Dutch Dreams

What is Dutch Dreams? Located just south of St. Clair West at 36 Vaughan Road, Dutch Dreams is a multi-generational, unapologetically maximalist dessert institution founded by the Aben family in the 1980s. The interior resembles a technicolor antique parlour packed floor-to-ceiling with vintage Delftware, Tiffany lamps, movie props, and eccentric curiosities from Holland. Seating is casual and fast-moving, consisting of high-turnover indoor perches and outdoor benches where crowds linger with overflowing cones.

Dutch Dreams Menu & What to Order The counter serves over five dozen kosher, fresh-cream ice cream flavours alongside warm, scratch-made Dutch pancakes and pressed waffle cones. Crowds flock to the hand-dipped waffle cones encrusted with crushed nuts or cookies and crowned with an over-the-top cloud of freshly spun cotton candy. Purists should stick to legacy dairy classics like rich Dutch Chocolate, French Vanilla, or Grapenut, while sweet-tooth adventurers gravitate to Toronto Traffic Jam and Drake's Chocolate Peanut Butter. Big celebration groups can even order the vintage flaming Baked Alaska, complete with toasted meringue and lit sparklers.

Know Before You Go Dutch Dreams is strictly walk-in only, and warm summer nights reliably trigger queues stretching down Vaughan Road, though the line moves briskly. Street parking along Vaughan and St. Clair West fills quickly, making a quick hop on the 512 St. Clair streetcar from St. Clair West subway station the smartest transit route. The shop stays open until late daily, making it a premier midnight dessert run.