Maksym KuzaievWhether it’s sweltering or snowing, there’s always room for a scoop of ice cream in Ottawa! Now, you might be raising an eyebrow, thinking, “Ice cream in winter? Isn’t that like wearing a bikini to a snowball fight?”
But hey, chilly weather won’t stop us from indulging in frozen delights! Did you know Canada reigns as the ice cream king even when the thermometer drops?
Yep, we Canucks just can’t resist a good cone, no matter the season. It’s practically in our DNA — hence the saying, “You know you’re Canadian when you’re spooning up ice cream while snowflakes dance outside.”
Now, about Sundays and ice cream: here’s the scoop. Technically, there’s a law against indulging in ice cream on Bank Street in Ottawa on Sundays.
But hold your sprinkles — nobody’s enforcing that relic of a rule! So go ahead, lick that cone with abandon on the holiest day of the week without fearing the ice-cream police.
So, what’s the verdict? Which frozen delights are worthy of risking a run-in with the law?
Let’s dig in and find out which flavors are worth bending the rules for!
Mantovani 1946
– Media credit: mantovani1946ca
Website: https://www.mantovani1946.ca/home
Address: 87 Murray St, Ottawa, ON K1N 5M5, Canada
Contact: +1 613-422-4255
Hours:
- Closed from Monday to Wednesday
- Thursday: 1 PM–6 PM
- Friday: 1 PM–8 PM
- Saturday: 12 PM–8 PM
- Sunday: 12 PM–6 PM
Classy, chic, and oh-so-modern, Mantovani 1946 is the gelato haven you never knew you needed in Ottawa!
They’re all about sleek contemporary vibes, sprinkled with just the right amount of swanky flair, all housed in a historic stone building right in the heart of the ByWard Market. It’s basically the gelato equivalent of strutting down a Milan runway.
From classic crowd-pleasers like pistachio and hazelnut to more adventurous flavors like sweet Sicilian almond and rosewater, they’ve got something for every gelato aficionado.
Oh, and did we mention their dairy-free sorbettos? Fresh fruit goodness that’ll have you swooning from the very first spoonful!
| Pro Tip: The pièce de résistance is their affogatos — gelato swimming in a sea of espresso, topped with a tasty biscotto. It’s like dessert and coffee got together and had the most delicious love child! |
Moo Shu Ice Cream
– Media credit: mooshuicecream
Website: https://www.mooshuicecream.com/
Address: 477 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1Z2, Canada
Contact: +1 613-565-1524
Hours:
- Closed from Monday to Tuesday
- Wednesday to Sunday: 12 PM–9 PM
Once you take a peek at Moo Shu Ice Cream’s menu, you’ll quickly realize this isn’t your run-of-the-mill ice cream joint!
Renowned for their offbeat flavors and sinfully delightful bubble waffle cones, they source pure Ontario dairy and local ingredients from the Ottawa region.
With flavors like matcha green tea, Vietnamese coffee, lime leaf and fresh mint, and taro & coconut, your taste buds are in for a wild ride across Asia.
Just dive into their drool-worthy dipped bars, where the Robin’s Egg bar boasts a blue-speckled milk chocolate coating. How’d it get that name, you ask?
That’s because it houses a tantalizing salted duck egg custard and condensed vanilla milk interior. Ingenious and yum!
| Pro Tip: They’ve got a lot going on: from ginger vanilla bean to mint lime, black sesame to Hong Kong milk tea, or local strawberry to vegan delights like dalgona coffee and classic chocolate — every scoop tells a flavorful tale! |
Merry Dairy
– Media credit: themerrydairy
Website: https://themerrydairy.com/
Address: 102 Fairmont Ave, Ottawa, ON K1Y 1X6, Canada
Contact: +1 613-680-3144
Hours:
- Closed on Monday
- Tuesday to Sunday: 12 PM–8 PM
In the chilly realm of Ottawa’s ice cream empire, there’s one spot that reigns supreme: the Merry Dairy. From its roots in a hipster-cool food truck to its current status as the go-to haunt for ice cream fiends, this place is where the magic happens!
