All time favorite Italian gelato spot. Finally got to try the relocated location! Appreciate the…read moreseats and restroom. + Lychee and Pandan Leaf small ($7.25): absolutely love this refreshing lychee flavor w loads of lychee bits. Pandan leaf was also light and refreshing (10/10) Was hard to choose as I also love their other flavors such as durian

Marco Polo is an ice cream shop that sells Asian flavored ice cream and has been around the Sunset…read moredistrict for decades. They used to be on Taraval, but recently moved to Noriega and 45th, not far from Polly Ann. I've been to their original location years ago, but recently, we came here for ice cream on a Monday afternoon and it was pretty good. I had Sesame and Pandan Leaf ice creams. They were both really good. I tried the mocha chip and really liked that as well. The rest of the party had Mint Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate, Durian, Mango, Lychee, and Sesame. Everyone enjoyed the ice cream flavors the picked. Parents really liked the Durian flavor here. A small scoop was $7.25 with 1-2 scoops and a large was $10.15 with 3-4 scoops. They also sell pints to-go. The worker let us try a number of samples before ordering, which was pretty nice. The store had a few small tables to dine indoors, which was nice. Good ice cream shop with Asian flavors in the outer sunset.

The "WE DON'T DO SAMPLES" sign at this bright little spot was a dead giveaway that this was a…read moretrue-to-form European gelato shop, and sure enough a charming Italian woman served us from behind the counter. Without a doubt, we knew we'd be getting an authentic dessert!! Dropped in at 9:30pm on a Friday night, and felt like we stumbled into a magical little corner of Valencia. The gelato here is whipped up in these futuristic spinning machines with bubble lids; they almost look like washing machines. Absolutely whimsical. The flavors are expansive and fresh; the strawberry was excellent, though the Greek yogurt was our surprising favorite. There were so many unique and intriguing flavors (from orange and cinnamon to strawberry balsamic), we'll absolutely have to stop by again. The real charm of this place comes from the story; we read about it while waiting in line and were absolutely captivated by the story of love, community, and heritage that shapes Hila. It's well worth a read, and honestly sold us on the shop (although the gelato definitely still carries its own!). The story of Hila breathing life back into an old parlor is absolutely heartwarming. I wish nothing but much success for the future of Hila.

I ordered a pint of Seven Layers Hazlenut and Chocolate for delivery. $27 after tip and fees for a…read moredelivered pint Ouch. How do people afford these delivery meals every day? I was urged to hold my nose and try it by someone I generally trust, because they raved about this place. The biggest offense was the misleading description on the Doordash menu, but Google's info has the same impression as well--that is, it claims to be "topped" with corn flakes. TOPPED!! Not middled, not bottomed, not everywhered. I don't particularly care for bread product in my ice cream or gelato because it just gets mushy..and boy were these corn flakes ever mushy. Its such a gross texture. I was desparate for chocolate hazelnut. Desserts given bready garnishings isn't unususal, Super Duper does it with their shakes. As a topping I figured it would be easy to shovel off...wrong. What I paid $27 for is a gigantic wad of mushy corn flakes with chocolate drizzled through the cracks and I can't for the life of me taste any hazelnut. This was disgusting. I am extremely disappointed. A pint of corn flakes costs what, $0.50? I was ripped off...enjoy the profit margin. I'm no stranger to gelato. I've been to Italy several times and not American tourist areas but hometowns of long-time Italian friends: Poggiardo, Lecce, Castro Marina & Castro Alta, Galatina, Otranto. I've made gelato there myself. I worked in a gelateria that's actually managed to stay alive in the Bay Area for 20 years, Gelateria Naia. WhileI don't go to new places with expectations of what I had somewhere else, I do appreciate a balance of value and quality. I was left feeling so far from either in my first experience with Hila's gelato that it's the first time in probably a couple years that I couldn't stop a bad purchase from ruining my night. It really came down to the price tag for delivery: $27 for a pint! And not a single spoonful worth ingesting. How do I ever give this a try again? I don't see how it's possible. I just wanted something I could eat and then tell my friend (who recommended this place enthusiastically) it was worth the money or not. I couldn't eat this. Every spoonful was a huge glob of mushy cereal.

Amazing gelato all made in house! Would recommend for anyone to come and try. Will definitely come…read moreback.

