5 must-try ice cream shops in the City of Vancouver

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There are so many yummy-looking ice cream shops in the Lower Mainland that it’s hard to concentrate on coming up with lists of yummy-looking ice cream shops in the Lower Mainland. You can get lost in the poetry of the flavours, and imagining Matcha Honeycomb Nugget, for example, can be a hindrance to making a deadline. Nevertheless we somehow managed to come up with the following by no means definitive selection of must-try ice cream shops in the City of Vancouver.

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READ MORE: Five must-try places for ice cream in Metro Vancouver

Rain or Shine Ice Cream

Where: 3382 Cambie St., 6001 University Blvd., 1926 W. 4th Ave., Vancouver
Info: rainorshineicecream.com

Blair Casey and his wife Josie Fenton opened the first Rain or Shine in Kits in 2013. Their ice cream is Philadelphia style, which means egg-free. One fan recommends the Malted Honeycomb, calling it “my favourite ice cream in the city,” while others rave about the salted caramel (“gorgeous”) and Malted Milk Chocolate Honeycomb (“to die for”). Other flavours include Blueberry Balsamic, Vegan Chocolate Peanut Crunch, and London Fog. Also on the menu: sundaes and milkshakes.

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La Dulceria

Where: 1039 E. Broadway
Info: ladulceria.ca

This East Vancouver establishment also received accolades when we requested recommendations. One ice cream head fawned over “the lemon poppyseed and any lime specials they have going on.” Another, Google reviewer Michael Rosborough, writes “the Cafe Con Leche and Mexican Hot Chocolate are both unreal.” Current flavours include Mint Cookie and Pecan Mudslide.

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Elephant Garden Creamery

Where: 2080 Commercial Dr., Vancouver
Info: elephantgarden.ca

Food scientist Betsy Ng opened Elephant Garden Creamery with her brother in 2018. Staple flavours include Malted Milk Choco, Matcha Honeycomb Nugget and Mango Coconut Sticky Rice (vegan). Rotational flavours change monthly. As of this writing you could get brain-freeze with Aloha Rocky Road, Lilikoi (yellow passion fruit from Hawaii) Cheesecake, Lemon Yuzu Butter and Raspberry Lemonade.

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Earnest Ice Cream

Where: 3992 Fraser St., 1829 Quebec St., 1485 Frances St., Vancouver and 127 W. 1st St., North Vancouver
Info: earnesticecream.com

The big daddy of Vancouver’s artisanal ice cream scene began making and serving ice cream 12 years ago, helping to bring small-batch frozen delights to a city that was already established on the gelato map. Gelato uses less cream and more milk than ice cream and typically contains no eggs. Now Earnest has four shops and has become more or less synonymous with small-batch ice cream in the city. Flavours vary slightly according to location, but some current flavours include Chewy Pretzel Blondie, Spruce Bud, and Salted Chocolate Rye Cookie. Vegan options are plentiful, including Nanaimo bar and key lime pie.

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La Glace

Where: 2785 West 16th Ave., Vancouver
Info: laglace.ca

“Best ice cream in Vancouver,” proclaims this Westside shop’s Instagram bio, and who are we to argue with social media? Pastry chef Mark Tagulao opened the shop in 2017 and, true to its name, the ice cream is French-inspired, “made from scratch with a crème anglaise base; resulting in a rich and decadent ice cream with little aeration,” according to the website. A recent menu included chocolate ganache, Mango Chili Cilantro Sherbet and Vegan Coconut Pandan.

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