Here’s Where You’ll Find the Best Ice Cream in Montreal
From soft serve to sundaes, we’ve got your ice cream craving covered.
The Best Ice Cream Montreal Has to Offer
Le Blueboy
If you’re a sucker for soft serve, but crave more options than simple chocolate and vanilla, Le Blueboy is the ice cream shop for you. Located near all the best vintage stores in Montreal’s Plateau area, Le Blueboy offers artisanal soft serve with a Latin twist. Their funky flavours rotate weekly, from mojito sorbet to tiramisu, and their elevated classics of Tahitian vanilla and dark chocolate are absolutely to die for. Take your cone to the next level by opting for a homemade churro topping. If you’re with a group (or feeling particularly ravenous), try a watermelon or pineapple sundae (above): the fruit is cut in half, and piled high with sorbet and toppings. The shop’s colourful, surf-style décor adds to the chilled-out ambiance—you can’t miss its teal walls and neon signs from Mont-Royal E Avenue.
Kem CoBa
Just steps from the beloved Fairmount Bagel, Kem CoBa is a crucial addition to our round-up of the best ice cream in Montreal (and makes a perfect dessert after a fresh bagel). Kem CoBa means “third auntie’s ice cream” in Vietnamese, third auntie being a nickname given to one of the owners by her niece. The name reflects the family vibes of the establishment, which is owned by a couple boasting numerous culinary accolades who create all the flavours themselves. And what flavours they create! From delectable hard ice cream to soft-serve flavours that reflect the owners’ moods, Kem CoBa is an ice cream connoisseur’s dream.
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Dalla Rose
This tiny artisanal ice cream shop in Montreal’s up-and-coming St-Henri neighbourhood will blow your mind. Dalla Rose elevates simplicity to an art form, changing flavours every week and showcasing local ingredients, such as Saguenay blueberries, when they’re in season. They also offer refreshing granitas for those soupy hot days when even ice cream is no match for the sun (and it’s perfect for the lactose-intolerant and vegan among us). Although the lines are especially long in the summer, don’t let that deter you—even when they reach the end of the block, they tend to move fairly quickly. Dalla Rose is a one-minute walk from Square Sir-George-Étienne-Cartier, where you’ll find some cute benches to enjoy your cold treats under some leafy trees.
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Unicone
Ever dreamt of travelling the world in a single evening? At Unicone, you can taste diverse flavours from around the globe in a couple of scoops. From Solvenia’s Prekmurska Gibanica (creamy walnut and caramel base, caramelized apples, and a hint cinnamon and poppy seeds) to South-East Asia’s pandan and pineapple swirl, these unique and exciting flavours will transport you to new horizons and thrill your tastebuds. With both soft-serve and hard ice cream, Unicone offers plenty of options for those with dietary restrictions: the soft-serve is made with lactose-free milk and cream, and there’s always at least one vegan flavour in the rotation. A personal favourite is the delectable baklava ice cream, so check Instagram and run, don’t walk, when you see it’s available.
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CaLem
What started off as a hidden gem in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce has grown into one of the most popular and best ice cream franchises in Montreal. Now you can enjoy CaLem’s 16 creative flavours from locations in the Old Port, the Plateau, Jean-Talon Street and Atwater Market. Also inspired by Vietnamese cuisine, CaLem is known for its incredible sesame, taro, green tea, and coco ash ice creams, while also killing the more common ones (think Nutella). The soft-serve is excellent as well with a different flavour every week, but some favourites, such as s’mores, have been known to make repeat appearances every summer. What’s more, the decor is ultra-cute and Instagrammable.
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Wild Willy’s
Just minutes from the beautiful St. Laurence River, Wild Willy’s is a staple that anyone who grew up in the West Island is sure to recommend. Though the lines can be intense on summer nights, the wait is well worth it. This classic ice cream parlour has over 40 flavours of hard ice cream to pick from, as well as frozen yogurt (made with fresh fruit), slushies, banana splits, and more. If you can’t pick just one of these options, Wild Willy’s offers creative combos such as the “Zigamazoo,” which is a cone that combines your choice flavour of both hard and soft ice cream. Once you’ve acquired your delicious treat, stroll through the quaint Pointe-Claire village or admire the bougie yachts by the water.
Bouza
Bouza was founded in 2019 by two brothers who made it their mission to bring together quality ingredients, Mediterranean flavours and a love for ice cream. They clearly succeeded; once only a Laval legend, a second Bouza opened its doors on l’Acadie Boulevard in 2022. The ice cream’s unique texture makes it worth trying—it’s somehow stretchy, creamy, and chewy at the same time. Bouza’s flavours are also exciting, with achta (a thick clotted cream) pistachio and rose water stealing the show alongside classics like mango sorbet, chocolate, peanut butter, and Oreo. And if it’s too cold, you can always enjoy one of their homemade cakes.
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Bilboquet
No guide to the best ice cream in Montreal would be complete without mention of Bilboquet, which serves artisanal ice cream, sorbet and desserts from six locations on the island. A Montreal staple since 1983, Bilboquet was the first franchise to introduce raspberry sorbet to Quebec. Nowadays, they serve up a host of delicious and unique flavours, often starring nuts, from maple taffy to brou-ha!ha! (vanilla ice cream with melted brownie pieces, caramel and praline almonds). They also recently introduced soft serve to the menu, with the chocolate being highly recommended.
Now that you know where to find the best ice cream in Montreal, check out the best things to do there in the summer.
