Scandinavian Shave Ice

Great shave ice and service. Lots of options! They have pre-​named flavor combos to help you out too. The sizes are big, so smells were sufficient for us. Don’t let the name Scandinavian fool you, this is Hawaiian!

The shave ice here was just ok. Came here on the way back from visiting south island. They pack a huge shave ice, but honestly, looking back, it just pales in comparison to Big Island Shave Ice further north, which is why I only give this place an A-​OK (3 stars).
The location here is convenient though. The portions are huge (we did not finish). They gave a reasonable amount of ice cream. I saw some pretty creative designs on some of them (but not on ours).

THE BEST! They have every flavor combo under the sun and great customer service. I recommend this shop to everyone! :)

Came here 3 times in 3 days so that, by itself, should already tell you something about this place :) Got the pink lady shave ice combo the first time (I think that’s what it’s called… the only flavor I remember in the combo is pink lemonade lol), and it was delicious! You get a generous amount of ice, and they do a great job with the decorative toppings. Remember to check in on Unilocal to receive a free topping! My favorite shave ice combo was the Lava Flow, which had strawberry, piña colada, and an ice cream center. The flavor of ice cream is your choice, but omg it makes the shave ice taste so much better! And it was already pretty good without. Keep in mind that you don’t have to get a combo. You can always pick your own flavors!
I’ve also tried their brownie sundae and damn, that brownie was delicious. Not too sweet, SLIGHTLY bitter aftertaste, but went amazingly well with the ice cream and whipped cream. The brownie is also served warm!
The line can get long here at times but it moves quickly. Seems like they do everything well here. Will definitely be coming back the next time I’m on the island :)

I love shave ice especially with ice cream in the middle. On the other islands good shave ice is much easier to find but here on the Big Island this was one of the only places we found in Kona that was open after dinner. We went here three nights in a row because it was so good.

Really good shaved ice! The flavors were all really good and not overly sugary. The ice itself was fluffy and not too packed in at all. The staff was friendly and efficient. I had a small with lychee, Piña colada and banana and my fiancé had bubblegum, cotton candy and root beer and we both topped ours with coconut cream.

Pretty good shave ice for the immediate Kona area, friendly staff and right on the waterfront and Alii drive so lots to see while you’re munching down. The only reason for 1 less star in my book is the snow cap was more of a snow dusting instead. Hey, next winter, when Mauna Kea is snow capped take a picture and model your snow caps after that :)
Seriously, other than that, this is a good place to go when in Kona.

Very good. Almost as good as Ululanais on Maui. By far the best shave ice in the Big Island.

Was walking along Alii Dr and chanced upon this shop. Got the medium shaved ice with passion fruit, guava, and mango topped with mini mochi. Had a Unilocal discount for free topping. Very good and refreshing. Portion was big enough to share with wife.

Not so great. Don’t know why this place is so well reviewed. It’s nothing special. They use typical over sweet, artificially flavored syrups. They offer multiple sizes. We ordered a large to share and it was bigger than my head, but it wasn’t very good. The ice was sticky and the flavor a were kind weird. They do have a very large selection of flavors and the employees are very friendly. Otherwise, nothing special about this place. Travel a couple of blocks to One Aloha Shave Ice if you want to taste an excellent shave ice. It’s so natural and organic, you can almost call it health food!

Best shave ice ever! So fine and powdery soft, and melts so quickly in your mouth. Shaved perfectly so there’s no giant chunks of ice, just what I look for. They have sooo many flavors to choose from and ice cream and other sweet treats to add on. I was overwhelmed with all their options so I opted to go with one of their pre made combinations on their chalk board inside, the ‘bomb​.com’ which was passion fruit, mango and li hing mui. I also opted to top it with boba pearls. I got a small and it was the perfect size for me. So sweet and refreshing for the hot humid day. The boba was so soft, but just a bit too sugary for my taste, especially since the shave ice flavors were already sweet. My friends went with the rainbow and a blue Hawaiian with ice cream inside. They raved about the texture and flavor of the ice and ice cream together. Highly recommend this spot!

Really good shaved ice! Big portions. Definitely try it with ice cream in the center!

Twenty years ago, my girlfriend, and now wife, and I had taken a wonderful trip to the Big Island and one afternoon, after coming back from a scuba diving adventure, our guide pointed us to this place, this place where I was introduced to this taste of heaven I would come to learn as Hawaiian shaved ice. After being out in the water and on a boat all afternoon, my first taste of this snow powder-​like island treat that day fondly stuck with me.
Fast forward to present day, we took our first trip back to the Big Island, this time with our two sons. I had read a lot of favorable reviews about this place in advance of our trip, but in my mind, I really wasn’t sure if this was the same spot that had spawned that delicious memory all those years ago. Well, wouldn’t you know it… as soon as I saw the storefront, I knew this was it! I shared my excitement with the friendly folks working the counter. And it’s true, they’ve been there all these years. And after all that time, the place did not disappoint! My wife and I ordered the large Hawaiian Sunset, which is mango, guava, and passion fruit – just fantastic island flavors. Our sons loved what they ordered. Most people take their orders to enjoy outdoors, but if you settle down within the shop like we did, the tables are provisioned with these nifty cup holders.
Delicious. This was our first stop on Day 1 of our vacation – just right after breakfast. It would not be our last visit!

