I visited for the first time today with my friends and immediately felt so welcomed and was in awe…read moreof all the unique flavors to pick from! The employee who had pink braids was so wonderful and patient as we picked out which flavors to sample. I love places that do samples since I don't want to gamble on an ice cream flavor. It ensures whatever I pick, I absolutely love. Mango sticky rice was immediately so delicious and I got a scoop on a cone. Such a unique and appetizing flavor!! The interior was also very colorful and vibrant with lots of pink decor, my favorite color, and stories of van Leeuwen's origin. The employees were so so so kind, never have I received such amazing service! Will definitely be back

I scream for ice cream! I'm in love! I get a little too excited for ice cream, and the server was…read moreso kind and let me try a few samples. There were several flavors that I was eyeing, but I went for the honeycomb. Best decision! It had actual honey inside, and it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet - but sweet enough for ice cream! I'm looking forward to trying the other flavors soon.

Stopped in for a dessert gelato and it was best gelato I've had in a long time. It's creamy and…read morelight and delicious! I got a scoop of baccio and a scoop of croccantino (both hazelnut flavors, one with a little chocolate) and they were both amazing. Not too sweet, beautifully balanced. Got to try the pistachio as I was picking flavors and that was great too! The worker was very nice and patient as we picked out flavors. Some great tables to sit down at if you're stopping for a bit.

This place was very cute and the person who helped us was very nice. The gelato was very good, and…read moreI loved all the flavors that they gave to choose from. However, the smallest size you could get was two scoops and it was pretty pricey for a quick treat.

Wonderful ice cream spot with a ton of unique flavors! I first fell in love with Mount Desert…read moreIsland Ice Cream while visiting Acadia National Park, so imagine my excitement when I learned this Maine classic had made its way all the way to Mount Pleasant DC! They have a great list of unique rotating flavors, and it's always fun to come back to try out their new seasonal releases. A few of my favorites over the years have been their hibiscus sorbet -- a delightful dairy-free addition to their Hispanic Heritage Month flavors that is the perfect balance of tangy and sweet -- the cinnamon cardamom -- a super spiced ice cream that, despite being freezing cold, feels like you're about to drink a warm beverage -- and blueberry sour cream crumble. When I'm feeling less adventurous, they also have a really solid strawberry ice cream that uses real berries (none of that artificial nonsense you see in grocery stores) with a delightful fruity, slightly tangy flavor. There's usually a pretty long line, but it moves quite quickly since they don't allow samples. It's also a small space that gets crowded pretty easily, so I'd recommend taking your ice cream to go and enjoying it as you walk around Mt Pleasant or on the benches just below the entrance to Mount Desert.

Mount Desert Island Ice Cream is one of those places that instantly becomes a favorite. Their…read moreflavor selection is always exciting, creative, and consistently delicious. Every scoop feels generous, almost like getting a scoop and a half, which makes each visit feel like a small treat and a bonus all at once. One of my favorite things about this shop is their doggy ice cream. My dog absolutely loves it, to the point where he screams if we walk by without stopping. It has become part of our routine, and watching him light up when he gets his own cup makes the stop even better. They also serve an ice cream taco in the winter, and I cannot wait for it to come back. It is fun, a little quirky, and exactly the kind of seasonal special that keeps things interesting. The walk up window is another huge plus. It makes grabbing ice cream with my dog easy and enjoyable, especially on nice days when you just want something quick and tasty. Mount Desert Island Ice Cream delivers great flavors, generous scoops, and thoughtful touches that make it stand out. It is a place I look forward to every time.

We just discovered Dolcezza last night. We changed hotels and there was a different location near…read moreour new hotel....so we had to go again and try new flavors! Tonight I enjoyed the BANANAS FOSTER, and SWEET CREAM WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS. Both were really good. Bananas foster had strong, natural banana flavors. Last night, I absolutely loved the ROASTED STRAWBERRY flavor which tasted like natural strawberry. I think a two-flavor combination of ROASTED STRAWBERRY and BANANAS FOSTER would be a magical pairing! Service was quick. The line was not as long tonight. This location did not have outdoor seating except for a single bench. They place us cozy without a lot of indoor seating so be prepared to walk away with you gelato instead of hanging out.

Absolutely fantastic little spot. Only went for gelato, but will likely return at another time to…read moretry out the coffee and other treats they had available. The service was incredibly friendly and efficient, interior was clean, cosy, and quite inviting. For seating there was a large bench table and then some bar height seats looking out the window, making it great to just casually hang out while enjoying the treats. Not a crazy amount of seating but enough for a non rush time, though if have to judge how crowded it gets when the time invites more people. The gelato was fantastic, packed with flavor and incredibly creamy in texture. Ended up getting the coffee Christmas cookie and could not be happier with my decision. Prices were a tad in the higher side for ice cream, but worth it imo, and will likely return and highly recommend.

