Dairy-free here! -- I created a yelp account just to leave this review. This is truly the BEST dairy free ice cream I have had in my life. I have been dairy-free for about a year now, and was sooo happy to enjoy good ice cream again. They have 6 dairy free and glutten free flavors that are just to die for. My favorite was the dark chocolate sorbet (which is just so rare to find). I also have a very cute story to share: When the owner overheard me sampling all the dairy-free flavors, he happened to be experimenting with vegan flavors had me sample his new creations. I am not a cryer, but wow was I close trying his new flavors. It is so evident that Papalani Gelato puts in so much time and effort into making actually good dairy free flavors, he told me about how he was experimenting with the chemical makeup of a vegan chocolate chip, making the perfect soft and melty piece for his ice creams. I will be planing another trip to the island JUST to come here again. Truly the best ice cream I have ever had, and if you are Dairy Free, it's a must stop and try. read more

So happy to have found this little gem. They have dairy free and gluten-free items. Even dairy free chocolate! When we were there there were eight different options for us with dairy allergies. read more

Cute little Gelato shop. When you come you have to line up outside because they only let one or two families at a time. And the two times we came to visit there was only one person working. So be prepared to wait. The gelato was good. But not one of the best I've tasted. Also we came after dinner so it looked like hey weren't refilling any more gelatos. But maybe I'm wrong? But if you like Gelato I'd still recommend this spot. read more

See all

Kind people and great gelato i will definitely return to this establishment. It was tricky to find though as i was looking around for a minute read more

Papalani Gelato - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Koloa, Hawaii

really wanted to enjoy this place, but the gelato was not good at all. was WAYYY too sweet, texture was SOOO off, and extremely overpriced!! the "gelato" was icy and watery and not dense or creamy at all like gelato should be. i wouldn't complain about the wait because i understand they are understaffed and get very very busy, however for the price and wait i would hope for better ice cream or for the price to match the poor quality of the ice cream. read more

Good gelato that can get pretty busy. Small indoor space with no seating available. They only let one family inside at a time to order. I ordered 1 scoop of Blood Orange in a cup. They have many vegan options to choose from. My sister ordered the Hawaiian Cheesecake and Macadamia Nut scoops in a cup. I loved hers way better than mine. Gelato will melt fast so make sure to eat quickly. Blood Orange: 3.5/5 Hawaiian Cheesecake: 5/5 Macadamia Nut: 5/5 Brownie: 4/5 read more

See all

Came to get the kid his cookies and cream fix. Got to get a taste and it was of course tasty. The gelato tasted like the cream middle of oreos! It wasn't too creamy or thick, but worked better for the hot weather. Sweetness was a tad over, but it was cookies n cream after all. read more

See all

Amazing amazing amazing!! The girl running the place was beyond kind and caring. She asked if I was dairy-free by need, and when I said yes, she asked if there was any flavor I wish was dairy free because her boss could make it for me. I looks at her in shock and about cried! She said they love to make flavors for visitors who are spending an extended time on the island. 10000% recommend this place! And follow their rules! read more

This was certainly was good and refreshing gelato. They don't have inside seating, but we readily found seating outside. While you wait outside, see my sign pic, you try to make up your mind as to what you want, see my menu pic. Interestingly, they have gelato cakes (good to know). We are big gelato fans and went back a few times. read more

See all

Not sure how they were voted "#1 ice cream" in Kauai because the ice cream is barely palatable. Cashier girl also had an attitude like someone took a piss in her cereal this morning. If you want ice cream, you're better off literally anywhere else. read more

Came by for gelato today. Service was OUTSTANDING, worker let me sample some flavors and was very friendly and helpful. Ended up getting a scoop of chocolate hazelnut and a scoop of a coconut flavor. Gelato was good but not great. Have had much better gelato elsewhere. Was impressed with the staff though and glad to see a place letting you sample the product. read more

Papalani Gelato - Dairy flavor options - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Koloa, Hawaii

