The "WE DON'T DO SAMPLES" sign at this bright little spot was a dead giveaway that this was a…read moretrue-to-form European gelato shop, and sure enough a charming Italian woman served us from behind the counter. Without a doubt, we knew we'd be getting an authentic dessert!! Dropped in at 9:30pm on a Friday night, and felt like we stumbled into a magical little corner of Valencia. The gelato here is whipped up in these futuristic spinning machines with bubble lids; they almost look like washing machines. Absolutely whimsical. The flavors are expansive and fresh; the strawberry was excellent, though the Greek yogurt was our surprising favorite. There were so many unique and intriguing flavors (from orange and cinnamon to strawberry balsamic), we'll absolutely have to stop by again. The real charm of this place comes from the story; we read about it while waiting in line and were absolutely captivated by the story of love, community, and heritage that shapes Hila. It's well worth a read, and honestly sold us on the shop (although the gelato definitely still carries its own!). The story of Hila breathing life back into an old parlor is absolutely heartwarming. I wish nothing but much success for the future of Hila.

I ordered a pint of Seven Layers Hazlenut and Chocolate for delivery. $27 after tip and fees for a…read moredelivered pint Ouch. How do people afford these delivery meals every day? I was urged to hold my nose and try it by someone I generally trust, because they raved about this place. The biggest offense was the misleading description on the Doordash menu, but Google's info has the same impression as well--that is, it claims to be "topped" with corn flakes. TOPPED!! Not middled, not bottomed, not everywhered. I don't particularly care for bread product in my ice cream or gelato because it just gets mushy..and boy were these corn flakes ever mushy. Its such a gross texture. I was desparate for chocolate hazelnut. Desserts given bready garnishings isn't unususal, Super Duper does it with their shakes. As a topping I figured it would be easy to shovel off...wrong. What I paid $27 for is a gigantic wad of mushy corn flakes with chocolate drizzled through the cracks and I can't for the life of me taste any hazelnut. This was disgusting. I am extremely disappointed. A pint of corn flakes costs what, $0.50? I was ripped off...enjoy the profit margin. I'm no stranger to gelato. I've been to Italy several times and not American tourist areas but hometowns of long-time Italian friends: Poggiardo, Lecce, Castro Marina & Castro Alta, Galatina, Otranto. I've made gelato there myself. I worked in a gelateria that's actually managed to stay alive in the Bay Area for 20 years, Gelateria Naia. WhileI don't go to new places with expectations of what I had somewhere else, I do appreciate a balance of value and quality. I was left feeling so far from either in my first experience with Hila's gelato that it's the first time in probably a couple years that I couldn't stop a bad purchase from ruining my night. It really came down to the price tag for delivery: $27 for a pint! And not a single spoonful worth ingesting. How do I ever give this a try again? I don't see how it's possible. I just wanted something I could eat and then tell my friend (who recommended this place enthusiastically) it was worth the money or not. I couldn't eat this. Every spoonful was a huge glob of mushy cereal.

There are very few places that have taken the literal words out of my mouth and left me in silence,…read morethis is one of them. About a month ago, we visited here for the first time while taking a stroll in San Francisco. What caught our eye was the word small batch gelato. The line wasn't bad on this night so we gave it a go. I immediately saw the very unique flavors and the high quality layouts. To our mistake, we grabbed one cup with two flavors and walked away. When I say we fought over it, our marriage was tested over the gelato. Lol A month later, which was just last weekend we were in town again for another Giants game. This was 100% on our guaranteed stop list. This second time around we each had our own cup of goodness, of sweet delicious remarkable goodness. I am hooked, I am unapologetically hooked. I am telling every single person about this place and in two weeks when I go to a business trip up north, I will pay another visit.

Lush has to be my most favorite gelato place in the city, maybe the bay, maybe California. You get…read morethe point, this gelato is pretty far up the ranks. I typically get a 4 scoop chocolate waffle covered cone, that's how divine the texture and the layered flavors are. The flavors rotate so it's like a treasure hunt, you never know what you may find. During my last visit, I had the following 4 flavors, in order of my rating: 1. Espresso & Dulce De Leche 2. Black & White Trio 3. Dulce de Leche 4. Whisky crumbles At times the queue gets pretty long. You can take a lap around north beach area and come back few minutes later. I have observed personally that the queues tend to be in waves. It's a small little shop so you basically get your gelato, walk out and enjoy the city sights.

We stumbled upon this place right next to our hotel a few weeks back and were thrilled to take…read moreadvantage of the 10% discount for hotel guests (just show your room card or mention it at the register, easy!). Walking in, the ordering process is a little unclear, even after two visits, I'm still not 100% sure of the "right" way to do it, lol. But don't let that stop you! They offer both indoor and outdoor seating, and while the indoor area is a bit cozy, I love that you have options so you're not stuck outside when the weather isn't cooperating. Now, onto the good stuff - the gelato! My go-to is Stracciatella and I happily stuck with it both visits. My first time, I was in a bit of a rush (checkout waits for no one!) so I went with a cup. Big mistake, not because of the gelato, but because I had NO idea they do the most adorable flower/rose design on a cone. Super IG-worthy and honestly reason enough to come back, which I did! On my second visit, I went for the Small Signature, which comes topped with a macaron and your choice of 2 flavors. I only wanted Stracciatella they doubled up on that. The pistachio macaron was a touch softer than I prefer but still totally yums. The gelato itself? Absolutely delicious and honestly, it's hard to go wrong with good gelato! My husband got a Small Pistachio in a cup and I naturally had to sneak a taste. It was a lovely, well-balanced flavor - not overpowering at all, which is a win since pistachio can sometimes go too heavy. If I find myself in the area with a gelato craving, I'm absolutely swinging by for my fix!

