During our recent trip to Victoria, we stopped by Better Acres Ice Cream on Government Street for an afternoon treat.
The shop is right in downtown Victoria, not far from the Inner Harbour, so it was easy to visit while we were already walking around the area. The mint-coloured storefront caught my attention right away, and inside, the space has a simple, slightly nostalgic ice cream shop feel.
Better Acres was founded by Lori Joyce, who grew up on a self-sustaining farm on Vancouver Island. The ice cream is made with Canadian dairy and a relatively short ingredient list, with an emphasis on familiar flavours rather than elaborate toppings or mix-ins.
The menu includes a kids scoop for $4.95, one scoop for $6.95, and two scoops for $8.95. A housemade waffle cone is $1.95 extra. There is also an ice cream flight with any four scoops for $15, and pints to go for $10.
Some flavours include Summer Strawberry, Coffee Cream, Sea Salted Cream, Vanilla Bean, Caramel Cream, Mango, Italian Lemon, Persian Pistachio, and Sea Salted Cream & Cookies.
For our visit, I tried two scoops, Summer Strawberry and Coffee Cream.
The Summer Strawberry was creamy with a noticeable strawberry flavour and a gentle sweetness. It felt especially fitting on a warm summer day in Victoria.
The Coffee Cream had a smooth coffee flavour that came through clearly without being too intense. It was richer than the strawberry, so having the two together gave me a nice contrast between something fruity and something more roasty and creamy.
What I enjoyed most was how straightforward the flavours were. These were the kind of scoops where the main ingredients were easy to recognize, rather than getting lost among a lot of extras.
The location made the visit especially convenient. Government Street is one of those areas we naturally walked through several times during our Victoria trip, and Better Acres was an easy place to stop without having to plan our day around it.
If you are visiting the Inner Harbour or spending some time around Government Street, Better Acres is worth keeping in mind for an ice cream break.
Better Acres Ice Cream
1019 Government Street
Victoria, BC