See all

I wanted to love this place and usually prefer gelato over ice cream but this place was a major disappointment! The quality of the gelato was awful! I had a waffle cone with macadamia nut ice cream. It was gritty, like it had ground up nuts instead of whole ones and tasted powdery and chemically! My husband got a different flavor and had the same experience! Even my 17 year old son said it didn't taste that good. It was also, brace yourself, $12.99 for a single scoop cone!! The price was the only thing keeping me from tossing it in the trash, which is a first for me ever feeling that way about gelato or ice cream!! Save yourself the wasted calories and time and go to Lapperts! Their Mac nut ice cream is amazing with tons of whole nuts and creamy consistency; much better than this place and half the price!! read more

Located in the Poipu shopping Village on Plantation Drive. We tried it twice while we were here and the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was due to the fact that the gelato on the previous occasion seemed to be a little melted. The second time it seems fine so maybe it was a one off thing. The shop inside is small hence the reason why they only allow one family in there at a time. On both occasions the line got long but it seemed to move fairly quickly. Nothing particularly exceptional about the gelato but definitely well worth it. read more

See all

Oh my goooosh the sorbettos here were so good, I only wish I came back more times to try them all. Stopped here on a night trip from our nearby resort. I'm not an ice cream person but I love sorbet and I love sherbet and they just happened to have sorbet so I was getting some. I ordered two pints, one POG and one guava and strawberry I believe, on reflection I wish I had gotten the lemon one I was eyeing because I basically got similar flavor profiles, but they did have distinct taste and both were super tasty with great texture. Was happy with the entire experience. read more

Absolute best cone I have ever had! 38 years eating ice cream every chance I get. I am an avid ice cream addict and have eaten ice cream in 12 counties. read more

Best shake ever you really should try the Oreo shake you will really enjoy this drink!!!!!

A cute little local gelato joint where they only let one group in at a time. This makes the line look much longer than it is, but it also makes the ordering experience unusually civilized, since you can't hear any of the inpatient folks behind you rushing you as you taste a few of the special local flavors and try to make up your mind, if you're staying in Poipu, you could happily come here multiple times in a week (as we did). They do close at 9, but so do lots of things in Kauai, and jet lag being what it is that wasn't too big of a deal for us. read more

I really like there gelato especially their Salt Pond flavor! Great service and the atmosphere was nice

A small gelateria with great selections. The blood orange and pineapple sorbets were excellent, as was the vanilla gelato. It's sad that the owner had to post signs asking patrons to be kind and noting that the "1 Family at a time" rule was not due to C19. Evidently, rightwing lunatics have poisoned the atmosphere of paradise. read more

Omg YUM! Swing by here after eating dinner in the same mall complex and even though I was full I made myself make room for this gelato. The lady who served us was so nice and patient with giving samples (max 3 per person). It was also a neat feature of their establishment that only one family group was allowed in at a time, but only due to inside space, not COVID. There were so so many good looking flavors but I settled on a double scoop - 1 banana Oreo (sorbetto) and 1 Mahaulepu Mint Chip... Definitely come here for top quality gelato! They also serve smoothies, milkshakes, and ice cream cookies!! read more

See all

Gelato was good but overpriced. Also don't like their typical elitist attitude. It's May 2023, stop with the virtue signally charades. Only allowing one group in the store at a time is ridiculous and inefficient. If you're going to make everyone else wait outside, at least post the flavor list outside so when people finally get to enter the shop, they have an idea of what they want to taste or order instead of walking in and having to look and read all the flavors and then decide. It is extremely slow and inefficient. The gelato was good, but overpriced for the size. The large isn't that large, I easily finished it. For the same price, I would get more ice cream than I need from Lappert's. I do appreciate some of the more unique sorbet flavors here. My favorite flavors were pineapple and hibiscus. I've never had hibiscus sorbet before and I found it refreshing and unique. Overall probably 4.5 stars but I'm rounding down to 4 because of their silly and inefficient policies, there were only 5 people (three groups) ahead of us in line but it took us over 10 minutes to be allowed to enter the store since they only allowed one group at in the store to even see the flavors and then taste and order and be served and pay. read more

