BETWEEN THE REVIEWS w/ Rodney S…read more Q) Where did you go today, Rodney? A) I decided to indulge in some silky smooth, delicious ice cream. Can't think of a better ice cream shop than Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. Q) What makes Van Leeuwen Ice Cream so special? A) Rodney, Van Leeuwen whips up French ice cream. Meaning, twice as many egg yolks as the standard ice cream. Besides the custard base, Van Leeuwen utilizes simple ingredients, including milk, cream, eggs and sugar (vegan ice cream has oats, cashews, and/or coconut). I tend to avoid "ice cream" which has a plethora of various fillers/stabilizers and what not. I prefer real ingredients. Q) Rodney, do you recommend Van Leeuwen Ice Cream? A) For sure, Rodney! And, for those unable to visit standalone locations, Van Leeuwen is available in grocery stores nationwide, such as Sprouts. With real, natural ingredients, and double the amount of egg yolks, Van Leeuwen's French ice cream is an indulgent treat that isn't composed of unwanted ingredients. Highly recommend!

Going out for ice cream is def not a cheap treat anymore…read more... I stopped by & ordered a single scoop in a cup of big face coffee affogato. Naturally, not knowing what big face coffee is..... I asked the girl what it was. She didn't know. Soooooo I sampled it and thought it was pretty good & settled on that. I don't know the caffeine amount for strength of the coffee they used in it, but I thought the flavor was very creamy. Anyways for 2 ice cream it was $22. granted the second ice cream was in a waffle cone in a cup with whipped cream. I still was shocked about $22 ice cream for 2 people. lol maybe that's just me. The place is cute and clean and sells pints and such as well. I don't see myself going out of my way to come back but it was a pleasure to try.

10/10. Vibes, food, and service. We took my son here with…read moreour friends and I was almost nervous based on how fancy the place seemed but the staff was extremely outgoing and friendly, making sure we got coloring pages, kids cups, and even gave him a dessert after our meal. Truly the best pizza and parppadelle wagyu pasta I've ever had. And I kid you not, one of the best iced teas as well. I can't wait to come back next time I visit long beach!

There's something quietly meaningful about a place where you share your first meal as a married…read morecouple, and Marlena made that moment really lovely. The pastas are delightful and the wine list is great, which honestly is all I need to feel good about a spot. My husband is a pizza person through and through, and even though Marlena is not really positioned as a pizza place, the pizza won him over completely. That says a lot. The ambiance is wonderful and the fact that it's mostly outdoors makes it dog friendly, which is always a bonus for us. The food across the board is just solid and well executed without trying too hard to be anything other than what it is. A really warm, genuinely enjoyable dinner in Long Beach and one we will likely be returning to.

I tried a few things from Renaud's while staying nearby. For my first visit I had a mini lemon tart…read moreand one of their small easter chocolates, which were on sale after the holiday. The lemon and meringue in the tart were very good: the citrus had a nice bite to it, it wasn't too sweet. I found the pastry a little thick, but that is sometimes an issue when making miniature tarts, as the pastry to filling ratio can get off-balance. The little dark chocolate bunny was ok, but honestly not any better than most retail chocolate bars for a much higher cost. On my second visit I stopped in on a morning for a matcha latte and ham and cheese croissant. The croissant was flaky and had a good balance of ham and cheese. They warm them up and it was the perfect temperature. The matcha latte was very disappointing, though. I didn't end up finishing it and threw most of it out. It was bright green, but had no real matcha flavor to speak of. Instead it tasted overwhelmingingly of vanilla. So much so that as it cooled it reminded me of drinking melted vanilla ice cream. I don't know if they use vanilla syrup by default as their sweetner, because I didn't ask for it, but if so it's an odd choice to make without telling people. Overall, a bit of a mixed bag.

The pastries look and tasted so satisfying I was happy to have stop by here for a birthday treat…read more The service was amazing I gotten enough help with what a girl may like for her birthday taste buds and the he place seem small it got enough pastries to fill once stomach. I would say the place is big and clean being part of a bigger store in the inside I would have missed it.

Pros: -top notch customer service…read more -rotating flavors -really good lemons bars and mud pies!!! -good wine parings -board games and dog friendly with doggie puppichinos making it a chill and welcoming ambiance Cons: -pricing can be intimidating Come on by!!

