
Winnipeg ice cream guide
In Winnipeg we don’t scream for ice cream.
We do however politely queue for it before ordering artisanal housemade flavours from masterful local ice cream makers. Sure, we might let out a little moan while eating these delicious creations, but there’s no need to shout about it.
Here’s just a few of our top picks when it comes to tasty licks in this ice cream-crazed city, along with some spots that will have you hollering for halo-halo and gelato too.
Bridge Drive In - 766 Jubilee Avenue and new location on Main Street at Jefferson Avenue
BDI is a classic, specializing in super-rich soft serve since 1957. Go for something outrageous like The Sleeping Beauty – a half pineapple with a mountain of ice cream on top, while another signature item is a totally original milkshake sort of concoction with blueberries, bananas and hot fudge called a Goog. It’s always busy at the BDI come evenings, as who can resist a milkshake or cone paired with a stroll over the Red River?
Black Market Provisions (BMP) – 550 Osborne Street
The dynamic duo of Alana Fiks and Angela Farkas –– along with their always amazing staff –– make all kinds of delicious things at Black Market Provisions, the couple’s celebrated food emporium on South Osborne. One of the top draws is their small batch all-vegan ice creams, which are sensational, and a textural delight. The gluten-free Thai-Phoon is a personal favourite with its lemongrass infused coconut milk base and candied ginger topping, and you’ll most likely lose all willpower after one bite of the malted chocoloate Oreo, the duo’s only flavour that isn’t gluten-free.
Cake-ology – 85 Arthur Street
Cake-ology is as perfect as you would expect, given chef/owner Austin Granados’ pastry background. While not known as an ice cream place per se, come summer, the team often will sling ice cream sandwiches that will blow your mind. The cookies alone (like the miso chocolate chip) are sensational, and they will even do ice cream sandwiches on the signature kouign-amann pastries if you really want to indulge.
Chaeban - 390 Osborne Street
Owners Joseph Chaeban and Zainab Ali have racked up numerous awards since opening in 2017, including Western Living Foodies of the Year and the most coveted of all, Canada’s Best Ice Cream and Best in Show Grand Champion at the 2022 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto. Joseph is a dairy scientist and cheesemaker by trade, and their shop uses all local milk to create its ultra-creamy ice creams, many of which pay homage to their Lebanese and Syrian roots.
Chocoberry Dessert House – Unit B – 470 River Avenue
Everything from the tiny kitchen at this Osborne Village café is almost too precious to eat. The milkshakes are magical and piled-high with whipped cream, you can get sensational sundaes (go for the peach or matcha), and the waffles are a world all their own. Chocoberry also has plenty of cool drinks and shakes, all of which come in compostable containers should you take them to go.
Dug & Betty’s - 209 Des Meurons Street
From the locally famed food family the Kirouacs, Dug & Betty’s specializes in housemade ice cream and sorbettos that are daring and delicious. Strawberry balsamic with honey and black pepper, vegan cookie dough, and cassis and yogurt share billing with all your standard flavours, with many gluten-free and dairy-free options too. Three different ice cream sandwiches, 15+ milkshakes, and numerous parfaits, round out a menu that also includes savoury food and some of the city’s best sandwiches.
Eva’s Gelato & Coffee Bar – 1001 Corydon Avenue
Authentic Argentina gelato is the name of the game here, which means super creamy gelato and plenty of rich and intriguing flavours. For something unique get a scoop of halvah, which is a sesame-based sort of fudge, or get fresh with fruity numbers like coconut extreme, lemon pie, and raspberry delight. You’ll also find a handful of dairy-free options, along with some savoury food like paninis too.
Fête – 300 Assiniboine Avenue
This charming little spot located beside a dog park excels at making super smooth ice creams and all manner of cool treats. Owners Élise Page and Teri-Lynn Friesen serve a number of exciting and flavourful options, many of them gluten and dairy free, using bases like oat milk and coconut cream. They make their waffle cones in-house, an affogato is a must, and the ice cream sandwiches and ice cream cakes are pretty special too.
Lick’s Ice Cream Patio– 20 Britannica Road
For over 25 years, Licks Ice Cream Patio has served Winnipeggers hard scoops and soft serve from south St. Vital. With an enormous patio and a massive variety of flavours, there's something for everyone. While Licks is known for its ice cream, please don't sleep on its variety of frappes (a cool and tasty way to recharge). And let's not forget the irresistible birthday party dip for cones.
