50 Best Ice Cream Shops in San Francisco

“Best gelato in San Francisco.“

“Historically best ice cream in SF!“

“It's amazing, I highly recommend everyone to go here“

“Great tasting ice cream and friendly staff. The line is usually always super long. My only complaint is that I wish large parties would order, receive their order, and wait outside until the rest of their party is done. Most times, you have many people who've paid but are sitting around. The place is too small, and the outside is too large to be just sitting, taking up space in an already small place.“

“Marshmallow fluff;) Loved the Milkbomb sandwich! Will definitely go again;)“

“$4.5 for a hot freshly roasted beef sandwich, with the side of nachos and potato salad in San Francisco is unimaginable! The pistachio ice cream was really good as well. Tom is a really nice man who is dedicated to his ice cream shop and the customers. Come and get yourself a sweet treat!“

“Best hot chocolate ever. Definitely trying the Gelato next!“

“Çok lezzetli sağlıklı hijyenik aile olarak üretim yapılan bir yer kesinlikle ziyaret edilmeli teşekkür ederiz“

“Crazy good. I'm not supposed to eat dairy but I can't resist Garden Creamery. Their new flavor, Funky Caramel Miso, is out of this world - I'm tempted to gatekeep but I also want everyone to know about it so the flavor becomes popular and stays, I'd even be happy for it to replace my former favorite Salty Kaya Pandan. The miso funk is so deeply satisfyingly umami + salty + sweet caramel makes it perfect IMO.

Other favorites include vanilla lilikoi (best vanilla ever) and biscoff. But you can't go wrong. Such a stellar ice cream spot, worth traveling across the city for and worth the wait.“

“Stumbled upon Polly Ann while looking for a source of birthday cake for a friend. Polly Ann is absolutely the best - high quality ice cream, incredibly massive list of flavors, their whipped cream and frosting are the best we've encountered in SF, and the staff all really want to help and worked with me to make every order right! This is now my go-to for birthday cakes, and each one has surprised and delighted. One friend said it's the best birthday cake he ever had. Another friend asked for a 2nd one, because they put left overs in the fridge (ice cream cakes melt in the fridge) and liked the cake so much they wanted a replacement, with the exact same flavors.

When I was delayed and couldn't pick up the cake in time for the birthday party, the shop staff were so helpful and worked with me to get an Uber delivery organized and they made sure the driver got the cake and they saved the day!

Note: if you order through Doordash or Uber, Polly Ann does delivery, but NOT through their website. The website will let you schedule delivery but this is not accurate, I think the owners are working on fixing the website - in the meantime, ensure you plan on pickup if ordering direct.“

“I recently noticed many young and attractive people overflowing this venue; being approximately 0-2 of these things, I decided to try it myself. Anyway, I got cinnamon + sea salt/caramel and it was pretty good. Didn’t process super well but I’m lowkey lactose intolerant so not really on Sea & Straw. They have some non-lactose options so maybe should try that“

“One of our favorite spots in the Richmond. Sean and Alice are as terrific as their ice cream!“

“Yummm. Try the sf cheesecake and the bubbly Texan“

“I had the one scoop hot fudge sundae with my choice of icecream flavour. It was delicious! If it was ‘Norman’ serving he was a delight taking such care over each order and every scoop. I didn’t mind waiting to receive such thoughtful service. Highly recommend 🍨😋“

“Stopped by Ghirardelli for a dessert break and ordered the Strawberry Passion Hot Fudge sundae. The portion was huge and packed with a lot of ice cream. The chocolate-dipped strawberries were surprisingly big and sweet, and the hot fudge sauce tasted really good with the ice cream without being overly sweet. Everything balanced together nicely, and it felt like the perfect treat while taking a break around the area.“

“fabulous! please open another in the San Jose area. great service..the way they encourage you to taste while waiting in line...loved the various, different flavors“

“Good stuff, love nondairy options!“

“Yummm. Try the sf cheesecake and the bubbly Texan“

“The most delicious, fresh, and hand-crafted gelato I’ve ever tasted. You must try! Thank you Philmore!!! Can’t wait to come again!“

“Amazing tasting pizza, the pepperoni was just the right amount of spicy, the honey added a lot of depth. The pizza was light, but still filling enough that you are not hungry, but not so much you feel stuffed. Perfect balance and great pizzas.“

“just the best gelato cake this side of Italy. great crew, great owners. their kids are awesome!“

“The crepes and ice cream were not only delicious but also decorated beautifully! The attention to presentation really stands out and makes the experience even more enjoyable. The staff were also very friendly and welcoming, which made the visit even better.“

“Perfect stop for a sunny, hot Sunday. There wasn’t a long wait, and the service was fast and friendly. We didn’t get to see them make the ice cream, but it was definitely the smoothest ice cream I’ve had.

I tried the cookie dough with pretzels and chocolate chips and really enjoyed it, the sweet and salty combo worked really well with how creamy it was.

