11 Shops For The Best Ice Cream In The Valley | Los Angeles

If you’re looking for the best place to grab some ice cream in sunny Los Angeles, you don’t have to settle for the same old corporate creameries and yogurt chains. We have a lot to offer you!

The City of Angels is home to some of the country’s most unique independent eateries, and that includes some of the best ice cream parlors overseen by today’s most forward-thinking confectionary minds. 

If you’re jonesing for some lemon sorbet and looking to beat the California heat, give one of these wildly popular best ice cream places in Los Angeles a try. 

1. SomiSomi: Korean Ice Cream Shop

📍SomiSomi Locations In Los Angeles:

• Koreatown (621 S Western Ave #208-A Los Angeles, CA 90005)
• Little Tokyo (332 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012)
• Sawtelle (11311 Mississippi Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90025)

🕙 Hours: 12 PM - 10 PM (Everyday)
✅ Must Try: Matcha, ube, black sesame, and green tea
💯 Signature Flavor: Ah-Boong (Korean dessert)

“ What Do We Like The Most About It?
SomiSomi’s Milk tea-flavoured soft serve is the best and the closest thing we get to Earl Gret flavored ice cream.”

SomiSomi ice cream is known for its delicious Taiyaki, a Japanese ice cream sensation. Taiyaki is soft-serve ice cream served in their signature goldfish-shaped waffle cone with your choice of filling: Red Bean, Nutella, Cheddar, or Custard. Without a doubt, it is one of the best ice cream in the valley. 

To finish off the presentation, choose a topping like Oreo Crum, Macaron, Sprinkles, and more. This ice cream shop in LA offers various unique varieties, including matcha, ube, true milk, and black sesame. You can even mix the flavors to create something truly unique!  

How can we forget to mention about their unique “Somi Sips” - from Cold Brew to Strawberry Milk and Cold Brew Float, you can choose whatever drinks you want. However, make sure to check their nutrition facts beforehand. 

Must visit this one and only place for Taiyaki ice cream in Los Angeles!

Follow @somisomiicecream on Instagram to keep up with the swirls of the week, new additions and announcements!

2. Salt & Straw: Willy Wonka-Style Ice Cream Shop

📍Salt & Straw Locations In Los Angeles: 

• Arts District (829 E 3RD Street, Los Angeles, CA)
• Brentwood (11640, San Vincente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA)
• Larchmont (240 N Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles, CA)
• Pasadena (39 W Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA)
  
• Silver Lake (3823 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA)
• West Hollywood (8949 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA)

🕙 Hours: 9 AM - 5 PM (Monday - Friday)
✅ Must Try: Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons, Chocolate Gooey Brownie, Double Fold Vanilla

If you’re tired of the same old chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, you need to pay Salt & Straw a visit. Their lineup includes unique and ingenious flavors like honey lavender, roasted strawberry & toasted white chocolate, and even black olive brittle & goat cheese (it’s actually kind of amazing). 

The shop also has a unique flavor of the month, so you can always try something that's new and exciting. For instance, the September 2024 flavor is The Apple Series – you’re not going to find that type of delicious anywhere else. Best of all, the ice cream is made by hand with local ingredients.

This is one of the best ice cream places in Los Angeles that offer doorstep delivery, subscriptions, gifts, and amazing flavors in pints to avoid that empty freezer feeling.

Follow @saltandstraw on Instagram to keep up with the monthly flavors and announcements!

Did You Know? Bone Marrow with Bourbon Smoked Cherries and Arbequina Olive Oil is why Salt and Straw is on the list of America's best ice cream.

3. Cauldron Ice Cream: Best Frozen Yogurt & Ice Cream In LA

📍 Cauldron Locations In Los Angeles:

Santa Ana (1421 W MacArthur Blvd, Santa Ana, CA)

🕙 Hours: 4 PM - 10 PM (Monday - Thursday) 1 PM - 11 PM (Friday - Sunday)
✅ Must Try: Earl Grey Lavender, Vietnamese coffee, Middle Earth Boba
💯 Signature Flavor: The Cauldron (Vanilla cinnamon with Oreos)

“What Do We Like The Most About It?
It has added its twist to the popular “egg waffle” street snack from Hong Kong. The rose-shaped ice cream finish is as beautiful as it is delicious!”

Featured on the Food Network, the Cooking Channel, and Eater, Cauldron Ice Cream is making quite the name for itself in Los Angeles. Their ice cream is handcrafted in small batches, and delectable new flavors are introduced monthly. 

