Stopped here before a cocktail party because I was early and it was hot. I've passed this new Turkish ice cream store, only a few blocks from the convention center, a few times in the last month and it looked intriguing. We have Persian ice cream in San Diego but this is the first time I saw Turkish. Stopped in and they would have let me sample whatever. But I decided to just try the pistachio and it was so tasty I stuck with it. It is SO delicious, and the consistency is amazing. Trust me! Not quite as spiced as Indian kulfi, and so much creamer than your typical American ice cream. I'm going to be craving it next time I come downtown. If you are at the convention center for comicon next week or any other convention, skip the random tourist restaurants and come here for ice cream or one of their gorgeous looking Turkish treats. It's inexpensive and delicious, not to mention cute! read more

Galata - Pistachio - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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This place is such a gem of the city!! I'd recommend the Mastic Gum as a unique and earthy flavor, as it's derived from plant resin! The men at the counter were so hospitable and sweet. They helped me through my Turkish delight order (I recommend the rose flavor) and threw a few other pieces in on the house :) They are very sweet and serviceable people, will definitely be returning!! The place itself is cute as well, with cute interior and a place to sit. They even do a Turkish ice cream show for certain orders! Quite a show! The men at the counter came by and gave my friend and I Turkish tea (it pairs well with desserts, he mentioned) for free! I genuinely cannot get over how kind the people of this establishment were, such hospitality is so rare and so genuinely appreciated. The ONLY thing I'd ask is to make clear which of their flavors are dairy free; their online site contains different information than the in-person site. That affects people like me, who can't eat dairy ;) read more

Galata - Turkish Tea paired with my Rose Turkish Delight - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

The bright pink walls and assorted ice cream flavors caught my attention as we were about to catch the trolley after the game. If you show them your Padres game ticket, you get a small discount, though I forgot the % off. Having only tried Turkish ice cream at a Yelp event, I wanted to come back eventually to try other flavors! I ended up with the coffee flavor which was not too strong of a flavor profile and sweeter. The staff let us sample as many flavors as we wanted! They were friendly and super welcoming. I'd love to return if they can do some sort of special seasonal flavor! read more

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As I was walking back to the parking garage I noticed a small Turkish ice cream store that looked so cute & pink inside so I stopped in, they had so many flavors of ice cream & a case full of Turkish baklava & other pastries that all looked so pretty! I tried a small cup with 2 different flavors of pistachio & chocolate it was tasty very thick! Next time I'll try something from the other case read more

Galata - Front entrance - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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Took my family here after Lou and Mickey's to try it out. Beautiful desserts and a full coffee list. I am glad that others took pictures of the lovely decor! Service was wonderful, and my husband, sister, and law enjoyed their ice cream. I'm vegan/vegetarian, so I got a nice little pistachio-based dessert that was a knockout! The server was so sweet and gave me a nice hot cup of Turkish tea, which I really enjoyed! I love black tea. I am planning a bus ride down from South Park to grab a Turkish coffee and another sweet treat from them. I highly recommend this place. It's beautiful inside, and the food/desserts are wonderful! read more

Galata - Turkish Tea, so lovely - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

What a cute little shop! The staff were incredibly friendly and generous with samples, which made it easy to find a favorite. While the ice cream was good, the real star of the show for me was the walnut and pistachio baklava- flaky, rich, and absolutely delicious!! I also loved learning that you can mix and match Turkish delights to create your own assortment. There are a few tables both, inside and outside, but it felt more like a grab-and-go spot to me! Overall, a sweet little stop that definitely earned its place in my books!!! read more

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This place is simply amazing! I was expecting it to be good but not this good! The ice cream was creamy and a little "chewy" and I mean that in a good way. Ingredients tasted natural. It was like a blend between gelato and ice cream. Owner was nice and friendly. Not too much seating tho so be prepared to stand or walk around the gaslamp district. We got the pistachio, black mulberry, and chocolate. The chocolate was our favorite. But all were very good! Would I go again! You bet! In fact as I'm writing this we are preparing to go again! read more

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Perfect dessert after a heavy dinner. This place is very cute. And location seems to be prime. I'm from out of town and it seems like the location has a great night life. I got the coconut and lemon flavored and it was delicious. Staff there were very kind. read more

Galata - Lemon and coconut - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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. read more

Galata - Pistachio & chocolate were divine - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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. read more

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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. read more

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Adorable shop that features authentic Turkish ice cream, aka dondurma. It's made with salep (orchid root flour) and mastic (a pine resin) as thickeners. As a result, it doesn't melt as easy as regular ice cream and may have a chewier texture. The shop itself is cute as pink and adorably decorated. They also feature some other desserts in their display case. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. Worth a look if you are in the area. read more

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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. read more