This place is located in downtown Kona. Easy access and great service. It does get crowded fast, so be prepared to wait. I have to say that the shaved ice was great even though they didn’t have the lemongrass flavor I was looking for, but I still think its a great spot to stop by especially if you’re lucky enough to have hotel with in walking distance.
Tip: if you check in on Unilocal,you get a free topping. Pick the condensed milk and they’ll cover your shaved ice in a cute design. Love that extra detail! I will come back for the friendly service and their late hours!

I’m very sorry that I did not take a picture of our Shaved Ice from this place! We ordered a small Shaved Ice with Cherry Cola, Hawaiian Punch, and Li Hing Mui with Soft-​Serve Vanilla Froyo topped with Mini Mochi.
It was fantastic. Very, very good. Not much more to say than that we loved it!

My boyfriend described their shave ice as one of the most delicious things he’s ever eaten. I could leave it there. But, I’ll add that they have tons of flavors of syrup, and ice cream, and great add-on’s. The staff is friendly and seems to enjoy their jobs, which is always a bonus in my book.

Seriously interesting shaved ice. Order a large and u better have 3+ people. We ended up wasting a lot because the large is just way too big :)
Lots of flavors, super helpful staff and they form the ice to a nice round shape which makes it easier to eat.
The only down side is the syrup is on the sweet and artificial side. This is basically like 99% of shaved ice spots tho.
One Aloha shaved ice is the exceptional exception :) even with the syrup sweetness it’s still a solid 4 stars here!

I MISS THIS PLACE SO MUCH!
Hawaii contains an amazing selection of shaved ice restaurants, but I definitely enjoyed Scandinavian the most. Pro tip: get a scoop of gelato within your shaved ice– it really gives the icy dessert a wonderful kick!
As I was super indecisive, I asked the shaved-​ice maker to surprise me with the syrup combinations. The result? A beautiful rainbow concoction with delicious coconut cream on top. I wish I purchased a bigger scoop!
If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can hand over your money to make a super gigantic shaved ice cone that is probably the size of your head. (In hindsight, it would have been wonderful if I bought that.) Definitely a cannot-​miss restaurant if you’re ever here!

Since I have been on the Big Island this trip, I have visited 3 different shops for their shaved ices. Between the 3 shops, this one and Anuenue Shaved Ice is tied for first. This one does get extra brownie points for best display of snow cone. They pack the snow down, and they drizzle the condensed milk in a artsy pretty fashion.
We got a medium with vanilla ice cream in the middle, and strawberry and POG for the flavors. They also have an all you can shake bottle of li hing mui sitting on the counter. If you check in, you get a free topping. This place was the most expensive out of the 3 places I tried though, our shaved ice came out to $ 7.00. It was HUGE though.
Friendly customer service! I have been to this spot several times, my mom lives on the Big Island so whenever I come visit and we go to downtown Kona, we always stop at this shaved ice spot!
They’ve got the fun cutout snow cones where you can stick your face in a hole for a picture op!

This is my first Hawaiian Shaved Ice, and I’ve gone to another one elsewhere in Kauai. This one is by far the most delicious. It is a bit more in pricing.
There’s a menu of existing combinations (or you can pick up to 3 flavors). Beware that some of those combos have add-​ons (ice cream, toppings), which costs extra. $ 2.5 for a scoop, $ 1 for a topping. Do check in for a free topping though.
I got the Hawaiian Sunset and the SO got the Hawaiian Pearl. Both were delicious. I added pearls and a scoop of volcano ice cream (basically like banana storm from Tropical dreams or Hammond’s). The server was very friendly and helpful. I see him pack down the ice to a ball after he drizzled the syrup into the ice. A straw goes in and you can sip on the ice as it melts. The ice is very finely shaved, which reminds me a little bit almost like snow ice but snow ice is even more finely shaved. The flavor is all the way through the bottom, no watery mouthfuls. Their volcano ice cream is delicious and adds a creamy texture to the shaved ice. My order looked like a papaya because the pearls filled the center. My SO’s Hawaiian Pearl was also delicious: toasted coconut ice cream with lychee and coconut flavor syrup and pearls.
There are racks you can use to rest the container in as you dig into your treat, very thoughtful.
The small is good enough for me with an ice cream and pearls added on. The medium was getting my SO full. They also have large and extra large… if instead of getting your own flavors and sharing is the goal, do consider those sizes.
Definitely returning when I’m in Kona again!

De la Shave ice, du soleil et la plage un très bon cocktail.
La shave ice est pas mal du tout, juste un petit défaut c’est que je trouve que la glacé avait un mauvais goût chimique, mais on né le sent pas avec tous les parfums.
Sinon avec la boule de glacé au milieu c’est super et très rafraichissant.
une bonne découverte.