A cone after the beach
Torquay has four ice cream shops, all a short walk from the foreshore, and in summer a couple of vans on the beachfront. Nordenfine on Bell Street makes its own, and has done since 1999. Gilbert Street has two: Augustus Gelatery, part of a Melbourne gelato chain, which stays open the latest, and Dooley's, the award-winning ice creamery from Apollo Bay. Frenchy's is the small parlour on The Esplanade at the Cosy Corner end. For a bigger outing, the Chocolateries on the Great Ocean Road at Bellbrae churns its own ice cream and has free tastings.
The town shops are about five minutes' drive from north Torquay. They open around lunchtime and stay open into the evening, so a scoop after fish and chips on the foreshore is easy.
At a glance
Hours from each shop's website, October 2026.
| Where | Address | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nordenfine Ice Cream Co | 34 Bell Street | Daily, 12-9pm | Made on site since 1999 |
| Augustus Gelatery | 3-4 Gilbert Street | From 1 or 2pm to 9 or 9.30pm | Gelato chain, open late |
| Dooley's Premium Ice Cream | Shop 4, 8 Gilbert Street | Daily, 11am-8pm (spring holidays) | Award winner from Apollo Bay |
| Frenchy's | 17 The Esplanade | Ring for hours | Ice cream and frozen yoghurt |
| Beach vans | Elephant Walk and Cosy Corner | September to April | Soft serve and gelato |
| The Chocolateries | 1200 Great Ocean Road, Bellbrae | Daily, 9am-5pm | About 20 minutes' drive |
The shops
Nordenfine Ice Cream Co
Torquay's own ice cream maker, at 34 Bell Street, next door to Bell Street Fish and Chips. Two brothers started it in 1999, and everything for its Torquay, Anglesea and Apollo Bay shops is still made here: ice cream, gelato and frozen yoghurt. The Salted Caramel won three trophies at the 2026 Australian Dairy Awards of Excellence, and the Raspberry & Finger Lime frozen yoghurt took another. The shop is deliberately old-school, and the owners say the money goes into the ice cream instead. Open 12pm to 9pm every day.
Augustus Gelatery
At the beach end of Gilbert Street, a minute from the Front Beach lawns. It's one of around 40 shops in a Melbourne gelato chain, with 30-odd flavours in the cabinet, from pistachio and hazelnut to Kinder and bubble gum. There are dairy-free sorbets and plant-based gelato, shakes, gelato cakes and tubs to take home. It doesn't open until the afternoon, but it's the late one: until 9pm most nights and 9.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Dooley's Premium Ice Cream
At Shop 4, 8 Gilbert Street, a few doors from Augustus. It's the second shop for a father-and-daughter business from Apollo Bay, which opened here at the end of 2024. The ice cream is made in Apollo Bay, and the shop there has more than 500 awards on the wall, including best ice cream in Australia for its chocolate, vanilla and licorice. There are more than 40 flavours a day, from the classics to Vegemite, pepperberry and honey malt, with sorbets, sundaes and shakes. Open 11am to 8pm daily in the September school holidays.
Frenchy's
A small ice cream and frozen yoghurt parlour at 17 The Esplanade, across from the foreshore at the Cosy Corner end of Front Beach, near Point Danger Beach House. It has no website or social pages, so ring (03) 5261 2202 if you want to check it's open.
The Chocolateries Great Ocean Road
Plenty of people still call it the Chocolaterie, its name until 2026. It's at 1200 Great Ocean Road, Bellbrae, about 20 minutes' drive from north Torquay on the way to Anglesea. It makes 24 flavours on site every day, with vegan sorbets, free tastings and 475ml tubs to take home. Entry is free, there's a big café and a chocolate showroom, and kids can run around on the lawns. Open 9am to 5pm every day except Christmas Day.
The beach vans
In 2024 the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority licensed two ice cream vans for the Torquay foreshore, each for the season from 1 September to 30 April. Mr Soft Serve and Gelato has the spot at Elephant Walk, and Geelong Mobile Ice Cream is at Cosy Corner, with gelato, soft serve and scoops. They're vans, so don't count on them every day, but on a hot weekend they save you walking up to town in your thongs.
Which one?
If you only try one, make it Nordenfine. It's made in town, the flavours run from the award winners to kids' favourites like Milo Monkey and M&M Heaven, and Bell Street puts you near the fish and chips and the pubs. Dooley's is the one for the adventurous flavours, and it has just as many trophies. Augustus is the pick after a late dinner, or if someone wants a dairy-free sorbet or a shake.
The Chocolateries is a half-day outing rather than a quick cone. Pair it with a drive down to Anglesea, or keep it for a grey day, as the showroom and café are indoors. Kids' chocolate classes run on selected Saturdays and in the school holidays.
None of the shops publish scoop prices online, so we haven't listed them here.
Dairy-free and gluten
Augustus has the most choice for anyone avoiding dairy: a list of sorbets plus plant-based gelato, though it says everything may carry traces of milk. Nordenfine lists its Bacio, a chocolate and hazelnut gelato, as non-dairy. Dooley's always has dairy-free, gluten-free and nut-free flavours, including its sorbets. The Chocolateries has vegan sorbets and dairy-friendly and gluten-friendly flavours, with allergen details for each one. None of them guarantee anything is free of traces, so for a serious allergy, talk to the staff.
Where to eat it
The town shops are a short walk from The Esplanade. From Augustus or Dooley's, cross to the lawns above Front Beach, where there's a playground close by. From Nordenfine, walk down Bell Street and turn left for Front Beach or right for the surf beach and Point Danger. Our Torquay beaches guide has more on each.
On a windy arvo it's a race between you and the drips. A cup is the safer bet for little kids.
Ice cream in Torquay FAQ
Where can I get ice cream in Torquay?
Nordenfine at 34 Bell Street, Augustus Gelatery at 3-4 Gilbert Street, Dooley's at Shop 4, 8 Gilbert Street and Frenchy's at 17 The Esplanade, plus the beach vans at Elephant Walk and Cosy Corner in summer. The Chocolateries is 20 minutes away at Bellbrae.
Which ice cream shop is open latest?
Frenchy's on The Esplanade was listed until 10pm when we checked. Augustus Gelatery is open until 9.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 9pm other nights. Nordenfine closes at 9pm and Dooley's at 8pm.
Is any of it made in Torquay?
Yes. Nordenfine makes all its ice cream at the Bell Street shop, and the Chocolateries makes its own at Bellbrae. Dooley's makes its ice cream down the coast in Apollo Bay.
Is there dairy-free ice cream?
Yes. Augustus has sorbets and plant-based gelato, Dooley's and the Chocolateries have sorbets, and Nordenfine's Bacio is non-dairy.
Is the Chocolateries worth the drive?
With kids, yes. Entry and tastings are free, and there's chocolate, a café and room to run around. Combine it with Anglesea.
For dinner first, see our fish and chips guide, and for more with the kids, our family holiday guide. Staying in north Torquay? Check dates at Holyday House.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 22 October 2026. Opening hours, patrols, rules and closures change — check with the source before you go.
- Dooley's Premium Ice Cream — Dooley's (official)
- The Inside Scoop on Dooley's Premium Ice Cream — Visit Great Ocean Road
- Nordenfine Ice Cream Co — Nordenfine (official)
- Awards — Nordenfine (official)
- Gelato Shop Torquay — Augustus Gelatery (official)
- Our ice cream — The Chocolateries Great Ocean Road (official)
- FAQs — The Chocolateries Great Ocean Road (official)
- Frenchy's Ice Cream Parlour — Yelp
- Ice cream vendors chosen for key beachfront sites in Torquay — Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority