I love summer. It is by far my favourite season and the only season where I try my best to wake up as early as possible. If you were to ask me what an ideal day is, it would be:

1.       Wake up and get a cup of coffee

2.       Walk my dog

3.       Walk around the city to grab lunch

4.       GET ICE CREAM

My Sunday weekend ritual lately has been to eat at a restaurant and try a new ice cream shop.  There are so many to choose from but these are the top 5 that I had this summer.

Sweet Jesus

Located right at King and John street, this ice cream shop is one of my top picks. They have a good amount of options and it is all soft serve ice cream.  Be ready, almost every time I have gone there was a line where you have to wait at least 15-20 minutes. My favourite is the Birthday Cake Ice cream. Initially, it comes with a vanilla soft serve but try it with the coconut soft serve instead! That is my new favourite ice cream at this shop.

Even though it is not my birthday, I still love getting this ice cream and blowing out the candle that comes with it.  If you are staying in the 300 Front Street Vacation in Toronto Executive Suite, this ice cream shop would be the closest to you.

iHalo Krunch

Sadly, I have just discovered this ice cream shop….and it is DELICIOUS. I was first introduced to Ube ice cream (purple yam) by my fiancee when he introduced me to a filipino dessert called halo halo. I was already in love with ube and now I have discovered an ice cream shop that sells it as one of their key features. My favourite ice cream here which is also the most popular is the ube and charcoal swirl.   I already loved both individually but it tasted even better together.

My new weekend routine in Toronto is to walk my dog to Trinity Bellwoods and grab an ice cream cone from iHalo along the way. The only challenge now is to keep this cone away from my dog! As you can see from the photo, it was so good that my fiancee couldn't wait for me to take a photo and instead, took a bite!

Kekou Ice Cream

When looking for unique flavours, this is my go-to spot. They do not just have your typical flavours, some of my favourites include durian, coffee and red bean ice cream. I don’t go too far from the spectrum but they have many unique flavoured ice cream and ice cream bars for you to choose from. A feature that’s different from the other 2 I listed is that there is a large sitting area for you.  With the others there are not many places to sit but with this one, you can go with a few friends and sit together.

They have 2 locations, one at Spadina and Queen and the other in Baldwin Village.

N2 Ice Cream

What first attracted me to this shop were the huge N2O tanks sitting by the door. I then realized that I have seen lots of posts on facebook and Instagram in regards to this shop. Initially, I thought it was an overpriced fad. However, I was completely wrong.  I tried the mango ice milkshake and it was delicious! They had fresh mangos at the top and vanilla ice cream at the moment.

What I did not get to try were the Cheetos where you blow out nitrogen from your mouth and nose. Did you try it? Please write in the comment box below and let me know how it was.

Again, there was a lot of places to sit and rest while you enjoy your ice cream. It does take a few minutes to prepare so please be patient because it is worth it.

Milk Bar Toronto

This was a hidden gem for me. I was first introduced to the Milk Bar when a colleague bought one of their birthday cakes for our boss. I had to find out what else they offered and as a result, when to find their shop.  The Milk Bar is located on the 2nd floor of the Momofuko noodle shop on King and University. They not only have ice cream but they also have a selection of baked goods.  Take your time finding the place as and enjoy its unique experience (you’ll see what I mean).

These are just some of the many options that are available in Toronto. Depending on what you like, there are many more to choose from. Was there a favourite that I have not listed? I need to know!  Please email me at alex@vacationintoronto.com and perhaps it will be part of my top 5.