Home in Hintonburg, it’s a hotspot for locals and wanderers alike, all seeking that sweet, sweet fix of frozen goodness. It’s got a storefront that’s practically a shrine to all things ice cream.
Small-batch scoops, Midwest-style custard — this place has it all! And the flavors, ugh! From classics like cherry chip to seasonal stunners like pumpkin cheesecake, it’s a flavor journey you won’t ever forget.
| Pro Tip: Now, if you’re feeling lazy (no judgment here), they’ve got an online shop where you can snag your favorite flavors without even leaving the couch. Just reserve online, sit back, and let the scoops come to you! |
Stella Luna
– Media credit: slgelato
Website: https://www.facebook.com/StellaLunaCafe/
Address: 1103 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K1S 3X4, Canada
Contact: +1 613-523-1116
Hours:
- Closed on Monday
- Tuesday to Thursday: 11:30 AM–8 PM
- Friday: 11:30 AM–9 PM
- Saturday: 10 AM–9 PM
- Sunday: 10 AM–8 PM
Stella Luna isn’t just another gelato spot — it’s where gelato dreams become reality and Italian style meets the sinful sugar!
Beyond serving up authentic Italian bites and coffee, it’s the artisanal gelato that steals the spotlight and has tongues wagging from Italy to Ottawa.
Crafted fresh daily with locally sourced goodies and techniques straight from the gelato gurus of Italy, each scoop is a masterpiece.
| Pro Tip: We love a classic like maple walnut though we also love going bold with flavors like grapefruit gin and pineapple yuzu cardamom! And keep an eye out for their roaming cart at local markets and festivals too — because gelato this good deserves to be celebrated far and wide. |
Farinella
– Media credit: farinella.ottawa
Website: https://www.farinellaeats.com/
Address: 492 Rochester St, Ottawa, ON K1S 4L8, Canada
Contact: +1 613-422-6462
Hours:
- Closed on Monday
- Tuesday to Sunday: 11:30 AM–8 PM
Conceived from a passionate affair with all things Italian, Farinella is the rabble-rouser of Ottawa’s food scene!
Cesare and Nina are Ottawa-born siblings with Italian roots deeper than the Leaning Tower of Pisa and culinary skills as sharp as a parmesan grater.
In Ottawa’s Little Italy, Farinella’s gelato is the talk of the town, drawing in crowds faster than you can say “bellissimo!” Whether you’re feeling cup-cited or cone-fident, their gelato lineup is a rollercoaster of flavor sensations!
| Pro Tip: Okay, here’s our secret recommendation: from classics like pistachio and hazelnut to wild cards like creamy crème brulé and monster mango madness — it’s all good, baby! |
Beachconers
– Media credit: beachconers
Website: https://www.facebook.com/thebeachconers/
Address: 273 Britannia Rd, Ottawa, ON K2B 5X3, Canada
Hours:
- Open daily from 8 AM–6 PM
A beach day without a cone? As if!
Beachconers is your go-to for some seriously sassy scoops after soaking up the sun. Just a stone’s throw from Ottawa’s Britannia Beach, this pint-sized creamery serves up homemade ice cream that’s as cheeky as a seagull eyeing your sandwich.
From chocolate marmalade to cold brew coffee, blueberry lavender to London Fog, their flavors are so funky, you’ll wonder why you ever settled for plain old vanilla.
And hold onto your sunhat and beach umbrella right now. They’ve even got beer and candied bacon ice cream — talk about a flavor explosion!
| Pro Tip: Whether you’re unwinding after a day of beachcombing or cruising on your bike, Beachconers crafts their small-batch ice cream with fresh ingredients like herbs, fruit, and locally sourced jams. |
Carp Custom Creamery
– Media credit: carpcustomcreamery
Website: https://www.carpcustomcreamery.com/
Address: 3763 Carp Rd, Carp, ON K0A 1L0, Canada
Contact: +1 613-839-3336
Hours:
- Open daily from 11 AM–8 PM
Just a quick jaunt from downtown Ottawa is Carp, and it’s home to the ultimate ice cream playground: Carp Custom Creamery.
