Summer is around the corner, which means there’s no better way to cool off than with something icy ‘n sweet. Whether you’re craving soft serve, ice cream, gelato or a tropical paleta — in Los Angeles, you’re never more than a stone’s throw away from a delicious frozen dessert.
If you’re seeking a toothsome treat to curb your craving, we’ve done the (very noble) work of rounding up the 15 best ice cream shops in Los Angeles. Dig in!
1. Dear Bella Creamery
Kicking off this list is the beloved Dear Bella Creamery, a dairy-free, all-vegan spot that packs a tasty punch. Before the vegan naysayers discredit this entire list, let it be known: Dear Bella is every bit as creamy and delicious as whole milk ice cream.
Their flavors are 100% plant-based and all natural, making their ice cream a not-so-guilty pleasure. What’s more, Dear Bella is a woman-owned business, opened in 2017 by two best friends with a serious sweet tooth. What’s not to love? Try their birthday cake flavor and tell us you’re not convinced.
📍 Locations:
- 1253 Vine St # 12 Los Angeles, CA 90038
- 2930 Bristol St # A103 Costa Mesa, CA 92626
2. All Chill Ice Cream
Next up is the incredibly cool ice creaim spot, All Chill Ice Cream nestled in Leimert Park. Described as a “hip-hop ice cream shop,” this neighborhood gem doubles as a museum/art gallery, showcasing niche memorabilia and rare artifacts from hip hop history — think a real life N.W.A tour jacket, old-school collectible action figures and iconic band posters.
The creativity at this shop is at an all-time high, with flavors like vegan cognac + currant, strawberry cucumber balsamic and lemonade + peach tea. Helmed by wife-husband duo Genelle Brooks-Petty and Julian Petty, the couple makes it a point to live by the company’s motto of “culture, community and cream.”
This space encapsulates everything you want out of a local ice cream shop, serving up good vibes and delicious desserts.
📍 Location: 3415 W 43rd Place Los Angeles, CA 90008
3. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams has built a cult following for a reason: every flavor is absolutely swoon worthy. Created by Jeni Britton Bauer, the James Beard Award-winning author of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home, it’s clear that she’s cracked the code on perfecting ice cream.
From the addictively good (and completely dairy-free) caramel pecan sticky buns flavor to the inventive everything bagel flavor, the creative concoctions at Jeni’s show how much love, intention and most importantly — fun — the team puts into the menu.
📍Locations:
- 445 N. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
- 1954 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
- 64 Windward Ave., Venice, CA 90291
- 540 Rose Ave., Venice, CA 90291
- 123 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004
- 4751 Commons Way, Suite A, Calabasas, CA 91302
- 12751 Millennium Dr., #PU-4, Playa Vista, CA 90094
4. Fosselman’s Ice Cream Co.
Remember the lovable scene in It’s a Wonderful Life where a young George Bailey talks up his future love at the old-school ice cream parlor? That may have well been shot at Fosselman’s Ice Cream Co., a classic ice cream shop based in Alhambra that’s been in business for over 100 years.
Fosselman’s is a relic of the past while simultaneously evolving and reflecting the present, with a dedication to creating delicious flavors that represent the diverse neighborhood they’re proudly a part of.
Flavors like Oaxacan chocolate, horchata, dulce de leche, taro, ube and red bean have been perfected and added to the menu at the request of their Latino and Asian customers. The third-generation-owned company has a dedication to using only the finest, locally sourced ingredients and you can taste it in every scoop.
📍 Location: 1824 W Main St, Alhambra, CA 91801
5. McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams
Decadence reigns supreme at McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams, a 70 year-old, 3rd generation, family-run operation located inside the Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles.
McConnell’s keep their recipes as classic as can be, using the tried and true combination of milk, cream, eggs and cane sugar, along with naturally delicious add-ons depending on the flavor: jams, preserves, chocolates, caramels, coffees, fruit, nuts, a splash of booze when needed, cookies, crumbles and crisps.
