For the second instalment of Toronto Insiders, we asked the team at Halo & Co. to turn their attention to something equally important: soft serve. The hospitality PR agency has a front-row seat to what Toronto is eating and drinking, and this time they’re sharing the cones, dips and sundaes they keep coming back to.
Soul Smash Burgers, Missisauga
Soul Smash Burgers is a GTA favourite with a refreshingly simple, no-BS approach – because why mess with a good thing? The cherry on top is a choice of two soft-serve sundaes: Lotus Biscoff or Triple Chocolate. Honestly, the only right answer is to order both. Look out for limited-edition flavours, too, like their mango-passionfruit special that tastes like summer. soulburgers.ca
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Butter Baker, Downtown Toronto
Butter Baker knows its soft serve. With flavours rotating monthly, there’s always something new to try, and August’s Blueberry Cream Pie is exactly the kind of combination that keeps us coming back. And yes, the cones are seriously photogenic – serving your Instagram feed and your sweet tooth in equal measure. butter-baker.com
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The Big Chill, Little Italy
As if 30 flavours of ice cream weren’t enough, The Big Chill has now added soft serve to the mix. After more than 25 years on College Street, they know ice cream, so it’s no surprise they’re already having fun with limited-edition soft-serve sundaes. A recent Maple Pancake Sundae collaboration with Odd Cookie Snacks sold out fast – and we can’t wait to see what comes next. thebigchill.ca
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Dairy Cream, Port Credit
Not to be mistaken for Dairy Queen, Dairy Cream in Port Credit has been serving up summer since 1958 – and if that’s not a testament to a good thing, we don’t know what is. Seasonal, iconic, and worth every single minute standing in a line that stretches down Lakeshore all summer long. We’re talking classic soft serve with a dip lineup that goes way beyond chocolate: peanut butter, cherry, white chocolate, cotton candy – pick your poison. Some things just don’t need to be reinvented. Dairy Cream is proof. dairy-cream.ca
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Mita Mita, Toronto Harbourfront
Toronto’s Harbourfront might be one of the best places to enjoy a cold treat on a summer day, and Mita Mita gives soft serve its own playful spin. There’s the viral soft-serve margarita (need we say more?), along with creations topped with everything from sprinkles and coconut to churros. fabrestaurants.ca/restaurant/mitamita
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Bar Sugo, Bloordale Village
We know Toronto’s love for Bar Sugo runs deep, and our love for a sundae after a family-style meal runs deeper. It’s the kind of place where the table orders another round of drinks just to justify one more bite of rigatoni. But the real secret weapon? The soft serve sundae specials. The creations change, and that’s what makes it completely non-negotiable as a finale. Once you’ve had it, there’s no going back to skipping dessert. bar.sugotoronto.com
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Tom’s Dairy Freeze, Etobicoke
An Etobicoke summer institution, Tom’s Dairy Freeze almost always has a line – and people travel from across the city to join it. Classic soft serve, generous toppings and old-school window service make it worth the wait. tomsdairyfreeze.ca
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Iconic Ice Cream Trucks
There’s nothing more nostalgic than the sound of an ice cream truck. Toronto may be one of the best cities for inventive desserts, but sometimes you can’t beat a simple classic. A park day at Trinity Bellwoods or Riverdale Park, interrupted by that familiar jingle and a quick dash for a vanilla soft-serve cone with sprinkles? That’s what we call a quintessential summer day.
Finding one is still part of the fun: check local ice cream-truck operators on social media for routes, or head to a busy Toronto park and listen for that familiar jingle.
