I noticed last night at 8:30pm that the sky was almost completely dark… you know what that means… It’s one of my favourite times of the year: ask all the teenagers and pre-teens in you life if they’ve started school yet, or ask when they start or if they’re ready to start school and watch them flip their shit. The best. But more importantly, we’ve still got some summer left to squeeze out a few more trips to La Ronde, fire up the grill and piss off your neighbours, sit on the balcony and watch your old Italian Neighbour hose down the sidewalk for 3 hours and pound down a few more litres of the quintessential summer frozen treat, ICE CREAM. If you follow me on social media, (Twitter or Instagram) you’d know I’m a complete fiend for ice cream and have traveled across the city to find the best. Here is my second instalment (part 1 here) of my favourite ice cream shops in Montreal.
Wild Willy’s
Located in the Pointe-Claire Village, Wild Willy’s is a must visit when you’re in the area. Serving the community for over 20 years, Wild Willy’s has a great selection of homemade flavours for everyone to enjoy – even our four-legged friends – they have a special menu for dogs! Try their King Kong bowl which is an ice cream orgy of 15-scoops piled into a plastic safari hat. That’s the only order of ice cream in town that has defeated me. *Shakes fist*
20 Cartier. Pointe-Claire
Opened daily 11am-11pm
Opened Mondays and late on weekdays.
Crémerie Meu Meu
Crémerie Meu Meu
Meu Meu’s ice creams and frozen treats are all homemade, 100% organic and 100% delicious. A small spot on the corner of Mont Royal and St-Denis, the inside is a bit awkward – the store is long and narrow with the door at one end and the cash register at the other. The best part of the Meu Meu experience is after paying, you get to walk past the suckers in line doing your Eddie Murphy ice cream cone dance… or maybe that’s just me.
4458 Saint-Denis
Facebook
Opened daily 12PM-10PM
Opened Mondays and late on weekdays.
Gelateria La Dolce Vita
La Dolce Vita
A strong contender for one of the finest gelatos in the city. The last time I went they had the most decadent Nutella gelato that practically boardered on a religious experience. La Dolce Vita has two locations, one in Kirkland and in TMR, both offer amazing frozen treats, from gelato, fruit sorbets and even sugar-free gelato all made in house daily.
Multiple locations – refer to website
http://www.dolcevitagelato.ca
Opened Mondays and late on weekdays.
Ripples
Ripples
Ripples has been satiating the ice cream hunger of mile-enders for over 17 years with their mouth-watering and award winning roster of flavours. Check out the Kulfi – a frozen treat typical of the Indian subcontinent that is richer and creamier than western ice cream, or the blackberry Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake.
3880 St. Laurent Boulevard
http://www.montrealicecream.com
Opened daily until mid-September
Opened Mondays and late on weekdays.
FCO di Fiumicino
FCO di Fiumicino
For those who work or are in the downtown core during the week hit up FCO di Fiumicino. Not only does this place serve some of the city’s best slab pizza, but their gelato is legit. When you’re in the area and the feeling strikes, stop by to cop some of the tastiest authentic Italian frozen treats around. Get two scoops of the Ricotta & Canella – fresh ricotta cheese and cinnamon… trust me.
451 Viger
http://www.pizzafco.com
Opened daily 10AM-8PM
Chocolaterie & Glacerie Chocomax
To be honest, I didn’t know about this place until I published the part 1 of my favourite ice cream shops in Montreal. People spazzed out and contacted me in a furious anger asking why this place was left off the list. So I decided to check it out. I’m a big fan of soft serve ice cream and Chocomax’s cone left me puzzled as to why people get ice cream boners for this place.
Exhibit A)
Dipped in the cookies and cream Oreo dip, the thing tasted oily and was flacid and curved to one side; this cone was a disappointment. HOWEVER… I did go back to try some of their hard-packed which made up of the previous experience. Interesting flavours that area all homemade, this spot is a great choice for getting a scoop from a variety of terrific ice cream flavours and curling your upper lip in disgust at soft serve.
Chocolaterie & Glacerie Chocomax
835 Decarie
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chocolaterie-Chocomax/24130126243
Opened daily until 9PM
Opened Mondays and late on weekdays.
Chez Vincenzo
Located in Villeray, this quaint neighbourhood gelateria serves up some awesome frozen treats. Classic flavours on deck such as sour cherry, coffee, lemon, chocolate orange, pistachio and Nutella, it’s hard to pick just one… or three.
500 rue Villeray
https://www.facebook.com/ChezVincenzo
Opened late on weekdays… closed Mondays.
Gelaterie Pierino
I literally found this spot by accident. I was coming out of a restaurant next door and was in the mood for ice cream (as always) but more so because I needed to put out the fire in my stomach from all the Thai food I just ate. Stepped in and the staff was friendly and inviting. I’ve been back multiple times for their generous portions and get this… WINE INFUSED GELATO. Get the lychee martini or the sparkling wine gelato… or you know, a classic chocolate-vanilla twist dipped in Oreo.
Gelaterie Pierino
1880 rue Jean Talon Est.
http://gelateriepierino.com
Opened Mondays and late on weekdays.
Which is your favourite? Let me know!
Cover photo credit: ©Chez Vincenzo
3 comments
Hey there!
Over here at chocomax, we look for complaints and comments about our product to find out what people do and don’t like about us.
first off, i would like to apologize for your (i must admit) not-so-eye-appealing cone.
second, we would like you to know that we took your review very seriously and have since worked to improve our cone dips.
I am please with the results and we have been getting many compliments on our soft-serve.
On behalf of Chocomax, I would like to thank you for helping not only improve our soft-serve game, but also improving ourselves. In hopes that you will give us a second chance, I would like to offer you a cone on the house.
thank you, and have a wonderful summer!
Hi! I’m glad this could provide some insight for you! Thanks for the offer but it isn’t necessary; I’ve been back since and have been back many times over! Thanks again and have a great summer!
Hi, it has been sometime since you reviewed us and I am still unable to resolve the issue of you not liking our soft serve. We have served hundreds if not thousands of appreciative customers over the last 26 years with positive comments.
According to Eater Montreal we were listed as one of the 20 essential ice cream stores in Montreal with particular mention of our soft serve both in 2015 and 2016.
Hence ,if you could elaborate on it we could perhaps improve on it.
Thanks.