If you’re feeling indulgent, don’t miss out on the salted caramel chip, but their dairy-free flavors are deceptively creamy and delicious too. You’ll also want to try their home-baked cookies, perfectly crisp on the edges and soft and chewy inside.
📍 Location: 317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013
6. Awan
Biting into Awan’s Indonesian-inspired, plant-based ice cream feels like biting into the smoothest, creamiest cloud on a sultry summer day. The name holds true — awan translates to “cloud” in Indonesian — with its gelato-like texture and heavenly taste.
The base of their recipes are made with Kara coconut cream, Kara Coconut Water, Balinese vanilla bean, organic cane sugar, sea salt, non-GMO glucose syrup, carob bean gum and seasonal ingredients.
While it’s not technically ice cream, we promise you’ll be hooked after one scoop. We recommend trying the Dayglow coffee flavor or lavender vanilla bean.
📍 Location: 866 Huntley Dr, West Hollywood, CA 90069
7. Scoops
Satiate your craving for small-batch, hand-crafted ice cream at the cult favorite neighborhood spot Scoops. Owned by Tai Kim, Scoops is known for being one of the first artisanal ice cream shops in Los Angeles, garnering a loyal following for their inventive flavors like apple pie and ricotta and blackberry honey tea.
While their original location on Heliotrope Drive has since closed, you can still find outposts in Highland Park, Chinatown and Torrance. If you consider yourself a true ice cream connoisseur, Scoops is a must visit in Los Angeles.
📍 Locations:
- Highland Park: 5105 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042
- Chinatown: 727 N Broadway #125, Los Angeles, CA 90012
- Torrance: 2143 W 182nd St., Torrance, CA 90504
8. Magpies Softserve
Welcome to the mecca of soft serve. Everything at this lovely family-run shop is made in house — from the soft serve itself to the toppings. Run by chefs Warren and Rose Schwartz, the couple creates flavors that act as homages to their childhoods and the places that shaped them.
As a Korean American who was raised in South Florida, Rose was inspired to create a yuzu honey flavor, along with a cortadito flavor as an ode to the Cuban culture she was surrounded by in Florida. And as the name suggests, Magpies offers the most ridiculously good soft-serve pies that combine the perfect amount of sweet and savory notes.
📍 Location:
- 2660 Griffith Park Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039
- 5049 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042
- 18971 Ventura Blvd, Tarzana, CA 91356
9. Salt & Straw
No L.A. ice cream round-up is complete without Salt & Straw, a small-batch and chef-driven ice cream shop that originated in Portland and made its way down to California.
The company is dedicated to partnering with local makers, farmers and chefs to bring their wonderfully funky creations to life. They’re constantly releasing new recipes, but if you happen to stumble across the cinnamon & honey fried chicken flavor, be sure not to miss it.
📍 Locations:
- 240 N Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90004
- 1357 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90291
- 829 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
10. Mateo’s Ice Cream & Fruit Bars
On a scorching summer’s day, nothing beats the heat like a brain-freeze-inducing tropical paleta from Mateo’s Ice Cream & Fruit Bars. This Los Angeles gem was founded by Oaxacan native Priciliano Mateo in 2000 and now has four outposts in the city, with the original found in Mid-city.
Their selection is vast and varied: fruity, icy popsicles with flavors like sapote negro, tamarindo, mango con chile and guanabana to creamy, milk-based ice cream with flavors like leche quemada (smoked milk), mezcal, rompope con pasas (eggnog with raisins). With over 29 paleta flavors and 25 types of ice cream, there’s something for everyone at this Los Angeles staple.
📍 Locations:
- 4234 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019
- 1250 S. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90006
- 4929 Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90230
- 11551 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
11. Mashti Malone’s
We love the old-fashioned ambiance at Mashti Malone’s, unequivocally one of the best ice cream shops in Los Angeles. If you head to their website, you’ll find them proudly proclaiming, “2,500 years in the making” — a cheeky ode to their Persian history (a bit of trivia: the first Persian empire, The Achaemenid Empire, was founded around 550 BCE).
