Utopia Ice Sumner — Restaurant in Christchurch

Now I, without a doubt, used to give Utopia Ice huge praise for being inclusive of all dietry requirements and going above and beyond with their flavours and service. However, this past weekend's experience left me feeling dissapointed and lack lustred for a retrun visit.

My friend ordered a waffle and when asked if it sohuld be vegan or not, hesitated before answering vegan. One of the employees made a snarky comment along the lines of "oh, just decided to be vegan did you?" before huffing on to make the waffles. I, as well as my friend were taken back by that. We're both lactose intolerant so when given the option, we have to decide if the original product will have milk based ingredients or not. So yeah, a little thought / hesitation might occur. But even so, what if we weren't vegan & thought "heck, this place is renowned for their vegan waffles. Let's give it a try?"

I'll note the other employee was friendly and very accomodating when it came to no more pears and gluten free cones (yes, I have a gluten intolerance too), however; the snarky comment really put a sour note on our view of Utopia Ice....

The flavours of the ice cream are delicious and it’s a cute and cosy shop and garden area to eat. A real shame about one of the staff members. First time experience to Utopia after hearing from word of mouth how great this place is. We arrived just shy of 9pm with Google stating it closed at 9:30pm. We walk in to be instantly greeted with “you better be quick to order as we are closing”. We made our choices fast and I asked if it was 9 or 9:30 closing and said that is what google advised. I was then told by the same staff member that Google doesn’t have Utopia’s hours and to check their IG as they update it there instead due to weather and seasons. To prove what I was saying I showed the rude worker my phone proving what I was saying is correct and said that “5 weeks ago it was updated by the business itself”. The worker still continued saying to check FB or IG and dismissed me. Better mannered staff would go a long way for the store. This experience has put me off wanting to...

Tucked in a charming courtyard near the sea at 15 Wakefield Ave, Sumner, Utopia Ice delivers small-batch handmade ice cream and vegan sorbets made from organic, locally sourced ingredients.

Their rotating flavour menu includes creative combos like sea salt + caramel + popcorn, dark chocolate sea salt, pear and riesling, and black sesame.

We came all the way from Auckland to try it, and it was absolutely worth it! The lady owner was so friendly and welcoming — she even offered us samples of two flavours each before we decided.

We love that half the menu is vegan-friendly, with coconut-based options, clearly labelled sorbets, vegan waffle cones, and even vegan whipped cream.

The ice cream was creamy, full of flavour, and honestly some of the best we’ve ever had. Highly recommended if you’re in Christchurch — we’ll...