Are these the 5 best ice cream places in Ottawa?

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You probably don’t need an excuse to have ice cream today.

But in case you do, here’s one: it’s National Ice Cream Day in Canada. With the temperature expected to hover around 30 C in Ottawa, it’s a great day to indulge in a cold treat.

Deciding to have ice cream is easy. The hard part: where do you get it?

Google says ice cream is the third most-popular dish searched on Google Maps in Canada, after pizza and sushi.

To mark National Ice Cream Day, the search engine has revealed its top-rated ice cream places in Ottawa. But there are plenty of other great spots that didn’t crack the list. Let us know your favourite on our social media channels.

Here are the top-rated ice cream spots in Ottawa, according to Google.

Malak and Sons

The artisanal gelato company in old Ottawa south specializes in large events and wholesaling. The family-owned business was established in 1950 and uses only natural ingredients and fresh fruits.

The Merry Dairy

The premium ice cream spot in Hintonburg sells scoops, pints, shakes and all manner of desserts (try their ice cream cake!). They also have a truck and a cart, which can be booked for community events.

Moo Shu Ice Cream & Kitchen

The ever-popular small batch ice cream place on Bank Street just north of the Queensway has unique and creative flavours made with local ingredients. There are plenty of vegan options (Google Maps has seen an 80 per cent increase in searches for ‘vegan ice cream’ this year compared to last).

The Beachconers Microcreamery

There’s no better stop along the Ottawa River cycling path than this gem in Britannia Village. The microcreamery makes classic and more curious flavours from scratch.

Piccolo Grande Artisan Gelateria

The ByWard Market destination on Murray Street offers artisanal gelato, sorbet and sherbet, along with baked goods and hot drinks.