Mashti Malone’s recipes are inspired by the traditional Persian ice cream with natural ingredients: sugar, rose water, vanilla, saffron and pistachios. You’ll find flavors like the famous rosewater sorbet, ginger rosewater, saffron rosewater, orange blossom and Turkish coffee. You can also indulge in a scoop topped with baklava. Put Mashti Malone’s inventive creations at the top of your list.
📍 Locations:
- 1525 North La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90028
- 1898 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90025
- 1529 Griffith Park Blvd, Silver Lake, California 90026
12. KITH Treats
KITH Treats rose to fame for being one of Kimye’s favorite dessert shops. This high-end streetwear shop that doubles as an ice cream parlor has become a celebrity hot-spot, and it lives up to the hype. Cereal is king here, with a menu that boasts over 20 cereal flavors that you can mix into a luscious ice cream swirl.
Think all your childhood favorites: Rice Krispies, Apple Jacks, Cocoa Puffs, Trix, Froot Loops, etc. If you’re in the mood to relive the taste of your youth, KITH is the spot.
📍 Location: West Hollywood • 8500 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
13. Cherlato Truck
It’s true: Cher has brought her love for gelato on the road with the iconic Cherlato Truck, a gelato truck that’s making its way throughout Los Angeles all summer. You can find its exact whereabouts on its website: cherlato.com or follow Cherlato’s L.A. adventures on social media @Cherlato_gelato.
Although the truck just debuted, it has quickly become one of our favorite dessert spots. You can expect fun themed flavors like LA, I Love You, Snap Out of It! Kefir & Cardamom,Breakfast at Cher’s Coffee & Donuts, Chocolate XO Cher and SoCal’s Coldest: Avocado on Toast. Everything Cher touches turns to gold, and her latest tasty creation is no different.
📍 Locations and schedule:
- August 9: 12pm – 7pm – 6200 Hollywood Boulevard
- August 10: 3pm – 10pm – 2327 Main St, Santa Monica (next to Urth Cafe)
- August 11: 3pm – 10pm – 175 South Fairfax Avenue
14. Honeymee
Honeymee’s addictively creamy, real milk ice cream drizzled with 100% pure honeycomb is a true treasure. You’ll only find two variations of ice cream here: the true milk ice cream and the ceremonial matcha true milk ice cream, but the real kicker is in the toppings.
You can get yours with classic Ghirardelli chocolate syrup, Ghirardelli caramel syrup, raw honey or the fan favorite Yuzu Affogato — a combination of honey, yuzu peel, yuzu pulp and corn flakes. It’s every bit as sweet and tangy as it sounds.
📍 Locations:
- 3377 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 116, Los Angeles, CA 90010
- 5231 Beach Blvd. Suite B, Buena Park, CA 90621
- 11301 W Olympic Blvd. Suite 104, Los Angeles, CA 90064
- 15480 S. Western Ave. Suite 108, Gardena, CA 90249
- 5414 Walnut Ave. Unit C, Irvine, CA 92604
- 12763 Towne Center Dr. #SJ-1, Cerritos, CA 90703
- 120 Japanese Village Plaza Mall, Los Angeles, CA 90012
- 645 West 9th St., Los Angeles, CA 90015
15. Paradis Ice Cream
Last but not least is the Paradis Ice Cream, the Danish ice cream legend that first opened in 2000 in the city of Aarhus, Denmark. The team at Paradis has perfected the art of hand-crafted ice cream, with over 50 locations in Denmark and four locations in Los Angeles.
The ice cream is made daily in-house with flavors that consistently rotate, but our favorites are the amareno chip, avocado & lime and cajeta & toasted coconut. Any ice cream aficionado will agree that Paradis is one of the best ice cream shops in Los Angeles.
📍Locations:
- 14512 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks 91403
- 737 S Spring St #101 la ca 90014
- West Valencia Blvd. #3428 Valencia 91355
- 205 North Main Street, Seal Beach 90740
Edited by Sofía Delpueche.