Toronto's Must-Visit Ice Cream Shops

Torontonians love their ice cream and – lucky for us – there are plenty of ice cream, gelato, and frozen delights waiting at one of the city’s many local ice cream shops. Cool off while exploring all the city has to offer by making a stop at one of these top local ice cream shops you can only find in Toronto.

Nothing beats the heat as you stroll along Toronto’s Harbourfront like a cool treat from Ice Creamonology. Located a short walk from UP Express Union Station, this ice cream shop prides itself on using only fresh, natural ingredients without the use of artificial colours or flavouring. Grab a cup or cone and stroll along the waterfront as you take in the views of Lake Ontario and the city skyline.

Classic Italian gelato and sorbetto get a flavourful Asian-inspired twist at Nani’s Gelato – think unique flavours like Saffron Cardamom Kulfi and Mango Lassi – or keep it Italian with Olive Oil Sicilian Sea Salt or Nutella. Freshly made in-house every day, there’s something new to try every single visit as Nani’s makes nearly 150 seasonally-rotating flavours every year at their storefront on Charles Street, easily accessible from UP Express Union Station in the nearby Yorkville neighbourhood. Plus, Nani’s hasn’t forgotten about vegan and nut-free friends with a few flavour options available based on dietary preferences. Check out the Nani’s Gelato Instagram for the current menu.

Summer’s Ice Cream has been serving up scoops of quality homemade ice cream in the heart of Yorkville for nearly 40 years. With 24 small-batch flavours available daily including classic scoops like mint chocolate chip, rum raisin, and butter pecan, you’ll want to try a one-of-a-kind taste you can only get in the city: Toronto Pothole. With almonds, marshmallows, peanuts and chocolate chunks, this is a Toronto-only treat worth a try on your next visit.

We’ll let you in on a little secret…Bang Bang Ice Cream And Bakery is the place to go for the city’s best ice cream sandwich. Here, freshly baked cookies are perfectly paired with one of Bang Bang’s delectable ice cream flavours for one of their Instagrammably delicious treats. The flavour combinations are endless with rotating flavours that include London Fog, Cinnamon Toast, Buttermint, and more. Prepare to line-up during peak summer weekend hours at this Ossington Avenue shop but trust us, it’ll be worth the wait.

This is not your traditional soft serve! Influenced by the founders’ Filipino and Vietnamese cultures, the ice cream at iHalo Krunch is as good to look at as it is to eat. With four signature flavours including activated black charcoal, green matcha, Madagascar vanilla bean and ube (a sweet purple yam), having one of everything isn’t a problem here. Try the ultimate soft serve twist with a bit of every flavour or grab a pint to go at one of the two Toronto locations including the High Park location on Bloor Street West, a 20-minute walk from UP Express Bloor Station. Be sure to swing by on your birthday for a free cone!

With over 150 ice creams, gelato, sorbets and frozen yogurts in the recipe books, you will never run out of options at Ed’s Real Scoop. A standard list of flavours combined with seasonally specialty rotating flavours like the ever-popular Burnt Marshmallow and Tanzanian Dark Chocolate Gelato give you plenty of options to choose from. Once you pick your flavour, the only question left is will it be one scoop or two? With locations in The Beaches, Leslieville, and one just blocks away from UP Express Bloor Station on Roncesvalles Avenue, Ed’s Real Scoop also offers up sweet treats like ice cream pies and sandwiches.

Bar Ape

Torontonians go wild for Bar Ape’s gelato soft serve and frozen gelato bars! Open from May to October, this frozen sweet shop located in Hillcrest Village not far from UP Express Bloor Station offers up an ever-changing soft serve and sundae menu based on seasonal Ontario fruits – think sour cherries, yellow plums, and gooseberries. Or grab one of Bar Ape’s signature handcrafted gelato bars in flavours like pistachio and coffee. Dairy-free, vegan options are always available.

Look no further than Ruru Baked for your exotic flavour fix. Here, the frozen custard-based ice creams run the gamut from chrysanthemum to miso butterscotch, with carrot cake, banoffee pie and buttered popcorn also featured on the rotating menu. What started as a busy pop-up that sold out of scoops in minutes, Ruru Baked has now opened a permanent shop at Bloor Street West and Landsdowne Avenue, just a short stroll away from UP Express Bloor Station.

Ice cream cones have never been this tasty. Eva’s Original Chimney’s brings traditional Hungarian and Czech pastries to Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood. These baked pastry cones are crunchy on the outside and all fluffy goodness on the inside before they’re filled with dairy or vegan vanilla soft serve and tasty toppings.

For more than 35 years, Dutch Dreams has been serving up decadent pancake and waffle cones from a family recipe that’s been passed down for generations. Here, every handmade flavour is not only kosher, but is also made with fresh cream no matter if you’re craving traditional flavours like vanilla or cotton candy. The signature Royal Dutch Banana Split is a must try – just make sure to grab extra spoons for sharing!