The salted caramel at Carmela Ice Cream is the stuff of legend, but that shouldn’t deter ice cream-goers from trying any of the other seasonal flavors on the menu, like the lavender honey and strawberry buttermilk, or rosemary with toasted pine nuts.

Famous Italian gelato-maker Fatamorgana snuck into Studio City, opening up a West Coast location that has become a kind of flagship for the company plus another one in Beverly Hills. Despite the rotating seasonal flavors, plenty of folks still swing through a few nights a month for a taste of the iconic stracciatella.

LA's original Persian ice cream shop has been serving locals and tourists for decades, and its rose-infused ice cream still tastes like springtime. Don't forget to add a dash of sour cherry syrup to tame all of the sweetness.

Portland import Salt & Straw fits right into its Larchmont location, amiably serving scoops of well-sourced ice cream. The brand has since expanded across the city, with locations in West Hollywood, Arts District, Studio City, and Venice, furthering the ice cream options in Los Angeles.

It’s all soft-serve all the time at Busman Organic Milk bar. The organic flavors are some of LA’s most unique with taro milk tea, matcha, and pineapple mango for starters. Eat it from a cup, but the best way to have a scoop is with Busman’s self-described croffle cone, a combination of croissant and waffle.

A fairly recent addition to Los Angeles and Boyle Heights, the family-owned La Jerezana opened in late-2020 where tequila ice cream, cheesecake paletas, raspados are made on-site. Plus, there’s a giant ice cream-wielding robot at the entrance.

This Spring Street Arcade addition comes from Uli Nasibova, and features a rotating selection of seasonal flavors perfect for those hot days when everyone needs something satisfying.

With multiple locations across Los Angeles, there seems to be no stopping Sweet Rose. The ice cream from Zoe Nathan and Josh Loeb's Rustic Canyon family of restaurants is the brainchild of chef Shiho Yoshikawa and is full of delightful surprises, like its housemade candied nuts and mini marshmallows.

Sporting a slew of ice cream made on-site, this Gardena shop comes from James Tatsuya and Elaine Yukari, who make different flavors every day and use fresh, seasonal ingredients. The hours are limited, with service from just 1 to 6 p.m. (closed Sunday and Wednesday), but the shop generously donates a portion of its sales to charities.

It can be a little overwhelming when walking into Long Beach Creamery. There’s much more than ice cream, including the blueberry butter cake with a layer of jam slapped right in the center. Ask for a scoop of ice cream a la mode, or just ask for the actual butter cake ice cream, cannabis flavored ice cream, or a meyer lemon ice cream with a blueberry and blackberry swirl.

Head right into the husband and wife-owned Tondi, where staff are likely whipping up a new batch of vegan or full creamed gelato on-site, with pistachio, salted caramel, lemon, or the potent espresso. Creamy and full of coffee flavor, it’s a wonderful, joyful bite, which is best savored while slowly walking down the promenade, or to-go in an insulated bag and dropped into a cooler filled with ice for the trek back to Los Angeles.