Hochelaga is home to Montreal’s first wholly vegan ice cream spot, doing entirely dairy free soft serve, scoops, sundaes, and even ice cream sandwiches for dogs — made with substitutes like coconut or rice milk.

For a lot of Montrealers, Roberto’s is the only place for authentic Italian-style frozen desserts. The gelateria and restaurant has been around 1982. There’s a variety of pasta for sale, too.

This Petite-Patrie newcomer opened their doors mid-pandemic, so operations have been geared towards serving scoops safely from the outset. This year, patrons will be able to order ice cream from inside the shop, with designated spots laid out for safely distant lineups. The menu here covers the gamut, from soft serve to hard ice creams, slushes, sundaes and even a kombucha float options always on offer.

Pizza aside, Gema is also a fantastic place to indulge in frozen custard. Made with milk from Laiterie Chagnon in Waterloo, Quebec, the treat comes in Belgian chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, and more. Extras like butterscotch sauce, macerated cherries, chocolate sauce, sprinkles, and salted, roasted nuts are worth the splurge.

Bo-Bec makes soft serve, sorbets, frozen yogurt, and traditional ice cream, with a wide range of flavours on hand (although the maple is perhaps most beloved). There’s no bad play here, whether you get adventurous (pictured: rose water and raspberry) or stick to a simple vanilla swirl. The shop’s proximity to Laurier Park makes it extra popular throughout the summer.

This Plateau crémerie makes frozen custard from a crème anglaise base with flavours including Madagascar vanilla, Chinese ginger, and cardamom, as well as soy milk-based ice cream, and fruit sorbets. The little bench out front is the perfect spot to enjoy a cone or cup and people-watch on Saint-Denis.

The line that forms outside this seasonal Mile End gem practically snakes across the street to Wilensky’s. A wry Twitter account keeps an eye on things throughout the summer. Featured soft serve twists are far from ordinary: try caramel-pear, pandan, and coconut-strawberry, to name a few — or get scoops of the iconic salted butter flavour.

Dairy is typically a key ingredient in traditional ice cream, but Plateau newcomer Swirl is challenging that conception with all dairy-free soft serve. Made from a coconut milk base, seasonal flavours and Asian-inspired ingredients will also be incorporated into the flavour rotation over the course of the summer.

This ice cream shop on the Main has been around for over 15 years, and has added a Mile End location. Owner Richard Bernett started out making ice cream at home and fell in love with the craft, expanding his repertoire to over 30 flavours. Try the halva scoops.

This St-Henri spot is one of the bright younger things on the ice cream scene, from a duo who met working at hit Italian restaurant Nora Gray. The pair have a knack for developing new flavours and switching around the menu — expect anything from fleur-de-sel caramel to coconut matcha and beyond. By winter, it morphs into a ramen shop.

NDG’s favourite ice cream and sorbet is (most likely) the lovely Ca Lem. There’s a clear eye towards Asia in the flavours: taro, lychee, black sesame, and more. Their fruity soft serve can also compete with the reigning monarchs in that field, Kem Coba.