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    Galata

    4.6 (25 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Pistachio & chocolate were divine
    Benjamin W.

    What a fun gem! It's unlike any ice cream I've had before. The thickness blew my mind. Apparently they use goat milk, but whatever it was, we loved it. Count yourself lucky if you go there and nobody is in the store, because soon enough this place will be popping and there will be a line down the block.

    Toby P.

    I had been to an event earlier in the evening where I saw several friends. Afterwards, as we were leaving it was suggested we try Galata. It was cute and inviting on the outside but walking in was even more so. Pink and floral and they were adding to the decor while we were there. My friends had explained that it was a goat milk dessert similar to ice cream but with a unique texture. I had tried goat milk and goat milk ice cream many years back and did not like it, so I was a bit apprehensive. I'm pretty food adventurous so I decide to sample a few flavors. I tried the caramel and the texture was definitely different but I didn't taste like goat milk. It was good. I watched the others eat theirs and was shocked to see almost a cheese pull consistency in their scoops. I was pretty full already, but I love, love baklava so I ordered a small piece to go. I was caching the trolley and had to wait but I couldn't wait to taste the baklava. Oops, I couldn't stop eating it and I finished it. To be fair it was a very small piece. The flavor was great, but it was quite expensive for one very small piece. Next time when I'm not so full I will try the "ice cream" again.

    Suite front
    Emmett T.

    Galata is a new Turkish dessert shop that has been open for less than month. They are located on the south end of the Gaslamp Quarter not far from the trolley stop. The place was vibrantly decorated with a cotton candy pink color. A couple of small round top tables were available inside the suite and outside on the sidewalk. Two display cases were to the left of the service counter, one for the ice cream and one for the baklava and other desserts. Twenty-four flavors of ice cream were featured, and you could ask for taste samples. Since the products were made from goat's milk, the consistency was much different than the gourmet ice cream at other shops around town. It was creamy but had a gummier texture that created a higher melting point than regular ice cream. I tried a few flavors before deciding on a small cup of chestnut and pistachio. The cost was $7, and you could get a split like what I did. The pistachio had a sharp but pleasant taste. I didn't purchase any baklava or lokum, but my friends did when we visited on another occasion a week later. The staff was friendly and welcoming. The location was very optimal for the large crowds when they start invading the area during home baseball games and convention season. I gave a 4.5 star rating for my experiences at Galata.

    John M.

    What in the world!?! This is Turkish ice cream. Made with goats milk, sugar and salep (a type of flour). After our Yelp event at Lumi, a bunch of us wandered into this place for a sample. They had some pretty interesting flavors and I ended up with a small cup of walnut and pistachio... (About $7.50 with tax)... This stuff is kinda of like gelato but it doesn't really melt and it's kind of stretchy and gummy... It's delicious! I was walking around the gas lamp with my little cup and it never really melted. It defies all ice cream logic! I highly recommend stopping by here for a sample. It's unlike any ice cream I've ever tried.

    Pinay M.

    It is so pretty! I love the cherry blossoms, it's very picturesque. The ice cream was good, I like the pistachio, almond and chestnut flavors. It's less sweeter than Italian gelatos which is better. The little sweet desserts were very interesting. I was really intrigued of the tiramisu chocolate however, I did not ordered it because it was big and I'm not sure if I will Like it. So we got the twisted pistachio instead because it was an enough size for a sweet tooth, it was sugary and sweet. It has an interesting flavor and the more you eat it, the more you enjoyed it. I know the baklava would taste wonderful as I had it before. They have a lot of different varieties of sweets that look really delicious and I'm curious to try it all but also unsure which one I'll like. I wish they have free tasting of everything before ordering.

    Gotta love pink
    Leslie B.