Lush has to be my most favorite gelato place in the city, maybe the bay, maybe California. You get…read morethe point, this gelato is pretty far up the ranks. I typically get a 4 scoop chocolate waffle covered cone, that's how divine the texture and the layered flavors are. The flavors rotate so it's like a treasure hunt, you never know what you may find. During my last visit, I had the following 4 flavors, in order of my rating: 1. Espresso & Dulce De Leche 2. Black & White Trio 3. Dulce de Leche 4. Whisky crumbles At times the queue gets pretty long. You can take a lap around north beach area and come back few minutes later. I have observed personally that the queues tend to be in waves. It's a small little shop so you basically get your gelato, walk out and enjoy the city sights.

Review #981 Posted on 1.4.26…read more We came here for dessert after dinner on NYE 2025. This spot is on the block next to the Chinatown entrance, literally across the street. I was pretty amazed, when we got to the entrance it had a line out the door to get in, you look inside, only 2 guys working. These 2 guys were unreal, I can't believe they were running things by themselves with that many people and that much demand. The gelato was excellent, they had lots of options, both fruit & chocolate flavors. I tried the mango, dulce de leche, & chocolate hazelnut, which was unreal, basically like having Nutella gelato. I'd 100% come back here when in the area.

This place was right next to my hotel, luckily, I only visited them once. It was a little confusing…read moreif you don't know the way the order goes. You pay at the register first, then you move down the ice cream display case to pick your flavors. They also allow samplings. And the flower gelato is just adorable. Yum!

I was on my way out of town while walking through Little Italy and I wasnt really hungry until I…read morewalked by like every spot and this place caught me when I saw someone eating this sanny with good looking bread. I walked past it and got like a block away and was like maaaaaan shiiiiiittt Im turning around lol. I went back and came to get a sanny and Im happy I did, I was planning on eating it on the walk. The place has a lot of choices like a regular deli youd find in the northeast. San Francisco has definitely the best Little Italy as far as choices to pick from and its really big and spread out. I had the Goodfella. Roast beef, prosciutto, salami, provolone and basil. I added the pesto and olive oil and replaced the provolone with fresh mozzarella. Best part was there was an old ass lady who made the sanny and she loaded it lol. The bread makes the sandwich and it was really soft and crunchy. Soo good. I 1000% recommend this place and I am sure she makes all the sandwiches the same!

My daughter considers this the Best gelato in SF & they have the widest range of flavors!…read more Pick, taste, then order - they're authentically Italian, have coffees, sandwiches, cannolis and wines, too. Friendly service in a tiny cute deli that has lots of goodies!

Most scrumptious, creamiest salted caramel ice cream I've ever tasted. And the service was…read moreexcellent. The server behind the counter was engaging and had a pleasant smile to go with the delicious ice cream.

Wish I could Phil more of this gelato in my mouth cuz it's so good…read more Was hoping to get some of the delicious raspberry flavor I saw online but they didn't have it. Got pistachio and coconut and the were incredibly creamy and delicious. They have plenty of great flavors and will let you try them. A little crammed inside but it's worth it.

I came here one weekend afternoon, and got the vegan naval orange gelato and the pistachio gelato…read more It was a nice combo. The navel orange gelato was refreshing and had fresh orange taste. Very creamy and smooth texture. My first time having an orange flavor gelato. The pistachio gelato was also creamy and smooth, had fresh pistachio flavor. The gelato wasn't green like usual pistachio but it was brown. Parking is a bit difficult but there is street parking available. I will definitely be back!