Papalani Gelato - Ridiculous - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Koloa, Hawaii

See all

We were running late and called the store and they stayed open for us. Talk about amazing customer service. Gelato was phenomenal, cookie sandwich also phenomenal. Very grateful for these nice people and will for sure come back! read more

Papalani Gelato - Coconut! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Koloa, Hawaii

Papalani Gelato is the real deal! They had a really nice variety of gelato flavors, including some unique ones with a Hawaiian twist. I forget the name of the flavor I ordered, but it was some variety of coconut and it was absolutely delicious. Before ordering, I tried three flavors, so don't be shy to try! There was a sign outside the store saying only one group could enter at a time, but it didn't seem like that rule was actually being enforced. The store is a bit small I would say. However, it could certainly accommodate a few customers at a time. Just note there isn't really anywhere to sit, so you're probably going to want to take your gelato to go. The staff was friendly and helpful! Definitely a great place to grab a sweet treat while at the nearby beach. read more

Papalani Gelato - Exterior - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Koloa, Hawaii

See all

Tanmay's scale: - Scrumptiousness: 5/5 - Service: 4/5 - Ambience: 4/5 - Cleanliness: 4/5 - Value for money: 4/5 - Vegan friendly: 4/5 - Parking: 5/5 The best thing about them is they allow 3 samples. Most of the ice cream places we visited on the island don't give samples, and as there are very new flavors, trying anything different is purely a luck elsewhere. I wanted to try local flavor - Lilikoi and Hipaua for long, which I got to try as samples. I ended up getting Hawaiian cheesecake, Papalani Pie, and Pistachio gelatos. They are fairly priced considering other options on the islands. I liked how they have the menu outside and allow only a single group inside at a time. read more

See all

The ice cream is great here just stay away from the cones because they're too thick but the staff is friendly and it's a nice shop. Definitely recommend. read more

Papalani Gelato - a woman pushing a baby in a stroller - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Koloa, Hawaii

Amazing service and killer gelato! So many flavors, friendly staff and offered samples! We will be back :)

Still the best ice creamery on the island! Kauai Crunch tops the list, while Papalani Pie is perfect for coffee lovers. Their homemade, exceptional-quality ice cream is unmatched, especially compared to competitors like Lappert's. read more

See all

YOU GOTTA GO! This gelato was fireeeee. Chocolate dipped waffle cone bowl is also worth the add. Got the mint chip and cookie dough (2 scoops, 2 flavors) and ate every last bite. Wish we had found this on the first day of the trip and not the last. Service was kind -- they're understaffed but work hard. One family allowed at a time, and the line is long, but it's so worth it! read more

It doesn't get much better than serving yourself to some ice cream after a long day in the sun. Large variety of gelatos and ice creams being served up in the whalers village shopping center. Super cool staff allowed our kids to have almost endless samples until they found the flavors they needed. read more

Papalani Gelato - Outside - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Koloa, Hawaii

I was craving guava on my recent trip to Kauai, and so just had to try the Strawberry Guava Sorbet. Perfection! It was so good! The store is small, so only one group is allowed in at a time to give customers excellent service! read more

Super friendly staff and nice selection of local flavors in this American-style gelato place (generally looser texture and less intense than a true European gelateria). Tried mint choc chip (very minty), chocolate (good, dark), haupia (good but not concentrated enough), Lilikoi cheesecake (similar), salted caramel (great, but can only eat so much), and lemon sorbettto (nice and sour, but a bit too aerated for my taste). It was good, but I prefer a more true Italian gelato so likely won't rush back. read more

Papalani Gelato - American-style gelato being eyed by the famous Kauai rooster - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Koloa, Hawaii

Really good gelato. They are serious about only one party inside the store at a time. I had the POG and pineapple coconut sorbets. My husband liked the hazelnut & chocolate peanut butter. read more

