Toronto's hottest soft serve gelato shop opens for the season this week
Toronto's coolest — and, perhaps, only — spot for soft serve gelato finally opens for the season this week.
The city may be undergoing a cold snap as of mid-April, but after nearly a week of above-seasonal temperatures, there's no arguing that summer is right around the corner. More importantly, that means ice cream season is on its way, too.
While old-school favourite Tom's Dairy Freeze already opened its doors a month ago, another one of the city's best-known spots for soft serve is gearing up to open for the season this week.
While Tom's is a retro spot for good, old-fashioned ice cream, this is a stylish spot frequented by the city's most in-the-know foodies. As of April 23, Bar Ape is officially open for the 2026 season.
Rarely, if ever, seen without a lineup dozens deep throughout the spring and summer seasons, Bar Ape has cemented its spot as the city's most sought-after soft serve over its 12-year run.
A large part of it has to do with the fact that the gelato bar was the first in the city to offer soft-serve gelato, but even more important is that it's really, really good. So good, in fact, that it's regarded as one of the best gelato shops in the city.
Featured flavours rotate weekly throughout the season, using seasonal and local ingredients like Niagara grapes and chocolate from SOMA chocolatier, alongside gelato bars and sundaes if you're in the mood to shake it up. In a city where it virtually costs you $25 just to leave the house, the fact that everything at Bar Ape costs $7 doesn't hurt either.
If you hope to be among the first to pick up a sweet swirl from Bar Ape in 2026, be sure to bring some old-fashioned cha-ching with you: the ice cream stand is cash only.
Bar Ape is located at 283 Rushton Rd.
Jesse Milns
