There was a line down the block for An Hatmaker's Gelato. I'm not from around Del Mar so I didn't mind looking for something else, especially after looking at pics online of An's gelato and it looked runny and icy so committing to the 50 minute wait was too risky. Gelato 101 was down the street, way quieter area. No marketing. No hype. The gelato was PERFECT, very close to gelato I've had in Florence, Italy. It was runny, it wasn't overly sweetened. I got chocolate and banana and WOW it made me soooo happy read more

Their "gelato" honestly didn't taste like gelato at all. It wasn't silky or smooth, just kind of icy and underwhelming. The flavor options were also pretty basic, nothing that stood out. On top of that, the guy helping me out was pretty sarcastic and not very friendly, which didn't help the experience. I wouldn't recommend it and definitely wouldn't come back. I'd just go to An's instead. read more

Gelato 101 is serving Cooked-Milk, Slow-Churned Gelato in a variety of flavors. AMBIANCE: It's a small shop with outdoor seating. SERVICE: Staff provide samples! GELATO I particularly like their use of sugar free options (sweetened with stevia) although it wasn't in a flavor I'd order. 5/5 Black vanilla - creamy vanilla with activated charcoal 4.5/5 Chef's special strawberry basil - sweet white sugar, strawberry from specialty produce, light on the basil read more

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Delish gelato! I love supporting Gelato 101 whenever I can. Be sure to visit this location and show them some love while the Encinitas location is still under construction . The staff are super patient and will let you try all the samples you want. There's casual outdoor seating to chill, or you can take a short stroll to the beach and relax! read more

Gelato 101 - Solana Beach - Gelato Near Me - Solana Beach, California

A nice gelato shop in Solana Beach on the 101. It gets pretty busy on weekends, but the line moves quickly. Flavors are pretty good. Really enjoyed the stracciatella and the charcoal vanilla. The chai latte is pretty tasty as well. I think other gelato spots in San Diego county do gelato a bit better, specifically Gelato Vero in Mission Hills--the gelato is simply creamier and less ice-cream-textured. But Gelato 101 isn't bad by any means, and is certainly refreshing and tasty. It's worth trying if you're in the mood and in the area. Plenty of flavor options and lots of espresso drinks available too. Update: Came by today once more to try the chai latte with coconut milk this time. Also tried biscoff & coffee gelato. Both were pretty good. Still what I'd consider a 4/5 chai latte and gelato, but the atmosphere here is really so good. There were people of all ages and families coming in and out and hanging around. It's still a very vibey nice spot. read more

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I stopped by here on a Thursday evening, sampled some flavors and enjoyed the opera and hazelnut flavors. The large size was great for sharing. It was a rainy day so we couldn't sit outside and eat. The store space was small and had no space to eat inside other than standing around the ice cream case. There was a small adjacent parking lot and some street parking spaces. Service was quick and friendly. read more

Gelato 101 - Solana Beach - Large size gelato hazelnut and opera - Gelato Near Me - Solana Beach, California

Stumbled upon this cute little dessert shop after a mini beach day! Staff was so nice and patient as I asked to sample a couple of the gelato flavors. The employee helping me also was very generous which I greatly appreciated. I got the pineapple gelato which was so delicious! The pineapple flavor was super refreshing and smooth- a perfect pick me up for a warm day. There's plenty of seating outside as there are a couple tables set up along with benches along the walkway. I went in the middle of the day on a random weekday so parking wasn't too bad either. I'll be back for more gelato soon! read more

Gelato 101 - Solana Beach - Pineapple gelato - Gelato Near Me - Solana Beach, California

Ah, this spot was super good. I really enjoyed their fruit flavored gelato/sorbet. The peach was by far the best! My cousin ordered the pear as well which was light, not too sweet, and refreshing. For my cup, I also ordered the Opera. I am not too sure about what flavor it was, but it did taste a little nutty -- in the best way. Not too salty, smooth, and creamy. I didn't try any of the espresso or chocolate flavors but they did have a nice selection of that. They don't have indoor seating so we sat outside on the bench. read more

Gelato 101 - Solana Beach - Opera & Peach | Pear & Peach - Double Scoops cost $6 ish! - Gelato Near Me - Solana Beach, California

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A little sweet for my taste, but the texture was perfectly airy, rich, and smooth. Would've hit so hard as as an affogato if you are a coffee fan, but I had probably had two days worth of caffeine before coming. read more

Gelato 101 - Solana Beach - gelato - Gelato Near Me - Solana Beach, California

Pretty yums! We got the pistachio and stratciella. It wasn't too sweet and the size was perfect!

