Surrey’s size works in its favour for ice cream. A city this spread out tends to develop independent dessert spots in each neighbourhood rather than one central destination, and that is exactly what has happened. A classic waffle cone after a summer afternoon at Bear Creek Park and something more adventurous from Surrey’s South Asian food corridor are both within easy range.

What sets Surrey’s frozen dessert scene apart is the range of traditions on offer. Italian-style gelato shops have quietly established themselves in South Surrey’s newer commercial strips, while kulfi and mango-based frozen treats bring entirely different textures and flavour profiles to Newton and Whalley. This guide covers the full picture so you can find what you are actually in the mood for.

Classic Scoop Shops: Waffle Cones and Neighbourhood Favourites

The classic ice cream shop experience in Surrey tends to cluster in Cloverdale and Fleetwood, where the neighbourhood strip-mall format has kept independent operators alive for years. These are the spots with long flavour boards, waffle cone smells drifting out the door, and lineups that tell you summer has arrived. The vibe is uncomplicated and the portions are generous.

Bear Creek Park and Green Timbers are the areas where families tend to end up after a summer outing, and the ice cream shops along the King George Boulevard corridor do brisk business on warm weekends as a result. Expect the full range of dairy and non-dairy options at most spots, along with soft-serve machines that are a fixture at the more casual walk-up windows.

Cloverdale’s main commercial strip has a few dessert spots mixed in among the antique shops and local businesses, making it an easy stop on a weekend afternoon when you are already in the area. The format here tends toward old-school parlour rather than modern dessert bar, which suits the neighbourhood’s general character well.

South Asian Frozen Treats: Kulfi, Mango, and Saffron

Surrey’s large South Asian community has built a frozen dessert culture that runs parallel to the western ice cream tradition and is worth exploring on its own terms. Kulfi is the anchor, a dense, slow-melting frozen milk dessert typically flavoured with pistachio, rose, mango, or saffron. The texture is richer and less airy than ice cream, and it holds up well in BC’s summer heat.

Along Newton’s 72nd Avenue and in the Whalley and Surrey City Centre areas, South Asian sweet shops stock kulfi alongside lassi, faluda, and mango soft-serve variations that are particularly popular during the summer months. Many of these spots are attached to or adjacent to grocery stores, and the dessert counter is worth seeking out even if you went in for something else.

Mango-flavoured frozen treats are the standout for first-timers. Whether it is kulfi, a mango lassi pushed through a soft-serve machine, or fresh Alphonso mango ice cream imported in concentrate form, the flavour depth in a good mango kulfi from a Newton sweet shop is something a standard ice cream parlour cannot replicate.

Gelato and Specialty Shops: South Surrey’s European Influence

South Surrey’s newer commercial districts, particularly around Morgan Crossing and Grandview Corners, have attracted a cluster of gelato and specialty dessert shops that aim for a different kind of experience. The presentation leans European, the flavours rotate seasonally, and the crowd tends toward the unhurried afternoon rather than the post-playground rush.

BC’s agricultural geography plays into this part of Surrey’s ice cream scene in a tangible way. Summer months bring locally grown strawberries, blueberries, and Okanagan peaches into the flavour rotation at the shops that emphasise fresh ingredients. A strawberry gelato made with Fraser Valley berries in July is noticeably different from a frozen version of the same flavour in January, and the better shops lean into this gap.

The specialty dessert trend has also produced a handful of bubble waffle, mochi, and rolled ice cream spots around the City Centre and Guildford areas, catering to the younger demographic that follows those formats on social media. These come and go with more frequency than the established gelato shops, but there is usually at least one operating in the Guildford Town Centre area during the summer months.

Surrey Ice Cream by Neighbourhood: Where to Go

Cloverdale is the best destination for a classic soft-serve or scoop shop experience with easy parking and a relaxed pace. The area around the fairgrounds and 176th Street has a few reliable options that have been around long enough to become local institutions in the quieter sense.