Stopped in for ice cream because I had just been walking by & never seen this place. I ordered a…read morescoop of raspberry sorbet on a cone & it was decent! I paid $8 for a single scoop of sorbet on a cone. The service was definitely top tier which is why I am giving it four stars, i just wish they had more vegan or non dairy options. They only had raspberry and mango sorbet to choose from .

Really good homemade ice cream. There is a difference in…read morehomemade and you can tell. Larry, ya nailed it. Classic Chocolate- Yes! Muddy Coffee- Yes! Toasted Coconut- Yes! Don't forget tithe waffle cone.

Jeni's has been around for ages and we drive by / walk by it a lot every single time we're in DC to…read morevisit the in-laws. But usually, we're too full from whatever meal we've just finished. But this time, we purposely skipped dessert at the restaurant and had ice cream instead. They have a ton of really cool flavors and you can try them before you pick. I tried the mint chip and the darkest chocolate. The darkest chocolate was so good that I ended up with two scoops of it - that's how much I wanted. It's hard to find a solid, not too sweet chocolate, so this was perfect. I had it in a waffle cone, which was so fresh and so crispy.

This was the second Jeni's I visited while staying in the area. One thing I immediately noticed was…read morethat they did not carry the exact same flavors as the parlor in Bethesda. I'm trying to decide if I consider that intentional or evil, but I appreciated the opportunity to sample flavors I couldn't get at the other parlor. As always, the quality of both the ice cream and service were excellent. There wasn't as much space outside for sitting and enjoying, but the interior was comfortable and welcoming. Since there are no Jeni's near where I live (yet), I have more reasons to visit local stores that carry their pints.

We heard this was the hot new ice cream spot in Georgetown to check it out. The base of their ice…read morecream is Greek yogurt, which is kind of cool (and tasty). The flavors are pretty standard (vanilla, chocolate, caramel, pistachio). The price is steep, with the smallest ice cream costing $8, but glad we stopped by and checked it out!

New Addition to my Ice Cream Mount Rushmore…read more When a friend heard I was heading into surgery, they sent a Yala ice cream care package via Uber Eats. I honestly didn't realize Uber Eats could deliver high-end ice cream--that is dangerous knowledge for an aficionado with limited self-control. I usually have a strict "Fridays only" rule to self-impose some restraint, but those rules go out the window during recovery. (A quick note: the surgery was nothing serious--just finally fixing a skiing failure from Breckenridge back in February.) To give some context on my palate: 6 out of 10 times, I'm ordering vanilla. I resent when people call it "plain vanilla"--vanilla done right is a complex, detailed flavor all on its own. 2 out of 10 times, I'm ordering something with peanut butter (ever since E.T. 'phoned home', I've had a Reese's problem). For the final 2 out of 10, I'll be adventurous with fruit or something unique. I didn't have much prior knowledge of Greek ice cream traditions, so I did some digging. Traditional Greek ice cream (Kaimaki) is often chewy and elastic, but Yala takes a modern approach for DC. They've hit a "middle ground" texture--creamy like American ice cream but light like gelato. They use A2 dairy from South Mountain Creamery, which makes it incredibly smooth and much easier to digest. After a few days of sampling, Yala is firmly within my ice cream pantheon and established on my "Mount Rushmore" alongside Adrian's Custard in Wisconsin and Oberweis in Chicago. I did my tastings "blind"--meaning I looked at it, but I did not read the foundational ingredients before eating and reviewing. Here are the reviews for the four flavors: Mornings with Thea (Orange Label) My daughter led the charge here, describing it as a "tropical orange cream" that felt like a "wave of summer" with a sophisticated, creamy "winter undertone." My own take was that it tasted like a bougie, orange creamcicle, but with incredible orange chunks. I thought it was candied orange zest, which was new to me and amazing, I also thought I caught hints of peach layered in. I later learned these are traditional Greek orange preserves (spoon sweets) swirled into a yogurt and vanilla base. Yia Mas (Pink Label) I'll be honest: I don't even like cherries, and I first thought these were raspberries. But this was fantastic. It has tart wild cherries swirled into a Greek yogurt and vanilla base. The fruit is succulent and pops against the creamy background. American Dream (Brown Label) A blend of "Papou's Promise" vanilla and "Choco-Yala" chocolate. The chocolate pieces are crisp and have a nice crunch, providing a perfect structural contrast to the smooth vanilla. Mint Chip Mou (Green Label) I've always thought of mint chip as a holiday flavor, but this version felt perfect for March. The color is a soft, spring-like green--not an artificial iridescent glow. When first scooped, the aroma pops into the air, similar to the zest of a a ripe, juicy tangerine when you peel it (the effect, not the the flavor or smell). The mint is light and dreamy rather than a full frontal assault, and the small chocolate pieces are a compliment, not a competitor, providing a nice lingering aftertaste. I was floored to find out that "spring" color comes naturally from spinach! The common thread across all these flavors is that they are well-blended, yet the components stand out independently in the profile. It is a masterpiece of textures and tones; the chocolate or the fruit isn't "mushed" into the ice cream but exists as a separate, wonderful experience floating in an ice cream or yogurt environment. I resisted the Yelp urge to rank these against each other, there were no disappointments. Obviously, Papou's Promise vanilla tops my hit list for next to try, I want to compare Greek Blue Summer against my favorite blueberry pie ice cream from Oberweis, and I'd would love to sample anything peanut butter related if they put something out as a seasonal special! A huge thanks again to my kind friend for the recovery fuel. I'm already planning to organize future ice cream socials here for friends and colleagues once I'm back on my feet. Yala is the real deal. #YalaGreekIceCream #GeorgetownDC #IceCreamConnoisseur #GreekDessert #A2Dairy #MountRushmoreOfIceCream #GeorgetownEats #VanillaDoneRight