There aren’t a ton of seats inside, but we were still able to find a spot.a bit pricey for sure“

“Unique and exquisite homemade ice cream, original, tasty and so much more!😍 Don't hesitate to visit their cute shop and try them all!“

“I ordered the matcha ube latte along with the hokkaido cheese tarts and matcha cheese tarts. The matcha was strong and the ube complements it nicely. Both tarts were great too, slightly crisp but not too sweet, but I still prefer the regular cheese tart. The matcha added some bitterness, and the flavors didn’t blend as smoothly as I expected.

The lines can be quite long but it moves fast.“

“Happiness in a cup. And a cone 😁“

“I love these cute little corner stores in San Francisco on potrero Hill. We only had ice cream but the ice cream was great. Nice little tables and chairs to sit out and watch the world go by. Someday we'll have to go back and try some of the other thing on the menu besides ice cream.“

“The ice cream is amazing! I’m a sucker for Juliette’s Vanilla malt milkshake. Never too full for one of those!“

“Great little find while touring the city! Had to stop by three times in two days. Fantastic sandwich’s and great pastries.“

“Walked by this pop-up restaurant on the way back to our car, decided to give it a try and was not disappointed. The young woman providing service was very friendly did a wonderful job putting together are bare basket and cookie sandwiches. They're pretty big two people could easily split it.“

“Well, it is a tad pricey, but it is a must stop when visiting San Francisco. Sure, you can get it elsewhere--the candy bars etc., but they have the best sundaes and the entire store is just packed with anything you want from their line of great chocolate.

The place can get packed so chill out. During tourist season it is busy, but the line moves fast and there is just so much to look at and so much to buy.

The place is just spotless and everything tastes fresh and you want to buy a gift or two for friends. They even sell hot chocolate mix. There is just nothing not to love.

The staff is super and knows where everything is. Go to this one. Sure the tourists love it. I am a tourist and I love it.

Now, don't leave your candy bars in the sun. They will melt and you will be sad.“

“Vegan caramel chai with chocolate rocks...because I’m 7 ❤️“

“~follow me on IG at @summer.ishungry if you found this helpful :) <3

Stopped by Kiss of Matcha for an afternoon pick-me-up and ordered the jasmine matcha latte. The drink came out surprisingly fast and was smooth, refreshing, and well balanced.

The café had a cozy atmosphere and wasn’t too crowded when I visited, making it a great spot to relax for a bit. I’ve tried quite a few matcha spots around the Bay Area, and Kiss of Matcha continues to be one of my favorites. Definitely a place I’ll keep coming back to.“

“Delicious Harvey Milk and Peanut Butter. As good as it gets.“

“Enjoyed the pineapple fruit juice beverage with Pomegranate pearls on a hot day in San Francisco“

“gluten free, vegan, coconut based froyo! yum!“

“Toy Boat not only has delicious ice cream and a grand selection of Jane products, and an excellent cup of coffee; they are also incredibly cute and welcoming! The perfect place to bring the family!“

“Great Milkshakes and cookies“

“good vibe, workers were very nice, good flavors of ice cream and super cool idea to have a cookie cup (think waffle bowl). the 2 cookies i tried (peanut butter and cookies and cream) were good, nothing to write home about but good and a nice size. the ice creams had unique flavors (i tried oreo cream and butterfinger--the butterfinger was phenomenal) that were executed well. i do wish the cookies and cream cookie would have had some mixins or frosting or something. wish we wouldve found this place sooner so we could have tried more! my aunt loved the ginger ice cream“

“First time having shaved ice cream. It was Tachata which is cinnamon vanilla. Texture and taste was outstanding.“

“Their service and their soft serve is amazing! I always stop by their store when I'm in the area! 😀“

“My favorite food is everything on the menu“

“Mangonada, nieve de garrafa, raspados, bionicos, tostilocos, tejuinos“

“se te hace agua la boca 🤤 The food is BOOOOMB, bomb.com!!! The Crepes are AMAZING 🤩 The esquites are magically delicious 😋 and the customer service is great 👍🏻 super friendly and nice. Definitely our favorite place to snack at whenever we are in San Francisco“

“Son divinas, si pruebas las de café son un sueño y sobre todo a la hora de la película familiar. Altamente recomendadas“

“We tried two Ghirardelli cups — one with the Dubai topping and strawberries, and the other with the Dubai topping and ice cream. Both were delicious! The Dubai topping is very rich and intense, while the ice cream gives a nice balance.

I think the perfect combination would be strawberries, Dubai topping, and ice cream together — it would be lighter and more balanced. Overall, a very tasty dessert experience!“

“Talk about a hidden gem in the slums of downtown San Francisco! For a corner store they sure do have an amazing food selection. Went to go get pizza across the street around midnight and they just closed, went here instead and got some fruit salad and fettuccine. They had kebabs, wings, pasta salads etc and it all looked super fresh.

Great place to go for quick meals to take back to your hotel if you’re staying nearby.“

“Delicious rolled ice cream with free toppings!!! Yummm!!!“

“gluten free, vegan, coconut based froyo! yum!“

“I used to get Yomie’s in SoCal, and it was a yummy alternative to boba when I wanted something different. The yogurt smoothies at the North Beach location taste pretty similar but seem to be blended a little thicker. I got the passion fruit smoothie with less sugar and purple rice as a topping, and it was very filling. Definitely recommend as a drinkable snack.“