Second time I came here and I brought 4 friends and everyone loved it. I ordered the Hawaiian cheesecake and it was delicious. Lady behind the counter was nice and gave us plenty of samples. read more

Papalani Gelato - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Koloa, Hawaii

See all

Delicious gelato! They only allow one group in at a time because of how small the shop is - the line is formed outside. It is nice that way because you don't feel rushed looking at all the flavors! You can sample 3 flavors. I tried the pineapple sorbetto (dairy free) and chocolate peanut butter gelato. I thought I had my mind set on the pineapple (which was delicious!), but the chocolate peanut butter blew my mind. It was flavorful without being super rich. Prices are reasonable compared with similar gelato places. read more

This is the only dessert place in the shopping center, so it is always busy. It's a small shop and they still have COVID protocols in place, so one group at a time which makes the line move slowly. People clearly have issues with this as there are multiple signs explaining the policy and asking you to be kind to the staff, so please be nice to the staff, they were super friendly and helpful both times we came. They have a ton of flavors, and we haven't had a bad one yet: we tried lilikoi, espresso, birthday cake, chocolate, and more and they were all good. Make sure you plan to wait, and you will have a great experience. read more

This is a tiny shop with only one server working at any given time. If there is a line outside the store, you must be patient, because they only allow one "family" group in at a time (covid rules), then offering up to three little flavor tastings for each individual. There's a sign outside demanding that you behave and not harass the servers for having to wait your turn while you peer through the window and salivate like a Pavlov dog. They make around twenty gelato and 12 sorbet flavors daily. I sampled the the lemon sorbet, which was heavenly, but forwent that for a three-scoop cup of creamy gelato: lili'koi (passion fruit) cheesecake, macadamia nut, and haupia (Hawaiian coconut). I'm sure the flavors that I didn't try were equally good. It melts quickly, but there are a couple of benches in front of the store where you can immediately sit and enjoy it. read more

Papalani Gelato - Papalani Gelato - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Koloa, Hawaii

Good spot for unique gelato. The passion fruit cheesecake, banana split, and salt ponds were the best imo. Id steer clear of the strawberry. *side note: not sure if its the owner, but who ever was working the counter made the experience drag out. There was 4 groups in front of us when we walked up. No joke he took +5mins talking and giving out samples to each group. I get being nice and courteous but it was comical how long it was taking read more

The gelato was delicious. I had the macadamia nut chocolate hazelnut. The service was great. The ambiance was nice. Everyone in my group enjoyed their gelato too. We would go back. read more

Gelato/ice cream lovers rejoice! Fantastic homemade gelatos with attention to detail. The owner was so friendly, very generous with samples, and a little sassy too in a fun way. Highly recommend, worth the wait no matter how long the line is. Mahalo!! read more

Papalani Gelato - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Koloa, Hawaii

I was on a quest to find the best Macadamia nut gelato/ice cream, and out of the 6 creameries I tried on Kauai and Maui during my trip, the best version was from Papalani. All the other creameries I tried had barely any Mac nut flavor and were more of a sweet cream or vanilla base with some Mac nut pieces mixed in. This is not the case with Papalani. Each spoon delivers a strong punch of Mac nut flavor. You can really taste the nuts and the consistency of the gelato is so smooth/buttery compared to other gelato that's more watery tasting. My hubby wasn't too excited about me ordering so many Mac nut scoops, but after he tried it, he quickly became a fan. I sampled and tried many other flavors. Although they're all top notch, mac nut took the cake. We came back here on our last day on Kauai and regretted that we couldn't find anything as good during the rest of our vacation in Maui. + Price and portion sizes are great, especially for the high quality gelato you get. The owners were super sweet and friendly. Location: cute outdoor shopping center. There was a local artist playing and singing live in the quad. Parking: plentiful and free This is a must eat!!! There is definitely a good flavor for everyone. I am going to daydream about the mac nut gelato until we meet again. read more