Family was in town and their annual trip is to go to gelato 101! Unfortunately, Encinitas is still closed, but thankfully Solana beach is Opened! My first time here but they always say how great it is and they are right! Lots of options to choose from and they sell coffee! I got opera and amaretto and both were creamy and delicious! They had some bench tables outside to enjoy, but parking is slim. The people were nice and friendly, overall a great place! read more

Gelato 101 - Solana Beach - Menu 12/2025 - Gelato Near Me - Solana Beach, California

I had carefully planned to revisit Gelato 101 - Encinitas but was disappointed to learn about the accident that had shut down that location. This was my first visit to the Solana Beach location. It was every bit as great as the other two locations. PS I'm a very bit fan of their affogato! read more

My daughter and I had a little time before her train, so we strolled across the street to Gelato 101 in Solana Beach. What a happy find! She ordered the vegan tropical flavor (passion fruit, mango, pineapple, and more)--bright, fresh, and bursting with real fruit taste. I went with the classic chocolate. We were both pleasantly surprised by how perfectly it hit all the marks of great gelato: that wonderful gooey stretch, incredible richness, ultra-creamy texture, and flavors that were spot-on and deeply satisfying. No icy bits, no ice cream "claiming" to be gelato, just pure enjoyment in every spoonful. The portions were generous, the service friendly, clean ambiance, and the timing couldn't have been better for a quick, uplifting treat. We'll definitely be back next time we're in the area. Highly recommend Gelato 101 for anyone craving real gelato! read more

cute little gelato shop! The flavors are delicious, creamy and fresh and the staff is friendly. Perfect spot for a sweet treat and a quick pick-me-up! read more

Gelato 101 - Solana Beach - Gelato Near Me - Solana Beach, California

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We stopped in here for a quick affogato dessert with black vanilla gelato. So delicious! It was late so we got a decaf espresso with the affogato. read more

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The gelato was absolutely delicious! I love how simple and small this place is too. They have many different flavors including cute boba tea drinks. We were all happy :) read more

One of the best gelato spots in san diego. I love all their flavors, they rotate depending on the season. Workers are friendly and happy to provide samples. Its more outdoor so seating outside. read more

Rich, flavorful gelato in tons of amazing flavors! The employees were very friendly and offered us many samples so we could pick our favorites. My nephew got the lemon and my niece got chocolate. They were both very happy with their choices. We sat on a bench outside and the weather was perfect. A relaxing, fall evening with gelato can never be a bad thing! read more

Cute spot up the street from the tattoo shop. I got the coffee and panna cotta flavors. definitely was a fan of the panna cotta more than the coffee, reasonably priced and nice quick sweet treat. read more

Gelato 101 - Solana Beach - Coffee and panna cotta - Gelato Near Me - Solana Beach, California

Lovely service here. The gelato is ok but too sweet for me. I didn't realize they are the same as the one in Encinitas which explains why I felt the same about the gelato taste. It's fine if you are craving gelato but it won't be your favorite. read more

I was in the mood for something sweet so stumbled upon Gelato 101 and decided to give it a try. The shop is small but decorated cutely with minimal outdoor seating available. They have a decent amount of flavors, but I wouldn't say it's expansive. I decided to get the small size ($5.30) which comes with up to 2 flavors and decided upon the Chef's Special which was a toffee flavor along with their chocolate flavor. In terms of taste, it was good but not anything that blew me away. I did really appreciate the good size portion for the price and the very friendly and kind service from the girl who was helping us. Parking can be difficult as it's primarily street parking in addition to the small lot in the back, but we came when it was raining so didn't have much trouble finding a spot. read more

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This was a great little place! 2 scoops for $6. Got the Chocolate and Crunchy Toffee. Both were very good. The people working the counter were nice too. Give this place a try!! read more

This is my son's favorite Gelato! We used to go to the one in Encinitas, but since it had to close (for now), we now make the trek out to Solana Beach. My kids consider it such a treat when we go! We do hope the re-build of the Enc. shop happens soon. read more

We own a community-based day program for adults with disabilities, and we brought our clients here by taking the Coaster for a special outing. We arrived right when the shop opened and sat outside patiently while the worker set everything up. Once they opened the doors, we went inside excited to purchase gelato -- only to be told that none of the flavors were ready and we'd have to come back in 45 minutes to an hour. This was extremely disappointing, especially since we had coordinated transportation and a group outing just for this experience. It would have been helpful if the business was fully ready to serve customers at opening time, or at least if we had been given accurate information before waiting. Unfortunately, the poor service left a bad impression on both our staff and clients. read more