Nice assortment of both sweet and savory pies! We came for dessert, but the pies didn't quite hit…read morethe mark for us. We love a thick, yummy pie crust, but these were a bit thin and bland. The Lemon Lavender Pie was a little too subtle on lavender. The Key Lime Pie lacked that tart, tangy punch. Unfortunately, the overall flavors felt a bit underwhelming, especially considering the price point and relatively small slice sizes. On the positive side, the service was friendly, and the shop had a cozy atmosphere with board games available for customers to enjoy. Seating inside is limited, and parking can be a bit of a challenge.

This was such a great experience! My friend and I were curious to try out Miracles and we are not…read moredisappointed. The cake we got (Honey Cake) was perfectly balanced and not too sweet! My friend got the Purple Miracle drink and I got the Whipped Honey Latte. Absolutely fabulous! 10/10 would recommend. My friend and I agree when we visit down here we will be coming back. The service was also amazing as well. He brought out an extra fork for us when we asked and a knife for my friend and I.

The man behind the counter (owner maybe?) was very friendly and offered suggestions of customer…read morefavorites on my first visit. I decided to try the cocoa honey cake, which looked amazing. I've never had this style of cake before so maybe I didn't know what to expect but it was quite dry. I think if I had ordered a tea to go with it I would have enjoyed it more, as the warm liquid would have balanced out the dryness of the cake, so perhaps that was my mistake. The coffee menu has a good variety of latte options. The matcha menu is more limited, and they also offer a small variety of hot tea. Indoor and outdoor seating is available, and the staff member brought my order to my table, which was a nice touch for an order-at-the-counter cafe.

The pistachio ice cream was absolutely delicious, smooth, creamy, and full of rich flavor. You can…read morereally taste the quality of the ingredients in every bite. Thank you! Their desserts were just as impressive, beautifully presented and perfect if you're craving something sweet after a meal. The pahlava was amazing, fresh, flaky, and perfectly sweet with great flavor. Everything tasted authentic and made with care. The shop has a welcoming atmosphere and friendly staff, which made the visit even better. I'll definitely be coming back the next time I'm in Long Beach!

service 10/10 ice cream -100/10…read morei've never had turkish ice cream before so not sure if this is normal but i wanted/expected something creamy and this ice cream tasted tacky and gummy... like it had been left uncovered for days idk how else to explain it... i tried so hard to eat it. ended up tossing it on my drive. normally like to give a place a second chance but this was so bad and over priced i wont be giving it another chance

You can no longer find the holy grail here on 2nd Street, Belmont Shore. This brand came from…read moreHawaii but looks like the other locations here in the Southland have been marked as closed. What made them different is they used taro flour and cooked them in coconut oil. Some of their flavors were tropical. Now I can write about how the oil smell emanating from the store made me nauseous whenever I passed by during business hours. It's weird because I didn't think bad of the donuts themselves and could stand to eat them. I will say after having them on two prior occasions, they made an impression on me when they participated in the yearly Belmont Shore chocolate festival. They offered a freshly chocolate glazed donut. It was so delicious having it fresh as opposed to letting it sit and have later. Thanks for the memories! I won't forget you, Holey Grail!

I was just there this weekend so I'm not sure why it says it's closed…read more The place is small but does offer outdoor seating and a community table inside. The staff are WONDERFUL. I ordered the Hot Single and The Strawberry Fields. Both were delicious. I appreciate that the donuts are made to order and that they aren't large. The Hot Single was probably my favorite of the two I had, local honey and flaky salt..it was incredible.

The ice cream flavor options will not disappoint!! It's not on the sea, BUT your taste buds will…read morefeel like you're on a luxury seaside vacation cause Seaside Creamery delivered!!! So many unique options to try, I had such a hard time choosing so I can't wait to come back for more. The split scoop is the way to go! Pablo & Karla were so wonderful, very warm and friendly staff! Simple, beach boho vibe inside. They had minimal seating with a small parking lot, but I think I found my new go to sweet treat spot. They also sell pints to take home!

The flavors are unique and very rich. I enjoyed the cookies and cream and bumbleberry cheesecake…read moreflavors as one was sweet and the other more fruity. The fluffernutter and instigator were also good. I do wish they had more lighter flavors. Again, too rich. We got a flight of 4 and definitely needed something savory after with water. Maybe it's my old age. Service was great and helpful. One waitress so if it gets busy and people are asking for samples it may be awhile. No inside seating, two benches outside.