    I wandered into Galata with a large group of Yelp Elites following an event nearby on a Thursday evening. I understood it to be a new Turkish ice cream shop downtown. When we walked in, we were immersed in a lovely pink setting with artificial blossoms and scenery all around. Initially, I hadn't planned on purchasing anything, as I wasn't in the mood for ice cream, and came along to accompany friends. However, upon walking in, I stood in awe of a dessert case full of Turkish lokum (more commonly known as Turkish delight candy). Having spent a couple of months in Istanbul, I had become accustomed to seeing shops with various flavors of delicious lokum. At Galata, they sell lokum by weight. I chose a small amount of about four different flavors, one of the most interesting being saffron, rose, and pistachio. In San Diego, I almost never find lokum, and when I do, it is typically poor quality in a box that has been sitting around for some time. I was so excited to see a place with fresh lokum. I also saw boxes of the traditional apple tea I enjoyed so much in Turkey. I could not leave without tasting the Ince cream. They were very generous to allow our group to try several spoons of various flavors. A few from our group purchased ice cream. I just took a taste of the chestnut. The flavor was delicious. The consistency is definitely thicker than any ice cream I am used to. It almost has a slightly gummy consistency. Perhaps it is a traditional texture for the ice cream, but not my favorite texture. When I arrived home, I tasted the lokum. The flavors were good. The consistency was good, but not great. I was hoping for the super fresh melt-in-your-mouth consistency that I had in Turkey. These were a little harder, as if simply not as fresh as I had hoped. It was good to be able to enjoy this favorite dessert, but I was slightly disappointed. The apple tea, however, was exactly as I had hoped and expected. All in all, Galata is a cute little sweet shop featuring primarily ice cream, but also selling other sweets (including baklava). I would return and hopefully find lokum that is more recently made and a little fresher.

    cherry and mango
    Terri S.

    Nice workers who offered free samples before purchasing a cup! They had a whole variety of different gelato flavors and turkish desserts. I had their cherry gelato and it was super tart and refreshing. It was so cute inside the shop, very well decorated! And they were open a little later, so it was a perfect snack.

    Dojo A.

    Here for their soft opening week and had to get pistachio ice cream. Oh boy! What a heavenly taste. If you haven't tried Turkish ice cream, you are truly in for a treat. It's all natural and it's called Dondurma. It is a mastic ice cream made of ground orchid flour, mastic and sugar. And they made their pistachio ice cream with goat milk. So so good!! Glad the have a branch now in San Diego as their first location is in Long Beach!!

    Jadyn M.

    They were so nice they gave us free pomegranate tea while we were waiting outside for our uber. Definitely go try them out !! ^_^

    We went here after our Padre, game on a friday night for a littlesomethingsweet. We loved the variety of flavors they had. Each one was natural and creamy. the ambiance was delightful.

    Jessie P.

    Sooo yummy! I'll definitely be back! They let us try the flavors first, they were very friendly!

    Strawberry and peach

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    Thank you so much for stopping in. We hope you come again soon!

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    3 months ago

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    Thank you for your review. We hope you stop in soon!

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    1 month ago

    Such yummy ice cream & large assortment of turkish sweets! Good customer service too!

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    2 months ago

    Owner was super nice and offered samples and the shop is absolutely adorable. I got the Oreo and it was so delicious!

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    Review Highlights - Galata

    If you haven't tried Turkish ice cream, you are truly in for a treat.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Ordering if a bit confusing when you get there, I think they need a much clearer way to explain the…read moretype of cup topping and cone options. Almost everyone that entered had to ask what the options are and also if there are kids cup options. The portions are very large, they do warn you! The mocha almond fudge was okay, the fudge wasn't enough and the mocha was not as strong as I've had at other places. The strawberry was okay as well. The Cookie Monster was okay as well, my child did not want to finish it. Which is a first! Ice cream is the favorite in our house! Everyone in our group wasn't a big fan of the ice cream, even with 10 different flavors that were ordered. This place didn't hit the spot like other places we have been to. Maybe when we're back in the area we'll try another flavor to give them another chance. Employees were nice, but they do need a better system with remembering a larger order and making sure everyone had their ice creams. I had to remind them how many ice creams we ordered and was still waiting on my ice cream when they finished checking us out. Little kinks they can work out and I'm sure they can improve.

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    Extraordinary Desserts - Dame Chocolate

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