Their goal is to make people fall in love with sundae again, and they’re doing just that by combining liquid nitrogen with a cold, creamy base and mixing it all together in their signature Puffle Cones. 

Where else can you get rose-shaped ice cream scoops served in a scrumptious, puffy waffle cone that resembles fried bubble wrap? This inventive ice cream shop in LA is constantly dishing up new flavors like apple pie, s’mores, and a blend of oolong, jasmine, and green tea — which tastes just like Lucky Charms cereal!

Follow @cauldronicecream on Instagram to keep up with the latest flavors, events and announcements about their ice cream in LA!

4. Honeymee: True Milk Ice Cream Parlor

📍 Honeymee Locations In Los Angeles:

• Sawtelle (11301 W Olympic Blvd, Suite 104
• Los Angeles, CA)
• Wilshire Koreatown (3377 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 116, Los Angeles, CA)
• DTLA (645 West 9th St., Los Angeles, CA)
• Japanese Village (120 Japanese Village Plaza Mall, LA, CA)

🕙 Hours: 12 PM - 10 PM (Monday - Sunday)
✅ Must Try: Sweetie, Honeymee, Matcha
💯 Signature Flavor: True Milk Soft Serve

“What Do We Like The Most About It?
There is nothing that I can miss out on mentioning in the list of the ice cream and shake flavors that Honeymee offers.”

As the name implies, the magic ingredient at this trendy ice cream shop is 100% natural liquid honey. In addition, the ice cream at Honeymee is made with fresh Californian milk. 

You might opt for the Sweetie, which is true milk ice cream with a liquid honey swirl. If that’s not enough honey to satisfy your craving, you might try the namesake Honeymee, which contains the company’s signature ice cream and a real honeycomb chip topped off with honey. 

Besides being one of the best ice cream shops in Los Angeles, it even offers yummy honey milkshakes, coffees, teas, and waffles. Or, if you want the best of all worlds, you could always go for some honey-infused matcha ice cream in a black, red, or green waffle cone. There are thousands of combinations you could try.

Honeymee has several locations throughout Los Angeles County, including one at 3377 Wilshire Blvd. in LA. 

Follow @honeymee on Instagram to keep up with the latest updates, offers and more!

5. Sweet Rose Creamery: Classic American Parlor

📍Sweet Rose Creamery Locations In Los Angeles:

• 11419 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
• 615 N Western Ave Los Angeles, CA

🕙 Hours: 3 PM - 10 PM (Monday - Thursday) 1 PM - 11 PM (Friday - Sunday)
✅ Must Try: Seasonal Flavors, Nectarine Sorbet, Rocky Road
💯 Signature Flavor: Madagascar Vanilla

“What Do We Like The Most About It?
The best part about visiting this ice cream shop in Los Angeles is that there is a whimsical, childhood-like atmosphere.”

By all accounts, Sweet Rose Creamery has the look and feel of a classic American ice cream parlor. They offer traditional flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and cookies & cream, but don’t be fooled by the down-home presentation. 

Sweet Rose is as unique and adventurous as anything LA has to offer. Sample some wild flavors like bergamot basil or horchata coconut sorbet, or indulge in a sweet chocolate-dipped banana or a waffle cone ice cream sammie with sprinkles. The owners use organic milk, cream, and eggs, and the best part is that even dairy-free ice creams are available.

Sweet Rose Creamery has locations in Brentwood, Santa Monica, Palisades, Studio City, and central Los Angeles. So, if you’re cruising through any part of LA, a Sweet Rose is probably right around the corner.

Follow @sweetrosecreamery on Instagram to keep up with the latest offers, flavors of the month, and more!

6. Mateo's Ice Cream & Fruit Bars: Mexican Gluten-Free & Vegan Dessert Shop

📍 Mateo's Ice Cream Locations In Los Angeles:

• 1250 S. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA
• 11551 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

🕙 Hours: 6:30 AM - 8 PM (Monday - Thursday) 6:30 AM - 9 PM (Friday - Sunday)
✅ Must Try: Fresh Fruit Popsicles, Leche Quemada, Mamey, Yellow Cherry, Neapolitan

“What Do We Like The Most About It?
This hidden gem in Los Angeles offers pure, fresh, and amazingly delicious ice creams and paletas.”

For trying over thirty different flavors of Oaxacan-style ice cream bars in Los Angeles, Mateo's Mexican paletas is for you. From juicy watermelon, tangy chile-dusted mango, and the smoky, there is a lot for you. 

