Liam AndersonYou know how it goes. Say it with me now: I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Now, I’m usually more of the coffee guy among my friend group, but even I can’t say no to a classic scoop of creamy goodness in a waffle cone.
Ice cream has long been a staple dessert for just about anything. Celebrating something? Ice cream. Getting over a breakup? Ice cream. It comes in various flavours and can be served with anything!
That being said, there’s certainly no shortage of ice cream parlours in Vancouver, so it can be tricky finding a favourite. That’s why I got together some friends to do a round trip of parlours around town to help you find your new comfort dessert shop!
How much does it cost to go to an ice cream parlour in Vancouver?
Getting some ice cream from an ice cream parlour in Vancouver can cost you anywhere from $5 to $12, depending on the number of scoops ordered and any add-ons like mixables or toppings.
1. Uno Gelato
Address: 2579 W Broadway
Contact Details: +1 604 733 5884, [email protected]
Operating Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Friday to Saturday: 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Real talk, we’ve been seeing an uptick in gelato in Vancouver, and Uno Gelato was one of the rising names in the space! With locals putting this shop on our radar for their gelato-making classes and variety of flavours, we just had to check it out for ourselves.
What we found didn’t disappoint. Uno Gelato is home to a wide range of gelato flavours, from the classic vanilla bean and chocolate to hazelnut and cherry. They also carried sorbetto offerings for vegan diners, which we appreciated.
We found their prices surprisingly affordable too. The price point made it pretty easy to sample more than one flavour, especially if you have the stomach space for it.
The whole shop space was also clean, with comfortable seating. Even with a group like ours, we found it pretty easy to sit and just relax while waiting for our orders.
That said, the shop space can be pretty limited. While we were able to sit and wait, we noticed a few customers taking their gelato to go and finding seating elsewhere. Since the staff is limited, ordering can take a while as well.
One thing we noted was that Uno Gelato also offers private catering, so fans of their flavours can request a gelato cart for their events.
Nice to have something cold and hot
“I loved my sorbetto! The lemon flavor was delicious and the almond was a nice touch. The hot chocolate was nutty and sweet, the sliced almonds gave a nice texture component. It was nice to have something cold and hot!”
– Ms. Dahlia Thomas, Google Review
Had the most amazing time doing their gelato workshop
“Had the most amazing time doing their gelato workshop with a friend for her bachelorette celebration. The class was packed with so much value, where you first get to learn about gelato/sorbetto composition and ingredients.”
– Ms. Caitlyn Mah, Google Review
2. Le Parfait
Address: 812 Homer St
Contact Details: +1 604 428 8741, [email protected]
Operating Hours: Monday to Thursday: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Friday: 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Saturday to Sunday: 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Ever heard of Lebanese ice cream? It was a mystery to us too, until more than a couple of Vancouverites started singing its praises! Intrigued, we asked around where they were getting these, and many were happy to point us to Le Parfait.
The shop itself was home to quite a range of food and desserts, both savoury and sweet. We just stopped in for ice cream, but we noticed folks having light breakfasts with their waffles and crepes.
We were also pleased to see this range extend to their ice cream flavours. Among classics like coffee, pistachio and chocolate, we also found more unique flavours like cardamom, coconut and even knefeh!
Our group also barely had to wait at all to get our orders. We went while the shop was a little busy, but we were impressed by how quickly the lines moved.
Finally, the portion sizes at the shop were pretty generous. Even with some of us just opting for their smaller cups with two flavours, there was enough of each scoop to be filling. The shop even offered wonder boxes for those looking to bring their treat home!
That said, the delivery fees can be quite high. We recommend just visiting the shop if you’re looking to bring a pint or two home.
Fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented
“The breakfast was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The waffles were perfectly golden and crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. The coffee was rich and smooth, and the portions were generous without feeling too heavy.”
– Mr. Maz Dak, Google Review
Easily my new favourite cafe in Vancouver
“I had never had Lebanese ice cream before, and he was so patient and generous to share his knowledge and share testers too. This is easily my new favourite cafe in Vancouver, and I am now back for the second time this week!!”
– Ms. Justine Yang, Google Review
3. Elephant Garden Creamery
Address: 2080 Commercial Dr
Contact Details: +1 604 251 6832
Operating Hours: Monday to Thursday: 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM, Friday to Sunday: 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Closed on Tuesday
One big appeal of ice cream is trying out new flavours you might not usually seek out in desserts. Most ice cream parlours might usually stick to their classics, but folks looking for unique, rotating flavours were quite the fans of Elephant Garden Creamery!
It wasn’t hard to see why. The Elephant Garden Creamery had a pretty unique lineup of flavours available by the pint or by scoops. Even their regular flavours included milk tea, coffee, and matcha honeycomb!
