The City of Victoria has an equal amount of designer ice cream parlours and traditional (i.e. franchise) you can shake a scooper at. Plenty of them reside in the downtown area, and a few are just a few blocks away from the core. Some operations get their supply by Island Farms and there’s nothing wrong with that. For a taste of the truly bizarre (or kinky), sometimes finding that definitive list requires hitting more than a local blog or google search engine.

The following places to hit for ice cream rank in my top three. The rest is a catalogue of other places (franchise-based included) worthwhile checking out–with links to the original review when possible. For any other operations that I may have missed, I apologize.

As the dog days of summer is at more than the halfway point now, to cool down the tummy requires more than a swim at a local pool.

Cold Comfort
1115 North Park Street Unit #2

(original review here)

Anytime you find me wandering Cook Street, I’ll be here! They set the stage for unique flavours and an oh so heavenly texture which I have yet to find any other place to replicate. They rotate the flavours a lot, and aside from the traditional strawberry and vanilla (especially the former, when they are in season), it’s a shop that I feel many others are trying to replicate.

Parachute Ice Cream
2626 Bridge St

(original review here)

The selling point here is that you can bring back the containers for a refill. With their delight, I’m often floating on air, and although they are tucked away in the industrial side of town, it’s a place I’d visit when I hear they have a combination I know I must try. For example, how can a Hoyne Entre Nous Belgian Cherry Apple Sorbet not go wrong? I discovered this place when they offered ice cream made with water buffalo milk and I was bovin’ed over!

Kid Sister Ice Cream
10 Fan Tan Alley

Tucked within an alley Chinatown is an operation which makes me think why here? This strip offers many clique operations, ranging from a New Age shop to Record, and technically, this sweet place fits right in! They also make small batches of seasonal flavourful delights and a few unique ones. That is, when I’m in the mood to taste London Fog in a cream, this is the place to go!

Beacon Drive In
126 Douglas Street

Amongst Victorians, this operation is the definitive place for their soft serve goodness. They are tough to beat, and after a nice stroll at the neighbouring Beacon Hill, many will be coming here to wind down the day with. I like to call this place the Arnolds (from Happy Days) of Victoria, BC–a cozy place to even grab a burger too!

Jackson’s Soft Serve Ice Cream
1 Dallas Road

No definitive comments can be made yet, but for those folks who want to spend time at Fisherman’s Wharf, this place is a stop to hit when wandering elsewhere is not in the cards. They get their product from Island Farms, so aside from supporting local, they are not handcrafted artisan products.

Perverted Ice Cream
604 Humbolt Street

At the time of writing, I haven’t hit this operation yet. They recently opened up this local operation (originally hailing from Vancouver) and as the name implies, their decadent treats involves chocolate, and lots more chocolate… an update will be coming as I’ll be in town more often at the end of this month for other events happening.

Milkcow Cafe
762 Yates St.

(original review here)

Anyone yearning for a taste of full dairy Korean style ice cream can visit this stop. Although somewhat pricey, it’s a place that I feel still needs to find its legs.

Oh Gelato
1013 Government Street

Craving Gelato over ice cream? This tourist stop offers a huge selection that’s worth hitting on a late night. That’s all I can really say. Because of its location, it’s more for visitors to the city to hit than locals. The same can be said for the following, but when that sweet tooth demands it, the jaunt up the street has my tummy saying yes.

Chocolates Flavoris
1010 Government Street

(original review here)

If you love your ice cream dipped on chocolate, of any intoxicating variety–ranging from light to dark and topped with nuts–this is the operation to hit. ’nuff said.

Marble Slab
1150 Douglas Street

This franchise based operation can, from time to time, offer some matcha flavoured treats. They are about the only reason why I’d come here. Their product is on the very sweet side, and when a visit to the dentist is not anytime soon, I’d come here.

Mr. Tubbs Ice Cream Parlor
3454 Tillcum Road

I’m guessing that their product line is also supplied by Island Farms. This Tillicum based operation has been there for as long as I can remember and former bloke James Robert Shaw seems to swear by this place. It’s worth the honourable mention for being one of the long lasting businesses in that side of town. Plus, they run a vintage arcade for the young ones to play in. That’s good enough for me!

Want to be listed? Please contact Two Hungry Blokes so we can update and have a comprehensive guide to places to hit that are unique to this city.