I will say that I love gelato as it is quite an enhance upgrade over traditional ice cream. And…read morewhat better way to enjoy that experience than a visit to the Marina District of San Francisco where I had the opportunity trying out "GIO Gelati". Located directly at the corner of Union St/Buchanan St in the heart of the Marina, this wildly popular place that is owned and operated by Italians has been in operation dating back to early-2018. The hours of operation here are quite generous as they're open daily from 10:30am-9:30pm with extended hours until 10:30pm on Friday & Saturday. The interior layout is small yet big enough to showcase several items for purchase; whole & ground coffee, jams, spreads, snacks, and even pasta sauces. And if gelato isn't your thing, they also have quite a bit of Italian cookies and desserts for purchase. Finally, if you wish to enjoy your gelato before it melts, they also offer a couple of small tables & chairs inside as well as one public restroom. Now onto the gelato itself! Much of their gelato is dairy-free & vegan plant-based with some of their gelato offering the addition of sugar, water and/or milk. They offer 4 different sizes (kids, small, medium, large) in either a cup or cone. And if you're thinking outside of the box, they also have a nice variety of espresso drinks as well as fresh pastries that are baked daily. Since I wasn't too hungry (after a big dinner), I went with a kids size cone of their "Italian Crema". This was a rich, velvety texture of creamy deliciousness. And since it was considering a 'kids' size, I didn't feel too guilty enjoying this. I will say that the customer service here was top notch as the employees allowed me to sample a few gelatos prior to narrowing down my selection. The prices are also quite reasonable as they are lower than some of the other places in San Francisco as well as gelato spots I've been to in Los Angeles and New York. With a charming interior setup, prime location, and delicious gelatos, I am giving "GIO Gelati" a perfect five-star rating.

Everything I tried her was Amazing! From the pastries to the handcrafted chocolates and macarons. I…read morecan't wait to go back!

A charming dessert shop. The exterior and interior are modern with charming flourishes throughout…read more I found their frozen confections to be mediocre, but their signature creations were great. Service was kind. Don't Stay for Breakfast: Disappointed by this one, was 1-dimensional and no better than any run-of-the-mill ice cream bar. It lacked the maple flavor I was looking for. The only highlight was the crunch from the waffle flakes. Pavlova: A significant step-up from the other dessert. Visually, the pavlova wrapped around the presentation of fruit is quite beautiful. The pavlova was light, airy, and had a nice sweetness. The fruit filling was decadent, and added variety to each bite.

I got a chocolate milkshake from here the other day. A nice and subtle yet sweet chocolate taste to…read moreit. A nice way to enjoy the recent heatwave that's been happening in The City lately. Check this place out if you're in The Mission and you need to get your ice cream/milkshake fix in.

I lived near La Copa Loca for almost two years, but I didn't come more than a handful of times, and…read moreI regret that. It's the little gelato place that could. I was terrified the entire time I lived nearby that this place would close, but it outlasted me in the neighborhood, and I stopped by recently, and it is still going strong. The gelato is good, but I always came here for the smoothies, which are excellent. It's in an out-of-the-way spot and across the street from a rowdy bar full of lecherous men, so keep your daughters close, and your pepper spray closer. I'm kidding! (Sort of.) It is adorable how many families bring their kids here. During the day, they put a couple of tables out on the Capp Street sidewalk, and since this is the end of Capp that is barricaded, cars won't be rushing by. The ultimate get is to come when the taco truck is parked at the barricade. When that happens, you can enjoy some fine Mexican food-truck food and wash it down with some heavenly gelato. My only criticism: They need to fix the case! It has been cracked since 2023, if not before then.

May it be ice cream or gelato, it's always a treat. Post-lunch dessert is part of our Asian Foodie…read moreBrotherhood routine. Gelato and ice cream are similar, but a few key differences determine how they taste and feel: * Ice cream uses more cream, so it usually has 10-18% milk fat. Gelato uses more milk and less cream, often 4-9% fat. * Lower fat lets gelato's flavors come through more intensely and ice cream is richer, sometimes heavier. * Ice cream is churned faster and incorporates more air, making it lighter and fluffier, while gelato is churned slowly, adding much less air, so it's denser and silkier. Gelato was developed in Italy, especially during the Renaissance (16th century).

This is a nice cozy little hideaway on Church St to enjoy frozen treats such as their take on…read moregelato and a big menu of old-school style ice cream sundaes, using their gelato of course! Friendly service you will find here as they aren't shy about serving tiny sample tastes of whichever flavor you might seem interested in. As for us, we enjoyed our scoop of Jasmine gelato paired with a scoop of Espresso Crunch. Unlike most gelatos that we've tried, LCL's take on gelato here is much more airy and less fatty (read no "cheese pull" stretch on this here like the others. Hmm.. That said, both the Jasmine and Espresso Crunch flavors were still pretty enjoyable and not overly sweet in the least. 5/5 for flavor, 3.1/5 for texture. Lots of unique flavors and traditional ones too. Be sure to sample first! :) lots of comfy seating, easy transit access via the Muni J-Church light rail that rolls by right out in front!