Been craving for this ice cream since my husband bought me a cup last week. So we went to the city…read more& as soon as saw their menu that they do affogato, that is what i ordered & had my gelato to go. Well, taste for the affogato is disappointing:-( and the lady who took our order misunderstood what we want. She was even assisted by her 2 coworkers to help us with our order. I am still excited to taste the 6 flavors we ordered in our 2 small pints Place is clean, had a few seats inside & tables outside.

I was on my way out of town while walking through Little Italy and I wasnt really hungry until I…read morewalked by like every spot and this place caught me when I saw someone eating this sanny with good looking bread. I walked past it and got like a block away and was like maaaaaan shiiiiiittt Im turning around lol. I went back and came to get a sanny and Im happy I did, I was planning on eating it on the walk. The place has a lot of choices like a regular deli youd find in the northeast. San Francisco has definitely the best Little Italy as far as choices to pick from and its really big and spread out. I had the Goodfella. Roast beef, prosciutto, salami, provolone and basil. I added the pesto and olive oil and replaced the provolone with fresh mozzarella. Best part was there was an old ass lady who made the sanny and she loaded it lol. The bread makes the sandwich and it was really soft and crunchy. Soo good. I 1000% recommend this place and I am sure she makes all the sandwiches the same!

My daughter considers this the Best gelato in SF & they have the widest range of flavors!…read more Pick, taste, then order - they're authentically Italian, have coffees, sandwiches, cannolis and wines, too. Friendly service in a tiny cute deli that has lots of goodies!

This was the perfect sweet treat after a somewhat underwhelming dinner next door at Nono Baru…read more The staff was friendly and happy to offer samples. I ended up ordering a small cup with half Sicilian Pistachio and half Rose Petal. The Rose Petal flavor had a lovely floral taste that I absolutely enjoyed, while the Sicilian Pistachio was rich and nutty. Both flavors were creamy, smooth, and, dare I say, not overly sweet?! Every bite was delicious and it was a wonderful way to end the evening.

Really nice ice cream shop! I stopped by after seeing it on Google Maps and being in the area. It…read morelooked pretty unassuming, but they let me try all the different flavors. Good: The sorbet flavors are amazing. I was super thirsty, so the pear sorbet and the mango sorbet were really good. I almost felt like I was drinking a smoothie while I was eating it. I also like the stracciatella ice cream flavor since they're super creamy and very refreshing. There's a lot of seating inside, and I found it nice to just hunker down for an hour and work on my laptop. Bad: It does get pretty busy, and it can take a while to get through the line because it's super cramped inside. Overall loved this place and would come again~!

I think I'm even more excited about this place than my own kids are. There is an infinite number of…read morevegan flavors and it's impossible to pick one because they're all amazing.

First time trying this place was at the Union Street Festival and they had a vendor spot right…read moreoutside their physical shop. Unfortunately, since they were in ice cream carts outside on a very sunny day, it was served slightly melted. We got a regular cup (came smaller than most ice cream shops) of their pistachio and Strauss yogurt, both really delicious, but tell me why did it cost $15 for that??? I'm sure the fair played a part in the price inflation, but I don't think any ice cream I've ever had can justify that price and I LOVE ice cream. It's really good ice cream but extremely overvalued. Not any better that ice cream shops that serve that size for $5-$6.

A charming dessert shop. The exterior and interior are modern with charming flourishes throughout…read more I found their frozen confections to be mediocre, but their signature creations were great. Service was kind. Don't Stay for Breakfast: Disappointed by this one, was 1-dimensional and no better than any run-of-the-mill ice cream bar. It lacked the maple flavor I was looking for. The only highlight was the crunch from the waffle flakes. Pavlova: A significant step-up from the other dessert. Visually, the pavlova wrapped around the presentation of fruit is quite beautiful. The pavlova was light, airy, and had a nice sweetness. The fruit filling was decadent, and added variety to each bite.

Everything I tried her was Amazing! From the pastries to the handcrafted chocolates and macarons. I…read morecan't wait to go back!

Exploring the neighborhood after playing miniature golf nearby at Holey Moley and also visited Hua…read moreZang Zi, a Buddhist temple converted from a church (formerly St. Johannes Evangelical Lutheran Church) because it looked so interesting. I digress. We then went to La Copa Loca Gelato to get some coconut gelato. So good! A must visit. Located on 22nd Ave and Capp.

I lived near La Copa Loca for almost two years, but I didn't come more than a handful of times, and…read moreI regret that. It's the little gelato place that could. I was terrified the entire time I lived nearby that this place would close, but it outlasted me in the neighborhood, and I stopped by recently, and it is still going strong. The gelato is good, but I always came here for the smoothies, which are excellent. It's in an out-of-the-way spot and across the street from a rowdy bar full of lecherous men, so keep your daughters close, and your pepper spray closer. I'm kidding! (Sort of.) It is adorable how many families bring their kids here. During the day, they put a couple of tables out on the Capp Street sidewalk, and since this is the end of Capp that is barricaded, cars won't be rushing by. The ultimate get is to come when the taco truck is parked at the barricade. When that happens, you can enjoy some fine Mexican food-truck food and wash it down with some heavenly gelato. My only criticism: They need to fix the case! It has been cracked since 2023, if not before then.