Follow the local gelato cognoscenti to this award-winning Queen West shop for statuesque servings of artisanal Italian ice cream. Made by a team of Italian expats, each silky offering — from lampone to Sicilian pistachio and tiramisu — tastes just like it does in the Bel Paese.

From Thursday to Sunday, frozen-food fiends get their fix at this St. Clair West spot, where gelato soft serve, sundaes and bars are doled out by the dozens. Rotating flavours make the most of seasonal fruits, with bars — flavoured with yuzu and matcha, spicy mango, toasted rice, and more — being the must-haves you need to squirrel home.

Italian tradition marries South Asian flavours at this homegrown chain (with locations in Liberty Village, at Yonge & Bloor, and more). Made fresh daily, the dozens of options range from espresso and tiramisu Nutella, to novel pistachio almond kulfi and carrot halwa gelato.

Few (if any) restrictions inhibit the team at this award-winning gelatería on Dundas West. How else would flavours like cheeseboard, peanut butter croissant and bourbon smoked chocolate find their way into the freezer? Though none of the options are exactly pedestrian, less adventurous types will find solace in strawberry basil, vanilla bean and honey, and other toned-down offerings.

Nostalgia in ice-cream-shop form, this local chain (with locations in the Beaches, Roncesvalles Village, and more) serves stellar, silken gelato alongside its traditional, small-batch scoops. Stock flavours include pistachio and hazelnut, with seasonal selections, like gingerbread, complicating your usual order.

However you have it — in a cup, mini cone, sandwiched between fresh-baked cookies — the gelato at this St Clair West shop always makes a lasting impression. Rich and light, made from organic milk or vegan cashew base, each flavour — from matcha white chocolate fudge to sour cherry sour cream — inspires customers to sample more.

Seven days a week, small batch gelato finds its way into eager hands at this Etobicoke shop. Whether you're eating on-site or rushing a couple of pints home, you'll need time to take in the menu, which ranges from butter pecan and banana to the award-winning, nut-dappled Sassy Sea Turtle

If the term "gelato and wine bar" makes you giddy, head to Queen West to find like-minded peeps whiling away the hours with cool treats and booze. Allergy-conscious and vegan, gelato here is available by the scoop, as a flight (with or without wine), and positively soused with prosecco in a strictly adult gelato float.

Made with top-quality ingredients, traditional recipes and techniques, every drop of gelato at this Yonge & Lawrence shop is dense and smooth, and shot through with rich flavour. Find your favourite, be it stracciatella, gianduja or salted caramel, and give in to the hunger for weekly visits.