FREAK LUNCHBOX - 3680 St Laurent Blvd
Originally a Halifax institution that has finally come to Montreal, Freak Lunchbox is your not-so-typical candy store. Filled wall-to-wall with candy, selling wacky toys and boasting wackier decor, it’s worth a trip in even if you don’t buy any candy. If you do buy candy, though, be prepared to splurge. PROS: awesome environment, friendly staff and an overall amazing in-store experience. CONS: kind of pricey and can be quite overwhelming. There are just too many candies to choose from!
BEN AND JERRY’S - 1230 McGill College Ave | 5582 Monkland Ave | 1316 De Maisonneuve Street West | 433 Place Jacques Cartier
Ah BJs, the classic ice cream store. Born in Vermont and famous for naming their new flavours after famous people, Ben and Jerry never fail to satisfy. PROS: creative flavours, okay prices, and all cones are waffle-esque so you don’t have to deal with those crappy papery ones. Most stores also encompass a cookie bakery, which is a major bonus for your sweet tooth. CONS: doesn’t always live up to the hype, the prices are only okay, and on a hot summer’s day the store will be absolutely crawling with kids.
LIQUID NUTRITION - 69 Mont-Royal Avenue W | SSMU Building 3480 McTavish Street | 1455 Peel Street | 1448 Drummond Street | 2110 Guy Street | 800 Victoria Square
When a friend told me that Liquid Nutrition was their go-to dessert spot, I was temporarily ashamed to call them a friend. Sure, the smoothies are sweet, but they are still full of fruit and healthiness and therefore do not qualify as dessert to me. Nonetheless, I went and in the end I truly enjoyed my overpriced fruit-based beverage. PROS: healthy, sweet, and thirst quenching. CONS: very expensive (I couldn’t even get anything for under $5) and the product is not even technically a dessert…
CHO’COLA - 5601 Avenue Monkland
The NDG-based bakery Cho’cola specializes in hard-to-find bakery credentials like vegan, nut-free and gluten-free. As a result, it’s quite pricey. For just over $5 you can get a cupcake and a cookie that are guaranteed nut-free and totally drool-worthy. PROS: will cater to any weird dietary whim you have, the staff is very knowledgeable, and the cupcakes are amazing. CONS: expensive and a bit out of the way for some.
JULIET ET CHOCOLAT - 1615 St-Denis | 377 Laurier Ouest | 3600 St-Laurent
Oh, Juliet et Chocolat. I have such a love-hate relationship with this store. On the one hand, it’s adorable and all the food is amazing and the waiters wear sweet-ass hats. On the other, I could only afford two chocolates there. PROS: the food and the vibe are truly spectacular. CONS: the prices are jaw dropping.
SERAPHINA
Everyone in Montreal has a local Jewish bakery, but it is my experience that few people appreciate theirs. Mine is called Seraphina and it is on St-Laurent and it is amazing. For $5 I got a cheese danish (sounds weird but is delicious, go try one right now) an apple turnover AND two of those yummy kosher swirly cookies. PROS: everything. CONS: minimum $5 debit charge, so unless you plan on totally stuffing your face like I did, you’ll have to pay for your danish with change.
MAESTRO - 72 St-Viateur
A brand new ice cream store has just opened up on St Viateur – amazing homemade ice creams and sorbets are available from Maestro as of, when this article was written, 5 days ago. It was pure luck that led me to their door, and damn I’m glad I went in. PROS: the ice cream is AMAZING, the woman who owns it is the sweetest thing since apple pie, two scoops is under $5 and the store itself is adorable. CONS: cash only.
KEM COBA - 60, av. Fairmount Ouest
Japanese gelato? Sounds crazy but Kem Coba proves that it is an amazing cultural blend. A brightly coloured Mile End hot spot, this store offers incredibly rich and delicious ice creams and sorbets for reasonable prices. PROS: the ice creams are divine, the location is great and the prices are pretty solid. For $5 you will leave feeling almost TOO full. CONS: it is always crazy busy and is ultimately just an extension of the street so offers no air-conditioned relief on a hot summers day.
