kinds of dip like cookies and cream, salted caramel or classic milk chocolate, top your cone with funky toppings like crushed pretzels and candies, the combinations are endless.
Various locations
Website
Chocolats Favoris
What began as an artisanal chocolate shop in Lévis (outside of Québec city) 40 years ago has now become a chain of chocolate stores across Canada. They offer 14 varieties of their decadent chocolate fondue dips including chocolate praline, dark chocolate and dulce de leche for their classic vanilla or strawberry soft serve.
Various locations
Website
Vegan-friendly
Hoche Glacé
A frozen treat oasis for vegans, this shop is one of its kind in Montréal. Offering hard packed and soft serve, this spot definitely delivers when looking for a dairy-free treat to cool off in the colourful Hochelaga-Maisonneuve area.
2225 Bennett Street
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Crèmerie Meu Meu
In addition to this plateau ice cream parlour’s menu of luscious crème anglaise based ice creams, they offer flavourful fruity sorbets and ice soy-milk options as well.
4458 Saint-Denis Street
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Sachère Desserts
Located in the heart of the Village, Sachere is known for their exquisite desserts and petit fours. They welcome ice cream and frozen treats in time for the summer season.
1274 de Maisonneuve Boulevard East
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Swirl
Swirl is located in the Plateau and is known for their Asian inspired dairy-free soft serve swirls. Opened from Wednesday to Sunday and flavours change weekly.
230 Rachel Street East
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Creative cones
Le Blueboy
Cones are so passé. That’s why the folks at Blueboy have hopped on board with the current trend of fried confectionary cones (churros) and have also introduced fruit bowls! Have your watermelon-basil sorbet served in half a hollowed out watermelon.
150 Mont-Royal Avenue East
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Iconoglace
Not only does Iconoglace serve some fun soft-serve swirls, but they’ve got some pretty iconic sundaes and slushies as well. Get “The Nutjob” - a sundae topped with chunks of homemade marbled peanut butter brownies, hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry on top!
1320 Bélanger Street
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Artisanal ice cream
Les Givrés
One of Montréal’s finest artisanal ice cream shops, Les Givrés is open year around. Everything is made in-house from their specialty ice creams and sorbets down to the cones.
Various locations
Website
Havre-aux-glaces
With two locations, one at the Jean-Talon Market and one at the Atwater Market, the team at Have aux Glaces changes their ice cream flavours depending on what’s in season and available in the market – they are opened all year around at the Jean-Talon Market location. 12 choices of ice cream, and 12 choices of vegan sorbet.
7070 Henri-Julien Avenue
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L’Art Glacier
L’Art Glacier combines a world class ice cream maker, fresh ingredients and local restaurant expertise to create a delicious summer taste experience! Chef Roland Del Monte brings his Meilleur Ouvrier de France M.O.F distinction for his pastry and ice cream skills to Westmount.
145 Sainte-Catherine Street
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Crèmerie Rosette
This “little sister” ice cream outpost of Restaurant La Prunelle serves up fun artisanal soft serve. Expect flavours like Salted caramel and green cardamom, grilled pineapple and coconut milk, lime and coriander.
Various locations
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Virevent
This neighbourhood favorite is located on the busy La Promenade Fleury in the heart of Ahuntsic. Known for scoops and ice cream and sorbet cakes.
1517 Fleury Street East
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Jason Lee
Jason is a seasoned food writer and blogger with over 18 years of culinary adventures in Montréal. He’s a master at uncovering the city's hidden gems and transforming meals into captivating stories. Join him as he continues to explore and share Montréal’s vibrant food scene.