Lineups are inevitable at this incredibly popular bakery and ice cream shop on Ossington. Inventive flavours that include “Totaro,” cinnamon toast, or burnt toffee can be made into a variety of creative ice cream sandwiches (with cookies, choux pastry, chiffon cake or cinnamon buns)or be scooped into Hong Kong-style egg waffle cones.

A Toronto institution, its four locations across the city offer up everything from gelato to fro-yo and, of course, ice cream. Using all-natural ingredients, Ed’s rotates through over 100 different flavours that can be turned into sandwiches, sundaes, shakes or floats, and with some advanced notice, even cakes or pies.

This Instagram-friendly spot affiliated with La Carnita has multiple locations around the city. Specializing in “pimped out” soft serve creations that pile on the toppings (the Red Rapture contains red velvet cake, cream cheese icing, raspberry puree and meringue crumble on a vanilla soft serve base), this dessert joint also does take-home pints.

On Vaughan Road just south of St. Clair West, this quirky, family-run ice cream parlour that’s been in the neighbourhood for over 30 years is known for its kitschy, hoarder-like decor. It rotates between over 60 house-made flavours that can be scooped into fresh waffle cones or bowls, hand-dipped in chocolate and rolled in candy or other goodies.

With locations in the Distillery and the Annex, Greg’s has been a Toronto fave since it first opened in 1981. Over 100 different flavours in constant rotation include ginger, sweet cream or the ever-popular roasted marshmallow, which can be served by the scoop in a cup or cone, or be transformed into a sundae, float or milkshake.

Nostalgia at its best. This retro, roadside attraction on the Queensway in Etobicoke has been around since 1969, and is famous for its classic soft-serve cones (vanilla, chocolate or twist) that can be dipped and/or have flavour bursts added to them. Sundaes, souped-up shakes and banana splits are also options at this old-school joint with a walk-up window and picnic table seating.

Small-batch ice cream made daily featuring two dozen different varieties can be found at this Yorkville ice cream shop, including flavours like almond butter toffee, banana cream or the unique “Toronto Pothole,” with almonds, marshmallows, peanuts and chocolate chunks. House-made waffle cones or bowls that can come dipped in chocolate and rolled in nuts or sprinkles are a definite highlight.

What started out as a food truck has become a cashless, bricks and mortar dessert phenomenon in the Annex; vegan-friendly, Hungarian-style chimney cones are bread-like pastry baked rotisserie-style, coated in cinnamon sugar, coconut, walnuts, graham crackers or a golden glaze and then filled with real-cream or vegan soft serve, with the option of adding toppings to make creations like Banoffee Pie or Grasshopper S’mores.

Intriguing flavours like roasted banana, black sesame, Earl Grey and hojicha can be found at this Koreatown shop affiliated with Manic Coffee. Since everything is made in small batches, the selection changes up frequently, and true to its name, each order comes topped with your choice of a vanilla or chocolate, house-made, two-dimensional waffle cone.