Just think hand-crafted ice cream whipped up fresh every day, using local ingredients because — hey, supporting the locals is just cool.
With over 16 flavors ready to scoop and a whopping 40 more waiting to hop into your freezer at home, the choices are as wild as a brain freeze!
From loaded butter tart to sticky toffee pudding, nerds to double vanilla coconut, and double chocolate brownie, they’ve got flavors to make even the snobbiest ice cream connoisseur smile!
| Pro Tip: Even your furry pals aren’t left out! You can treat them to the Carp Custom Creamery signature doggy cone and watch those tails wag faster than you can say “lickety-split”! |
Roll’d Up Dessert Lounge
Website: https://rolldup.square.site/
Address: 900 Exhibition Way Unit no. 108, Ottawa, ON K1S 5J3, Canada
Contact: +1 613-668-9253
Hours:
- Monday to Thursday: 4 PM–10 PM
- Friday: 1 PM–11 PM
- Saturday to Sunday: 12 PM–11 PM
It’s time to jazz up your ice cream game and take a wild dive into the world of rolled ice cream at Roll’d Up Dessert Lounge! This trend, born in Thailand circa 2009, has rolled its way into global ice cream culture, making waves with its sweet stir-fry vibes.
Right in Ottawa’s Lansdowne Place, this spot is your go-to for rolled ice cream, with a vibe straight out of the rad ’80s. Here, you can forget the plain old scoop!
At Roll’d Up, it’s all about the roll — picture ice cream mixed with your favorite toppings on a frozen slab, essentially a chilly version of stir fry.
Once mixed, it’s time for the grand finale: curling that creamy concoction into delectable rolls and topping it off with even more goodness!
At Roll’d Up, the only limit is your imagination — and maybe the size of your stomach!
| Pro Tip: Feeling fancy? You get to whip up your own custom creation, throwing in everything from whipped cream to chocolate syrup to your favorite chocolate bars! |
Holmespun Ice Cream
Website: https://www.facebook.com/p/Holmespun-Ice-Cream-100063678304884/
Address: 247 Westbrook Rd Unit 2, Ottawa, ON K0A 1L0, Canada
Holmespun Ice Cream is where frozen fantasies come to life and flavors collide in the most delicious way possible! Just imagine handcrafted ice cream so fresh it’ll make your taste buds do the tiki.
They’ve got it all figured out — from classic scoops to liters of pure joy, and their frozen creations? Ugh! We’re talking ice cream sandwiches, cupcakes, cannolis, cakes, and yes, even ice cream donuts!
| Pro Tip: Holmespun Ice Cream is on the move, cruising around town on a vintage ice cream bike. But fear not, dessert aficionados, you can still get your fix by placing orders and swinging by their commercial kitchen in Stittsville. It’s ice cream on the go, baby! |
Marble Slab Creamery
Website: https://www.marbleslab.com/
Address: 773 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K1S 3V5, Canada
Contact: +1 613-421-6690
Hours:
- Open daily from 11 AM–9 PM
Marble Slab Creamery is the ultimate playground for ice cream rebels like you. With more flavor combos than there are stars in the sky (well, almost), it’s time to unleash your inner ice cream artist!
You can take charge and customize your frozen masterpiece from start to finish. You get to choose your base — vegan, yogurt, or good ol’ traditional scoops in a rainbow of flavors.
Once done, get ready for a swirl of excitement as your creation takes shape on its iconic frozen slab!
| Pro Tip: They’ve also got a lineup of ready-made treats like ice cream sandwiches, cakes, and cupcakes — because who says you can’t have your ice cream and eat it, too? |
