With summer just around the corner in Los Angeles, it’s a good time to start thinking about where to get the best ice cream, soft serve, and gelato. Thankfully, LA is spoiled for choice when it comes to all that’s cold and creamy, with scoop shops parked everywhere, from the Westside to SGV, the Valley to the South Bay. Here now are 16 outstanding ice cream shops in Los Angeles from west to east.
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16 Outstanding Ice Cream Shops in Los Angeles, Summer 2023
Where to find the best heat-beating scoops around town

Sweet Rose Creamery
The ice cream from the 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.
CVT Soft Serve
The name CVT is a contract of sorts for this retro, roving ice cream truck: they sell only chocolate, vanilla, and twists of the two. It’s a simple proclamation that has kept Joe Nicchi busy for nearly the past decade, working parties, street stops, and food events with multiple trucks, and always playing to long lines of sprinkle-loving fans. There are big things on the horizon for this simple LA ice cream rig serving what is assuredly the city’s best soft serve.
Bacio di Latte
One of LA’s top practitioners of gelato, Bacio di Latte inside the Century City mall has the luscious creamy texture one would expect from top-quality Italian ice cream. The pistachio is a real gem, though the signature bacio di latte, or sweet cream, is a must-order as well.
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Awan
Awan makes some of the best ice cream in the city, period, and the fact that their treats are vegan-friendly is just the cherry on top. The dairy-free shop in West Hollywood serves complex flavors, including saffron pistachio Medjool date, spiced persimmon and graham, and blue corn tortilla.
Ecco un Poco
Tucked away on Third Street in Beverly Grove, Ecco un Poco offers a surprising, abundant selection of fresh gelato and cones that — like all its flavors — are gluten-free. Run by Alessandro Restelli (who was born and raised just outside of Milan) and his wife Alejandra Unger, the shop balances traditional Italian flavors with more gastronomical creations like “American breakfast” (with gluten-free maple pancake mix, bacon, and blueberries) and “avocado toast” (made with what it sounds like).
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Jamz Creamery
Blocks away from SoFi Stadium is Jamz Creamery. This family-owned operation offers 27 flavors along with sundaes, shakes, banana splits, and an impossibly big ice cream sandwich. Toppings are plentiful, and they’ve even got a few vegan options available.
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Mashti Malone Ice Cream
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.
Bruster's Real Ice Cream
Hailing from Pennsylvania, this national chain has been making good inroads in Los Angeles, starting with a longtime Torrance window and now this prime LA spot along La Brea. With dense, American-style ice cream and hefty flavors, this brand makes its cream locally, which adds freshness and overall quality.
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Dear Bella Creamery
For surprising vegan eats hit up Dear Bella Creamery in Hollywood, where collaborations and seasonal rotations keep the menu fresh and lively. From soft serve options to scoops, pints, and ice cream sandwiches, this is the place for non-dairy ice cream seekers to get it all.
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Kansha Creamery
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 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. (closed Sunday and Wednesday), but the shop generously donates a portion of its sales to charities.
Magpies Softserve
As a self-described “chef-y” Dairy Queen, Magpies Softserve embraces this label and turns it up to eleven. While ordering the popular malted milk chocolate or black sesame flavors of the day, be sure to take home a Mexican hot chocolate plant-based pie from any one of their locations in Highland Park, Silver Lake, or Tarzana.
La Jerezana Ice Cream Parlor
The family-owned La Jerezana in Boyle Heights opened in late-2020, making tequila ice cream, cheesecake paletas, and raspados on-site. Plus, there’s a giant ice cream-wielding robot at the entrance.
Scoops
One of LA’s most classic shops at this point, with a history going back to the mid-2000s, Tai Kim’s enduring ice cream destination in Highland Park and Torrance (plus a separately owned Chinatown outlet) is the place to find a rotating array of changing flavors. Find anything from Grapenut-infused brown bread to things like strawberry balsamic. There’s always a good selection of non-dairy oat milk-based flavors as well.
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Fosselman's Ice Cream Co.
This 100-year-old ice cream brand still churns some of the city’s best scoops, anywhere. Of course, the Alhambra-based company’s soda fountain options (floats, malts, and more) are worth the trip to the original location or the more recently opened space in Glendora.
Big Softee
Local crowds descend upon Big Softee for highly Instagrammable swirls of soft serve. Flavors change daily and are inspired by Asian desserts, like Hong Kong-style milk tea, ginger-kissed tofu flower, and matcha almond.
Saffron Spot
For those looking for Indian dessert in Artesia, Saffron Spot serves ice cream and falooda — made with ice cream, noodles, soaked basil seeds, and sweet syrups. Their menu also features gola, or shaved ice, and the nostalgic cassata ice cream logs, made with pistachio, vanilla, and tutti frutti ice creams.
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