Looking for a late night sweet treat? Luckily Van Leeuwen is one of the few places open past 9 PM…read moreat the mall. They have such unique flavors and allow you to sample as many as you like. I decided to get the strawberry matcha latte. Nice flavor and creamy consistency. For a single scoop at $7.95, it is quite pricey, especially for the size of the scoop (as I've been to places that have been more generous in portion). However, I would say it is worth it if you are trying some of their special flavors, as you may not find those that easily at other ice cream shops.

A single scoop is $7.95, a milkshake is $11.65; bit pricey but standard compared to other icecream…read moreshops. We really enjoyed their vanilla bean icecream with a fresh waffle cone. The praline butter cake milkshake was yummy and not overwhelmingly sweet.

I hate that I know about this place bc it's my new addiction. I usually grab two when I'm there,…read moreone to eat now and one to eat later my absolute favorite is the black sesame walnut dessert. The texture is so light and creamy so it feels like eating healthy ice cream. You can order at the counter but there's also a convenient kiosk if you already know what you want. Only downside is that when I initially looked at the nutrition facts I was like "oh, it's 165 calories for this dessert! Nice" but if you look at it more closely it says the there's 3 servings in a container. Okay, no way there's 3 servings in that jar

So refreshingly good! If you're the kind of person who prefers their desserts not too sweet and a…read morelittle healthier, then this is the perfect spot for you! I love that they have so many flavors to choose from--you can go all the way fruity with mango, strawberry or even avocado, or choose one with coffee, matcha, or even banana nutella! Every coconut dessert comes in the cutest jar too. I think I'll actually be reusing mine instead of disposing them. What we tried: Jasmine Coconut - 3.5/5 Sunset Mango Coconut - 4/5 Banana Nutella Coconut - 4/5 Triple Latte - 5/5 My favorite out of the ones we had was definitely the Triple Latte. The coffee jelly added a bit of different texture to the dessert and the coffee flavor wasn't too strong, which surprisingly I preferred for this. I couldn't help but finish the whole thing on my own, and super quick at that too! Another one I was really excited to try was the Jasmine Coconut, which comes in a smaller jar, but it turned out to be a little underwhelming for me. You can barely taste the jasmine tea jelly. Don't get me wrong, it was still good--I just hoped you could taste the jasmine more. The shop was charming with a few tables and chairs, but it was a little hot inside. There was also just one person at the counter, but she was quick, friendly and very helpful--I don't think the speed of service suffered at all.

BEST GELATO IN SD! I have yet to visit Europe, but I'm assuming Bacio Di Latte is as authentic as…read moreit gets. Sooo many great flavors and the opportunity to sample them. I tried the pistachio chocolate crunch, pistachio, torta paradiso, bacio di latte, blueberry ricotta, and tiramisu. The flavor and texture of each are top tier. I got 2 flavors in a cone that was dipped in pistachio cream (aka liquid-ish gold). 10/10! Also tried the oatmeal lace cookie with maple cream. Definitely coming back!

I believe this corner suite at The Shops at La Jolla Village used to be the home of a cellular…read morephone carrier. An upscale gelato shop, Bacio Di Latte, is now the current tenant despite the fact that a popular ice cream shop was just around the bend in the same part of the plaza. The chain has become a rapidly expanding business with two locations in SD County and several more throughout the Southern California region. For a frozen dessert place, they did have quite a bit of seating with about a dozen small round tables scattered across the room. Nearly two dozen gelato flavors were on display next to the service counter. You could request taste samples as I did during my visit. Some cookies and other baked goods were also displayed in a case next to the register. Three gelato serving sizes were available along with three different kinds of vessels (cup, waffle cone, sugar cone). You could request split flavors within each serving size which was what I did. The Blueberry & Ricotta was a new flavor so I chose that and the Strawberry Cheesecake for my small (piccolo) cup. Both fruits were quite sweet as expected while the gelato base was smooth and creamy. The prices were a bit higher and the portions were smaller than what you can get from local ice cream shops. I guess at the end of the day, you're paying a premium for a premium product.

Karak House is always clean, welcoming, and has a relaxed atmosphere that's perfect whether you're…read moremeeting with clients, studying for school, or just enjoying a quiet coffee break. There's almost always a good mix of people working inside or out on the patio, giving the space a productive but comfortable energy without feeling overcrowded. The staff is consistently friendly, welcoming, and efficient, and the drinks are reasonably priced for the quality you receive. My go-to is the Iced Vanilla Latte, which is always smooth, well-balanced, and never overly sweet. I've also tried several other drinks over the years, and everything has been consistently well-crafted. So if you're looking for a coffee shop with quality drinks, a great atmosphere, and a place where you can actually settle in and get some work done, this is the café for you!

I didn't know this place existed until I stopped by the area for dinner but due to how many people…read moreI saw inside I wanted to see what the excitement was for so I swung by here afterwards for dessert. Due to how late it was (around 10pm when I came) I didn't want any drinks/anything caffeinated but the milk cakes did catch my eye. Unfortunately the ras malai was out but I went with the gullible as jamun which I've never had. I was expecting it to be ridiculously sweet based off it looking like a tres leches but I was pleasantly surprised at how balanced the sugar was with the spices. Hopefully if I come back I'll get to try their coffee/other milk cakes!