Milksmith - 651 Corydon Avenue
This colourful spot on the Corydon strip knows how to work dairy, often in creative and crazy ways. Mixologist/owner Siuleen Leibl and her team are known for Insta-ready molecular gastronomy-style creations like ice cream tacos, mochi Hong Kong-style bubble waffle cones, foam-topped milkshakes and so many kinds of rolled ice cream. For cinco de Mayo, Milksmith makes elote ice cream shaped like a corn cob – incredible stuff.
Neon Cone – The Forks Market Scoops, soft serve, or pints – Neon Cone serves it all. This bustling spot has a variety of flavours using Manitoba-made products from spots like Tall Grass Prairie (its neighbours at The Forks) and De Luca’s. It also offers other fun treats like ice cream-filled s'mores and ice cream flights, perfect for enjoying on the huge outdoor patio. Having been a staple at The Forks for over 30 years, Neon Cone is a must-try for the perfect scoop.
Nucci’s Gelati – 643 Corydon Avenue
For nearly 50 year’s Nucci’s has been a mainstay on Winnipeg’s version of Little Italy. Expect to find friendly young staff slinging dozens of flavours of gelati, although if you are like us you’ll order the fabulous pistachio gelati every. single. time. Owners Michael and Maria Pepe also recently started serving hot, housemade pastas and other Italian dishes. If you plan to party, they’ll even sell you a 2.2 or 4-litre pail of gelati.
On Tap Frozen Yogurt Bar – 620-2 Dakota St
They are a local family-owned and operated self-serve frozen yogurt shop in the south end of Winnipeg, just minutes to St. Vital Centre. They have everything from milkshakes, bubble tea and smoothies to Dole whips, Frryo cakes, Froyo sandwiches, infused Red Bull cocktails and more! They also empathize with the struggle of having dietary restrictions so they offer gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free options.
Rollesque – 117 Osborne Street & 605 Sterling Lyon Parkway
Winnipeg’s first Thai-style rolled ice cream shop can be found in two Pho Hoang locations — the newest spot in Seasons of Tuxedo, and the cool Osborne Village location. The flavoured creams are spread out and mixed right before your eyes on the super cold surface before being rolled up and assembled in a cup – a joy to watch. While there, you can treat yourself to some of Winnipeg’s best Vietnamese food courtesy of the hospitable owners, Tom and Heather Hoang.
Sargent Sundae - 2053 Portage Avenue
Since 1984 Sargent Sundae has been a St. James staple, with one peach of a location adjacent to the Assiniboine River Park Bridge to boot. The regular menu has 24 hard ice creams, soft serve, so many shakes, sundaes and novelties too, while come fall the pumpkin ice cream is legendary. It’s always busy for a reason, but you won’t wait long as this is a well-churned machine. There’s also a nice little attached courtyard to enjoy your ice creams, along with a nifty little park across the street that overlooks the Assiniboine River.
Snow & Moon Dessert Café – 1727 Kenaston Boulevard
Snow and Moon’s Korean desserts are made entirely of crystallized milk flakes, looking identical to snow (unless you try the matcha flavour) and loaded up with fruity toppings, chocolate slivers or an entire slice of tiramisu and honey bread (grilled homemade loaf with honey butter covered with whipped cream and caramel sauce topped with almonds). The portions are huge and artfully presented.
Sweet Tops – 949 Henderson Highway
This place excels at soft serve, particularly the pumpkin flavour put out every fall. Pretty much anything you can think of from Dairy Queen has a doppelgänger here, but made-in-house and better, including whole ice cream cakes. The logo, featuring a bowtie-wearing ice cream cone gets us every time – we just want to go hang with that guy.
The Supreme Ice Cream Shoppe – 1295 Jefferson Avenue
The Supreme is the “home of halo-halo” in Winnipeg, the signature cool Filipino treat that features shaved ice, ice cream, sweetened beans, fruits and evaporated milk. At the shop, you can find all sorts of portion sizes for halo-halo –– including a 4 litre tub that takes teamwork –– while you have your choice of all manner of toppings, from Ube to banana. Supreme also does numerous bubble tea flavours, iced lattes, gelati and hot savoury Pinoy dishes too.
9 Below – 2494 Main Street
With a vast selection of hard and soft ice cream, sundaes, milkshakes and banana splits ––including iconic flavours like the cinnamon bun sundae and birthday party ice cream –– 9 Below rises above. There’s a nice patio too, while you can also get burgers, fries and chicken fingers with honey dill. Heck, they’ll even build you a sundae on top of mini-doughnuts.