Love this place for a late night gelato. After dinner, we strolled down and only had to wait behind one other person. Our server gages us multiple tastes and lots of good flavors to choose from. read more

The gelato was so flavorful and creamy, I got the cinnamon and sea salt caramel. The cinnamon was super yummy and flavorful but the sea salt caramel needed some more caramel. The girl at the counter was super friendly and let us try almost every flavor. The shop is on the smaller side with only outdoor seating. We came after the farmers market and it was such a great little place! read more

Super yummy! I enjoyed the Pumpkin Gelato, does taste like pumpkin pie. As you eat more of it the pumpkin flavor becomes more pungent. Keep in mind it's a seasonal flavor! Scoops are pretty decent. Area looked clean! Seating area is outdoors. With 2 tables and benches. Good customer service! He provided recommendations and answered my questions respectfully! Look forward to coming back to try more flavors! Great job read more

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Finally Solana beach has a fantastic and legit spot for gelato. Its perfect treat after a day at the beach or as a dessert after dinner or just because. The place is small yet clean and there is seating outside. Plenty of flavors to pick from and i was told they rotate and add new flavors weekly. For me gelato is all about fresh fruits and berries, so I've tried their tropical and mixed berries flavors and it didn't disappoint. Creamy, not overly sweet and packs so much flavor. For kids there are a few choices with chocolate and for more "adult" flavors i noticed coffee, amaretto, cinnamon and a few others i can't recall. There are also sugar free options. Stop by and check out this little gelato gem read more

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This place is amazing very welcoming customer service beautiful atmosphere and pricing is very reasonable the gelato is worth the money. Best gelato spot in all of lower California I've been to many and non were like this. Highly recommend to spot by to support. read more

Gelato 101 - Solana Beach - Gelato Near Me - Solana Beach, California

Best gelato anywhere! Taste, texture, choices.... Wish I lived in Solana Beach and not in Arizona!!! read more

Very good gelato. Outdoor seating. Easy to park or walk to. Friendly service. Generous portions. read more

Gelato 101 - Solana Beach - Mango and Chocolate and Nutella. - Gelato Near Me - Solana Beach, California

We tried pistachio, chocolate, Nutella, and cinnamon. All were delicious! I can't wait until I'm back in the area so I can stop in again

The icecream itself was 5/5. I don't think I've ever had a regular chocolate icecream as good at this one. It was amazing!!! I took a star away because although the guys behind the counter were very nice, I felt a little robbed. I ordered a small cup with 2 flavors. It was nice they took notice that the two different flavors were for each of my boys - they asked if I wanted the flavors in two separate cups. I said "oh cool, I didn't know I could do that." (Since sometimes stores charge for separate cups/bowls). Well when he rang me up, he rang me up for 2 separate kids. so what would have been about $5.50 was all of a sudden $9.50. . I didn't say anything as we were crunched in time and it was only a $4 diff. Just for customers (and sellers), make sure you are clear on what you're ordering. read more

Sporting about 12 flavors of very good gelato. They also offer coffee. Super friendly and fast service. We ordered black vanilla 5/5 and salted caramel 5/5. read more

Gelato 101 - Solana Beach - Gelato case - Gelato Near Me - Solana Beach, California

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I would eat this every day if I lived there! A delicious variety of flavors, all perfection.

Cleanliness 4 Cost 3 Cuisine 3 Customer Service 5 Never tried Gelato before so i wanted to see how it compared to regular ice cream. The only difference to me was that it seemed to be a little more softer than regular ice cream. I tried the opera and I couldn't really tell what the flavor was supposed to be. The guy said it was a hazelnut base with a mixture of other nuts. I probably won't go back but if you like it, give it a try as it is in a nice little area with small restaurants. read more

Gelato 101 - Solana Beach - The Opera in a waffle cone - Gelato Near Me - Solana Beach, California

an absolute pleasure to be able to try the chai flavor! it was a nice walk and easy to find. read more

Gelato 101 - Solana Beach - 2 scoops of chai gelato with a cone on top. - Gelato Near Me - Solana Beach, California

Absolutely excellent in every way!! Such delicious gelato, amazing array of flavors all mss as he your mouth water! So perfect on a summer semi chilly night, waiting for your daughter on the train. After eating the delicious gelato we grabbed her, and then drove back to get her one! Super delicious!! I had the chocolate sorbet and salted caramel! read more

Tasted very chemically :( I ordered pistachio and it ended up having a weird after taste read more

10/10 recommend. I tasted the passion fruit and mixed berry. The passion fruit has a more pronounced flavor than the mixed berry. read more

Gelato 101 - Solana Beach - Passion Fruit - Gelato Near Me - Solana Beach, California

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