Me and my wife have been here a handful of times just because it's in the UTC mall. Not big on…read moregoing to malls, dealing with traffic and pay parking. This could be one of the few reasons we'll make the drive. But I do like the new location in the mall better now. It used to be in the center where it would be a walk, now it is located on the south side next to the parking lot. The new spot is a bit smaller with a few tables on the outside for sit down to eat. The inside a simple but love how everything is open so we can see the pastries and gelato. The pastries are pretty good. I think they're famous for the stuffed croissant donut and the Dubai chocolate but our favorites or go to are the drinks and gelato. They have some unique flavors that you won't find elsewhere like biscoff, Persian (rose water I think), and my wife's fav lavender honey. I like how the flavors are blended completely and not just chunks on cream base. Oh and their customer service is really good. They even considered my request for Dubai dark chocolate bar. Thanks for that. Hope this helps but definitely a must try.

I think the ac might have been broken because I remember it being super hot inside…read more The food was just ok, and the so were the drinks. We got a drink and the mango shaped dessert and neither really hit the spot. Very plasticy all around. Later I went to the capital one cafe and tried to fix the drink to make it better.

It's our third time ordering desserts and would always be back even though prices are on the higher…read moreside. Ordered our usual take out: Carrot cake, Le Noisette, and French Pudding. All were deliciously! Great spot when looking for a delicious dessert/pastries while in UTC. Courteous staff on duty. Highly recommended!

TLDR - All style, some substance. Everything from the exterior to the foods exudes a beautiful…read moreaesthetic but the quality aside from looks does not justify the price when there are comparable and more price appropriate dessert/sweets/cafes within a 2 minute walk Parfait Paris is an adorable patisserie/cafe at the utc Westfield. The staff is friendly, anything you buy looks gorgeous and the inside is immaculate. Ambience 9/10 Lunar New Year Croissant Described as a croissant filled with sesame and almond paste, this is a good but not great croissant. It has the layers, it has the chew, but it's no better than a croissant you would get at a number of other bakeries in the area. But those other bakeries are charging $4-7 instead of $10! The almond and sesame flavors were both very subtle and make me believe there is just a very minimal amount used in the recipe. Would not recommend even as a chewy over crispy croissant guy. 5/10 Creme brûlée latte Pretty much what I wanted without description. Creamy, noticeable but not overpowering vanilla flavor, and a lovely burnt topping for bitter balance. The coffee still comes through meaning this is a well crafted latte, not a dessert. This one actually comes at a pretty decent price too. 8/10 Yuzu & lime tart Their take on meringue pie is composed of a graham crust, yuzu mousse, and a meringue topper with a circle of lemon curd gel. To my taste, there is too much sweet on this plate, needing some balance of tart. But the textures of each component were on point: fluffy meringue, thick lemon gel, dense crust, and substantial yet airy mousse. Torching the meringue at home added a bitter element which I think made the sweetness more palatable. Would have liked the citrus to be more present. 5/10. All in all I would choose other sweets shops at most shopping centers than return here but for drinks this is a pretty good option.

There's no Levain in SD but Batch & Box will do! The classic was actually really good. I love these…read morethick cookies because the exterior is nicely crisp while the interior is soft and gooey. It wasn't too sweet, and in fact, it had some salt on the top and I really enjoyed the hints of saltiness it added. It helped balance the cookie out. The gentleman was a tad bit too sweet for me. I know dark chocolate is healthier, but I still prefer my milk chocolate... I want to come back to try their other flavors!

Finally made it to Batch & Box in La Jolla, and it definitely lived up to the hype!…read more We tried the Pink Lady (10/10), Blondie (10/10), and the classic Sugar cookie (7/10). The Pink Lady and Blondie were absolute standouts--so flavorful and perfectly baked. Every cookie tasted incredibly fresh, with a slight crunch on the outside and a soft, warm, gooey center on the inside. The staff was friendly, welcoming, and made the experience even better. My only small wish is that they offered whole milk instead of just 2%--there's just something about cookies and whole milk that makes the perfect pairing. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and we'll definitely be back to try more flavors!

Secret French Bakery made made the beach theme cake for our granddaughter's 21st birthday. She…read morewanted lemon cake with raspberry filling. Not only was it beautiful, but was moist and delicious! Everyone was asking where who made the cake! Thank you Mahya! The shells were edible white chocolate.

All I can say is "WOW"!!!!! I needed a custom birthday cake for my adorable 70 year old wife and…read morewhat I got was an absolute masterpiece! We had to set up stanchions for cake viewing because nobody had ever seen any thing like it. I should've charged admission because it would've paid for the cake! The attention to detail that Mahya put into this is astonishing, and that's just the looks! I was giving my wife a Johnny Was top for her birthday (scoring big points} and asked Mahya to do the best she could to match the design. It was so perfect that Johnny may want to get into the cake business . . . breathtaking I'd say. After the crowd finally settled down we anxiously got to cut the cake (kind of a bummer) and once again we were in awe. Never had anyone seen such an awesome display of 4 layers of yummy in their lives. . . . chocolate with salted caramel After another viewing delay i finally gave the green light to taste the glory of artistry. . . If I called this cake delicious it would be an understatement . . . maybe more like exquisite, stupendous or delectable. Friends that never eat birthday cake were asking for seconds!!! Everybody was so distracted by the cake we almost forgot it was Karen's birthday . . . unbelievable. Obviously I highly recommend Mahya and French Secret Pastry to everyone but Johnny Was . . . he can stick to designer clothes while Mayha designs outstanding, delicious cakes!!!!! Thanks so much!!