Not just that, here in this amazing ice shop, you’ll also find gelato, beverages, sandwiches, and sorbet on the menu. Made with 100% natural fruits, you can enjoy bright colors with a burst of flavor and taste in every bite. 

Some of its amazingly unique savors include hibiscus, soursop, black sapote, coconut, and yogurt with dried fruit.

Follow @mateosicecream on Instagram to keep up with the latest offers, quirky posts, and much more!

7. Pops Artisan Creamery: Exotic & Traditional Flavor Hub  

📍 Pops Artisan Creamery Locations In Los Angeles:

24480 Main St Ste 130; Santa Clarita, CA 91321

🕙 Hours: 12 PM- 9 PM (Everyday)
✅ Must Try: Sweet Zapote, Nut-Flavored Lucuma, Coconut Ice Cream
💯 Signature Flavor: Kriol Sweet Corn (Sugar Corn) and Soursop

“What Do We Like The Most About It?
The best thing that we liked most about this family-owned popsicle business is that they prepare only a small batch of premium ice creams at a time, so that all you is get is fresh.”

Taking word from tourists and locals alike, Pops Artisan Creamery, an ice cream shop in Los Angeles, CA, is worth the drive for its delicious dessert. The amazing thing about this ice cream parlor is that they offer fresh fruit and ice cream in a hollowed-out half-coconut husk, in addition to cups and cones. 

All their preparations feature exotic fruits, traditional favorites, and fresh local farm ingredients. They have unique flavors like tamarind, honey lavender, lavender lucuma, thai tea, guava cheese, and matcha.

With a friendly staff and yummy flavors, it is surely a kids-friendly place to visit when you are on your trip to Los Angeles. 

#Pops Artisanal Creamery is recognized as one of the “Top Ice Cream Places In All Of Los Angeles County.”

Follow @popscreamery on Instagram to keep up with the latest offers, updates, news and much more!

Did you Know? Pops Artisan Creamery has teamed up with Paleta Please to bring the best ice cream in Los Angeles to your home.

8. Mashti Malone’s: Most Iconic Exotic Persian Ice Cream Shop In LA

 

📍 Mashti Malone’s Locations In Los Angeles:

• 1525 North La Brea Avenue
• 1898 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, California 

🕙 Hours: 11 AM- 11:30 PM (Sunday-Thursday) 11 AM- Midnight (Friday & Saturday)
✅ Must Try: Rosewater Ice Cream and Sorbet
💯 Signature Flavor: Saffron Rosewater

“What Do We Like The Most About It?
All the ice creams prepared in this ice cream parlor are made with no high fructose corn syrup or other artificial sweeteners.”

Without a doubt, Mashti Malone makes the best single ice cream one can ever taste in all of Los Angeles. This iconic ice cream shop offers traditional and exotic flavors such as soft lavender, rosewater, and prized Persian saffron.

Most of their ice creams are dairy and gluten-free, with food bases such as soy milk, almond milk, and hemp milk. And do you know what’s the best part? They use all-natural food flavors and colors and no unnatural food dyes.  

You can go crazy on tasting - the staff is patient, even if you’ll ask for six different flavors at a time. When in a hurry, you can get their ready-to-go-containers, available in sizes - pint, quart and half-gallon and please your family and kids at home!

Mashti is voted multiple times as one of the top 5 ice cream parlors in Los Angeles, CA, in fact in all of the world by American Airlines. 

Follow @mashtimalones on Instagram to keep up with the latest offers, updates, news and much more!

Did You Know? Mashti Shirvani now makes 1,000 gallons of Persian ice cream every day.

9. Awan: Indonesia-inspired, Plant-Based Ice Cream Shop

📍 Awan Locations In Los Angeles:

866 Huntley Drive, West Hollywood, CA
5630 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA

🕙 Hours: 3 PM- 10 PM (Monday-Friday) 12 PM- 10 PM (Saturday & Sunday)
✅ Must Try: Dayglow Coffee, Gaviota Strawberry, Valrhona Choc, Greenglow    
💯 Signature Flavor: Dayglow Coffee

“What Do We Like The Most About It?
The tortilla flavor of the ice cream here is amazing and for sure, it tastes more like a hand-pressed blue corn tortilla than the real thing”

Zen Ong, the chef and founder of Awan, started this business in LA in 2015. Since then, it has delivered the best food and delicious ice creams in all of Los Angeles.