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This place serves Turkish Ice Cream or Dondurma. Its much different and unique than traditional Ice Cream because its thicker and chewier and also holds up to heat much better so i melts much slower. The chewiness comes from the mastic or plant resin. In turkey they kinda stretch it and hold it over your head to show how stretchy it its.. Here i find there are much more flavors. I sampled many of the fruit flavors like mango and cherry but decided on chestnut, because it was so unique and not a flavor that you'd find in normal ice cream. It had a mild chestnut flavor and small chunks of chestnut inside. The texture as with all Turkish Ice Cream is rather thick and chewy. I know it sounds weird right? You just have to try it! Its very interesting; and it will hold up better in the summer as you walk down the street because it wont melt as quickly. Service was friendly and they didn't mind me sampling multiple flavors before deciding. There are a few tables inside but i just stood and ate. There are also turkish delights (lukum) and baklava in the case which i want to try next time. They are located on the bottom end of 5th ave, close to the trolly stop. Definitely worth a stop after your dinner downtown. read more

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. read more

Galata - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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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. read more

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We came in for the grand opening and loved it! The ice cream was great and the ambiance was so fun! The service was great and the workers added lots of fun to the event! We will be going back! read more

5 stars this ice cream in incredible! in the Gaslamp on 5th Ave. near L street. I have never had turkish ice cream before and I wanted one scoop but could not decide between the chocolate and the blackberry and so the owner offered to give me a half scoop of each. I loved the creamy rich taste. Only wish there were more places to sit and enjoy it than the 3 small tables they had that were taken. I had to leave and walk somewhere else, but I will go back again and also try other turkish deserts they offer as well. read more

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. read more

Galata - cherry and mango - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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!! read more

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Perfect scoop of cold flavorful dessert. That's it. What else do u want. Sample all the flavors if you need, but it will just make your decision harder. This was a great stop after a late dinner and easy to walk and talk with. Enjoy. read more

Creamiest coffee and berry ice cream packed with distinct flavor and taste. Every bite had a lasting impression and definite return place. read more

Galata - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

The decor was great. Service was great, but to be honest, the product was just okay. Nothing stood out. I tried the mango and peach in a medium cup. The flavors tasted artificial. read more

This Turkish ice cream and dessert shop is fantastic. The baklava was extraordinary as was the ice cream. A heavenly combination. We also tried the excellent apple tea. The owners were very nice and the atmosphere was very well done. This is now a must stop when we visit San Diego. read more

super mid ice cream and the pastries do not seem fresh . the guy working seemed like he didn't care about anything

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

Galata - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

5/5 My son is still smiling from the fun tricks the "Galata" master was dishing out. They also gave my son lots of chances to try the different flavors. We definitely recommend this place! read more

Absolutely delicious! Bright, colorful sweet treats in full display. The gentleman that was there last Wednesday was not only welcoming but patient while both my daughters and I ordered. We had baklava and mango ice cream. We sat outside to enjoy the weather, the gentleman that helped us came out to serve us Turkish tea to pair with our sweets. read more

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

Galata - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

A pair of really cute , very nice guys were so accommodating to allow me to try the Turkish ice cream also known as Dondurma. They weren't quite open but I had made the trip specifically for this stretchy, dense and chewy ice cream . It is unlike any ice cream you've ever had before. Well worth the trip to Gaslamp area of SanDiego ! read more

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. read more

Galata - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

Just happened to run into this place while at a conference at the convention center. Fantastic Turkish desserts and coffee. So many types of baklavas. Grabbed dessert after dinner here multiple times and bought two $75 worth desserts to share with friends and family. read more

Delicious desserts and awesome staff. Stop by for the Turkish ice cream and baklava! We were greeted warmly and given samples of some unique desserts to try. read more

I'm not sure if I got charged the wrong size or what but this is a tiny cup and I got charged 10.75 (almost $13 after tip) and I think the lady got confused because I got two flavors but in a small cup? The people were really nice but my boyfriend and I both did not think this was good at all and threw It away after trying It. Sad waste of $13. read more

Galata - Strawberry and peach - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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This is Turkish ice cream that stands out in taste and texture. Made from goat milk and doesn't melt, this ice cream is great for those who don't like their ice cream too sweet. They also have Turkish Delights as another option. Very glad they also have a closer location to my home in Long Beach. Service was incredible as they were willing to educate you about the way the ice cream is made. Right in the middle of downtown SD, the vibe is colorful. read more

Cute ice cream shop with super sweet staff and great flavors. The Black Mulberry was so yummy and definitely my favorite. Looking forward to coming back and trying more! read more

If you love ice cream, you will LOVE Turkish ice cream even more. This little shop has unusual selection of flavors that sound unusual until you try it. then you will think, why didn't I think of this. The ice cream is very thick and not too sweet. The owner was very helpful and gave us a history lesson about the ice cream and their deserts. The small and very clean shop is right across the Hard Rock Hotel in the GasLamp area of San Diego. read more

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

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