For kulfi and South Asian frozen treats, Newton’s 72nd Avenue strip and the Whalley area around King George Boulevard are where to look. Most sweet shops here are open through the afternoon and evening, making them practical after a dinner out in the same corridor. South Surrey’s Grandview Corners area is the destination for gelato and more curated frozen dessert experiences, with the added benefit of patio seating at some spots.

In the summer months, ice cream options also appear at farmers markets in Cloverdale and South Surrey, where local producers sometimes sell small-batch frozen treats using BC ingredients. These are worth checking if you are already attending a market, since the ingredient quality tends to be higher than what a fixed shop can offer year-round.

Making the Most of Surrey’s Ice Cream Scene

The peak window for Surrey ice cream is late June through August, when both the weather and the local ingredient supply are at their best. Fraser Valley strawberries typically peak in late June and July, blueberries through July and August, and Okanagan peaches arrive mid-August. Shops that use fresh local fruit will often signal this on their boards or social media.

Kulfi shops in Newton and Whalley typically stay open until 10 p.m. or later on weekends, making them a viable option after an evening out when other dessert spots have closed. This is one of the more useful distinctions between Surrey’s South Asian dessert culture and the standard ice cream shop, which often closes by 9 p.m. even in summer.

For families with young children, the combination of Bear Creek Park and the ice cream corridor along King George Boulevard makes for a complete afternoon. Arrive at the park in the morning, use the spray park or wading pool, and end the outing with a scoop before driving home. The timing tends to work well because most shops in that area are quieter before noon and peak mid-afternoon.

Ice Cream Tips for Surrey This Summer

If you have never tried kulfi, start with mango or pistachio rather than rose or saffron. The fruit-forward flavours tend to be the easiest entry point for those more familiar with western ice cream, and the mango version at a good Newton sweet shop is genuinely impressive.

South Surrey gelato shops are busiest between 2 and 5 p.m. on weekend afternoons. Arriving before 1 p.m. or after 5 p.m. usually means a shorter wait and a better chance of catching the full flavour board before popular options sell out.

Most soft-serve spots along the King George Boulevard corridor are cash-friendly and have quick service, making them practical for a family stop without a long commitment. The walk-up window format means no wait for seating.

If you are driving to South Surrey specifically for gelato, combine it with a late-morning or early-afternoon errand at Morgan Crossing or Grandview Corners so the trip has a practical anchor. The area is far enough south that making a separate trip just for dessert feels like a longer commitment than it needs to be.

Questions Often Asked

Where can I find kulfi in Surrey, BC?

Kulfi is widely available in Surrey’s South Asian sweet shops, particularly along Newton’s 72nd Avenue corridor and in the Whalley and Surrey City Centre areas near King George Boulevard. Most South Asian grocery stores in these neighbourhoods also have a sweet counter or freezer section with kulfi in pistachio, mango, saffron, and rose flavours.

Does Surrey have good gelato?

Yes. South Surrey, particularly around Morgan Crossing and Grandview Corners, has a cluster of gelato and specialty dessert shops that rotate seasonal flavours and often use local BC fruit in summer. The quality at the better-established shops is comparable to what you would find in Vancouver’s Italian-influenced dessert spots.

What is the best area in Surrey for ice cream?

It depends on what you are after. For a classic scoop shop experience, Cloverdale is the most relaxed destination. For South Asian frozen treats including kulfi and mango soft-serve, Newton and Whalley are the best areas. For European-style gelato with seasonal flavours, South Surrey near Grandview Corners is the top option.

Are there non-dairy ice cream options in Surrey?

Yes. Most ice cream and gelato shops in Surrey now carry at least one or two non-dairy options, typically coconut milk or oat milk based. South Asian sweet shops sometimes offer naturally non-dairy kulfi-style frozen treats as well, though traditional kulfi is made with whole milk.