This “artsy ice cream cave” is an Indonesian-inspired ice cream shop with moodily lit clay-toned walls and menus that hover in dramatic built-ins like they’re the Dead Sea Scrolls. 

You can find new and unique flavors every time you visit Awan because of their constant rotational menu. Besides, you can find some regulars on all your trips - tropical options like blood orange, palm sugar, lemongrass, rhubarb pie, and vanilla made with Bali-important beans.

If you are looking for good ice cream places in LA, then it has to be Awan. It has a tiny takeout window in West Hollywood, so no more waiting in the cafe - just take the swirl and have it!

Follow @enjoy.awan on Instagram to keep up with all the latest updates and much more!

10. Hokey Pokey: New Zealand Style Soft Serves In LA

📍 Hokey Pokey Locations In Los Angeles: Westfield Century City; 
Westfield Culver City

🕙 Hours:  11 AM- 11 PM (Monday-Thursday & Sunday) 11 AM- 12 AM (Friday & Saturday)
✅ Must Try: Cloud Cake, Pecan Pie, California Orange, Cherry Bomb
💯 Signature Flavor: Hokey Pokey

A tiny ice cream shop Hokey Pokey specializes in New Zealand-style soft serve. It’s a perfect match for the palate that asks for toffee in anything and everything. 

Don’t belittle your heart if you don’t like toffee as they offer a variety of other different flavors, such as hazelnut, strawberries and cream, lemon, raspberry, espresso and more. 

This ice cream shop has a large variety of non-dairy, vegan ice cream flavors. They even serve coffee and have plant-based milk alternatives. You can try and taste as many flavorings as you like before making a final decision. 

Follow @hokey_pokey_icecreams on Instagram to keep up with all the latest flavors, updated menus, quirks and much more!

11. Carmela: Haven For Ice Cream And Best Frozen Yogurt In LA

📍Carmela Locations In Los Angeles: 2495 E Washington Blvd., Pasadena; 
South Pasadena Farmers' Market

🕙 Hours:  12 PM - 10 PM (Sunday - Thursday) 12 PM - 11 PM (Friday & Saturday)
✅ Must Try: Lavender Honey and Chocolate Sorbet, Summer Strawberry
💯 Signature Flavor: Brown Sugar Vanilla Bean

With fresh, natural ingredients, Carmela Ice Cream prepares small batches of all the seasonal frozen desserts from scratch. By trying the samples, you’ll realize each of the flavors is unique, light and refreshing. 

No matter how many times you visit, you’ll always find a consistent taste of their soft serves, sorbets, sandwiches, and even their frozen yogurt. From basic salted caramel to unique brown sugar vanilla bean, there are so many flavors for you to choose from. 

Carmela is not just about their creamy ice creams, but they are even the best frozen yogurt shop in LA, besides Yogurtland. The best part is that they make their cones and waffle bowls in house and fresh everyday. 

As per Serious Eats, “It has hands down the best ice cream sandwich in greater Los Angeles.”

Follow @carmelaicecream on Instagram to keep up with all the latest flavors, updated news, service info and much more!

More To Explore:

The Best Shop For Black Ice Cream In LA: 

• Little Damag

“It is known for its signature charcoal cones & rotating list of unique flavors.”

 

📍  Address: 700 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90014, United States
🕙 Hours: 3 PM - 10 PM (Monday - Thursday), 12 PM - 12 AM (Friday & Saturday), 12 PM - 10 PM (Sunday)

The black color of the waffles at Little Damage is natural, created with activated charcoal, and hand-rolled right before you. 

The Best Shop For Grass Fed Ice Cream In LA: 

• Wanderlust Creamery

“It is a cult-favorite scoop shop serving ice creams, including vegan and grass fed options.”

📍  Address: 7920 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 
🕙 Hours: 3:30 PM - 11 PM (Monday - Friday); 1 PM - 11 PM (Saturday & Sunday)

All the frozen desserts available at Wanderlust Creamery are formulated with all-natural dairy, balanced butterfat, and minimal overrun. 

The Best Shop For Gourmet Ice Cream In LA:

• Turn Dough

“It is a place for those with an absolute sweet tooth.”

📍  Address: 6771 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
🕙 Hours: 11:30 AM - 11 PM (Monday - Friday); 11:30 AM - 12 PM (Saturday & Sunday)

A complete menu with Ice Cream, Chimney Cake, Donut Cones and Milkshakes is available at Turn Dough, a pit spot for most celebrities. 

If you think you've found the best ice cream in Los Angeles, CA that isn't part of our list, let us know in the comments!