Stopped by while in town with a girlfriend of mine and OMG. We both keep going on about how amazing…read morethis place was. Seriously some of the best ice cream I've ever had. The gentleman working there was so kind, running the place by himself. He even made me a fresh waffle cone. Try this place out!

I've been to other Jubilee locations so thought I'd stop by when I was in Georgetown the other day…read more It's a small shop with basically just the counter inside, but with more than enough ice cream flavor options to keep anyone happy. I tried the passionfruit guava sorbet which was delicious, my only complaint being that it was a very small scoop for almost $8. Maybe it's because it was a cone instead of a cup, but I was surprised by how small it was when it was handed to me.

I can't thank my friend enough for telling me about this ice cream. It has been around for years,…read morebut somehow I never heard about it. When I stopped by, it was raining heavy, but the walk from the metro was totally worth it. I stepped inside, heard some great R&B jams playing, and I made my way to work that amazing smell was coming from. Along the way, I passed some cute merch -- insulated bags and more. And then there was a freezer with all of their pints, ice cream sandwiches, and ice cream cakes. I got up to where the scoops are being served, and there was a very helpful sign next to it with all of the descriptions. I appreciate it the thorough breakdown of what has allergens, what has dairy, and what is vegan. I pretty much tried everything. My favorites were the vegan ones (spiced peanut crunch, tamarind spice), the spiced date cake, saffron pistachio, mangos & cream, black forest... I could keep going. I split a generous scoop of the spiced date cake & saffron pistachio and it was divine. I could've gotten some cool toppings too, but decided not to. It was $8 as is XD. It's definitely a splurge, but a unique flavor profile like this I think it's totally worth it. The pints are $12, which also isn't bad for something this unique imo. I'll be back to get some pints. It's awesome that it's in Brooklyn too, so my sister can explore it as well.

I was thrilled when this NY ice cream shop announced it was opening in DC. I'd read about the…read moreamazing flavors online for years and was excited to taste them for myself. I was so excited, in fact, that I waited in line on opening day. While the flavors were indeed exciting, I found the flavor to be muted. I was picturing intense Indian spice that hits you in the face, only to be confronted with very mild flavor. I've been a few times since opening, and I think it's fine, but it doesn't live up to expectations. I've found the soft serve to be better than the hard ice cream, but it almost has too creamy of a texture. The yogurt soft serve flavor with cardamom was the best thing I've tasted there. The ambiance is fine, there is a small patio for warm days. The last time I was there the inside smelled like sewage, eeek!

A lovely little cafe with super friendly staff and unbeatable vibes! Open until midnight Thursday…read morethrough Saturday (and until 10 PM every other night), Tryst is a sanctuary of peace in the heart of the otherwise lively -- and often chaotic -- Adams Morgan neighborhood. With their extended hours, expansive food and drink selection, and cozy vibes, you can easily hole up in Tryst for the entire day. Personally, I've visited Tryst more time than I can count, and at literally all time of the day. I've definitely taken full advantage of Tryst's extended hours to fuel many, many late-night study and work sessions. I love how cozy the space is, with their slightly worn but super comfy couches and armchairs, dim lighting, and ambient cafe music. The staff is super friendly; you can either order from the counter if you're taking your order to go or just snag a spot and wait for the servers to make their way to you.

I was excited to check it out as it was recommended by a friend who lives in the area. As soon as I…read morewalked in I was asked if my order was to go. I was surprised being that it was 5pm and they close at 10pm. It felt as if I was being rushed out. No one after me was asked that question. The matcha was okay, there are better options elsewhere.