Ricardo’s (Bubble Tea, Ice Cream, Coffee) - Granville — Restaurant in Vancouver

Nothing really against Ricardo’s on Granville, but actually against the cake baker who makes the cakes for them that they put on their display. Do not order cakes from her!! Went to Ricardo’s for the first time back in March/April and found the cakes in their display super cute, asked the worker and they told me the bakers name and give me her phone number. Her cake username on instagram is (Little Cake Box) in Surrey. Texted the baker and asked if she could make a small cake for a special occasion she agreed on it and I give her all the details and sent pictures of the cake in the display I liked and wanted her to make one similar of. I texted her this probably a month before the actual date I needed it made for and I also texted her AGAIN just to remind her 2 weeks before the date. The day of the occasion comes I go to Ricardo’s on Granville where she said to pick up the cake from and when I go there, but was told no cake was made for me. Messaged the baker right away very upset and she said she forgot and apologized. Last minute had to take an already 4 inch cake made in the display and I also paid for it as well. The baker texted me saying she would make me any cake I would like for free of charge whenever. So when I texted her after a few weeks after asking for a cake order and asked her if a free cake offer still applies, she said yes and I texted her details of the cake and she never replied back to me! SUPER UNPROFESSIONAL!! If you can’t make a cake then don’t promise a free one either. Absolutely a waste of time, bad service & would not recommend this cake baker to...

Resumed version : Place goes for looks and quantity more than quality and customer service.

Extended version : Visiting Vancouver and I wanted to find out about the ice cream places here. The place has beautiful decor and more than 80 flavours, although only a part of them are displayed in a more beautiful setup (the gelatos, probably the ones made in-house). The problem for me was when, by curiosity, as it's normal in every ice cream shop, I told the counter guy I was curious and wanted to try 4 or 5 because there was many flavours I haven't seen yet, like saffron with rosewater and pistacchio or black sesame. The guy said sure and asked me to say four. After trying those, there was one more I thought about trying and then another guy was visually pissed because of it. He was probably the manager and said he'd let me try one more, but that was it. Seriously? You act as trying 5 out of 80 flavours is like I am trying to rob the place, when I am for sure buying there, not only that but being nice to me would convert that into a pretty nice tip, which I ended up not giving. This is the first ice cream place I've been to have a very small limit of flavours you can try. You made the place look like it's a luxurious experience, but the actual experience is very meh. The ice creams I tried had all mild flavour and were heavily creamed, more than usual for a gelato. I ended up getting the 2-flavour cup with Ube Cookie & Cream (one of the 5 I tried) and Dulce de Leche. Both were okay. Nothing to remember, specially with the service...

We're big fans of Kandy Korner and since that place had been "coming soon" for years, we had high expectations, which were left unmet.

I had rum raisin and root beer float. Root beer float was a self-own since it was a leftover at the bottom of a can. Frosted through.

Rum raisin was better but nothing to write home about. A lesser rum raisin.

Both were too sweet and not super flavorful.

The chocolate-dipped waffle cone was fine.

For a super large store (the ice cream parlor with the most square feet in Canada maybe?), it's not very spacious. Not many places to sit and people are all jammed in the narrow aisle between the ice cream counter and the coffee counter. It leaves people bunched in front of the ice cream (which makes sense), then you have to go to the front for a cash that almost looks like an afterthought, crammed close to the door.

The weird proportions don't need to be a deal-breaker. If the ice cream was to die for, I wouldn't have been thinking about the layout, but I was left there brooding over my ice cream, thinking they somehow squandered that huge space, making it feel cramped and lifeless because the never-attended counters take so much space.

Also, white marble-like walls and cheap TV on the wall give a bit of a Black Mirror vibe to the place.

In truth, this place is the anti-Ricardo: Kandy Korner is a small place overflowing with fresh, chewy candies. Grandville is a...