A particular highlight among regulars was the shop’s rotating flavours, which were similarly pretty unique! Adventurous ones in our group tried out the Thai iced tea, but regulars were positively buzzing about the mango pudding flavour.
We were also pleased that the shop was willing to offer tasting samples! That definitely saved the hassle of buying whole scoops just to see if you’ll like it.
The prices for their combos are quite reasonable too. Our whole group managed to essentially taste two flavoured scoops in just one cup!
That said, we noticed the portion sizes at the shop can be smaller than at other ice cream parlours. We’d definitely recommend saving them for times when you just need a quick snack, or buying their ice cream by the pint to take home if you’d like.
Deep, aromatic, and beautifully balanced
“A lovely, unplanned discovery on our walk through Little Italy – and an instant favorite. The affogato here is quietly brilliant: Vietnamese coffee ice cream paired with a clean, confident espresso. Deep, aromatic, and beautifully balanced,”
– Mr. Thien Phuong Le Ngoc, Google Review
Really loved the innovative flavours
“Really loved the innovative flavours at Elephant Garden Creamery. If you want to try two flavours, I suggest getting the mini double for $6.50! We tried the Vietnamese coffee and the earl grey cloud tea and blueberries (Aug rotational).”
– Ms. May Zhagro, Google Review
4. Mister Artisan Ice Cream
Address: 1141 Mainland St
Contact Details: +1 778 379 2833, [email protected]
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday: 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM
You might have heard of nitro coffee, but have you ever heard of nitro ice cream? Yeah, we hadn’t either. But all the buzz from locals about Mister Artisan Ice Cream caught our interest, so we just had to swing by.
Right off the jump, we were greeted by a pretty unique range of flavours by the cup or cone. Regulars of the store swear by the crème brûlée ice cream, but our group opted to spread out and try their double Oreo, candy cane and even shortbread flavours.
The main draw to Mister Artisan Ice Cream is the service, however. Immediately after placing the order, we got to sit back and watch as the team prepared the liquid nitrogen ice cream right in front of us!
We also got to see just how fresh the ingredients were while the team was preparing them. Aside from their ice cream, the shop also makes its ice cream sandwich crusts in-house, keeping everything tasting fresh and sweet.
That said, we do have to note that this meant there was quite a wait to receive our food. The shop’s location also meant that it tended to get quite busy, so the lines can get pretty long if you’re not arriving early.
Once we got our food, though, we were blown away by the portion sizes. A single cone could easily keep you filled for quite a while, at least from our experience!
It was a delicious treat
“My cousins took me here and it was a delicious treat! The ice cream sandwich cookie reminds you of that of the cookie layer of a DQ cake, just not crunchy, but still yummy! I had the classic Creme Brûlée ice cream in a cup and it was heavenly.”
– Ms. Melody Truong, Google Review
They make your nitrogen ice cream right in front of you
“A friend recommended we go here on evening and I’m so glad he did! If you order an ice cream, they make your nitrogen ice cream right in front of you, which is fun to watch but it also tastes extremely delicious.”
– Ms. Jamie Chernenko, Google Review
5. Innocent Ice Cream Parlour
Address: 2103 E Hastings St
Contact Details: +1 604 879 8584, [email protected]
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday: 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM
It can be pretty tricky to find vegan and gluten-free dessert options here in Vancouver, but fortunately, locals were happy to recommend the Innocent Ice Cream Parlour for folks with food sensitivities.
When we dropped by for a visit, we were pretty surprised by the shop’s offerings! One particular highlight among customers was the ice cream sandwiches, but they were also home to doughnut sundaes, affogato and more.
That isn’t even getting into their ice cream flavours and range, which was similarly expansive. The shop offered largely plant-based ice cream in flavours like blueberry sorbet and banana pudding, though it also had dairy-based options.
A few of us weren’t familiar with plant-based ice cream, so we really appreciated the staff giving us a few recommendations based on our tastes and usual flavours.
The shop space itself was pretty quiet and comfortable. While eating, we also noticed that the shop was pretty pet-friendly, with some customers bringing their dogs in for a pupsicle or two.
One thing we do have to note is that the prices at the shop can be pretty high, even compared to other ice cream parlours.
Was so delighted in the choices
“I’m celiac and can’t have dairy and was so delighted in the choices and my kiddo who is autistic and usually really struggles with new places loved it too! Bonus as it was so quiet which was great for our kiddo who struggles with loud busy spaces.”
– Ms. Michele Mateus, Google Review
I’m happy to say we will be regulars
“Amazing ice cream and even more amazing staff. Doris helped us out and she had amazing recommendations and was soo sooo kind and professional. Doris made this an incredible experience and I’m happy to say we will be regulars.”
– Ms. Beth Kate, Google Review
