(Yasmin Islas / For The Times)
Where to get the best ice cream in L.A.: From classic parlors, to gelaterias and vegan creameries
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Who can forget the sweet reward of an ice cream sundae or root beer float after patiently running weekend errands with a parent? Or maybe it’s a scene of you arriving at an ice cream truck, out of breath, to slap down a fistful of coins and order a chocolate-covered Drumstick. Your ears might still perk up when you hear the telltale clang of an ice cream cart’s bell. No matter your background, ice cream is the nostalgic treat that unites us all.
Sweet, creamy and flavored in more ways than Baskin-Robbins can count, ice cream is a snack that demands your full enjoyment. Look away for too long and you’ll find it pooled in the bottom of your cup or melting stickily all over your hand. On furnace-hot summer days, it offers the perfect counterbalance, sending an almost pleasant lightning bolt of brain freeze as we race to finish before the sun turns its velvety spheres into sugary, milky goop.
Even as the frozen dessert becomes more artisanal and luxurious, with makers folding in fresh farmers market bounty, updating recipes to accommodate plant-based patrons and incorporating flavors and techniques that honor a multitude of cultures, ice cream remains accessible, usually clocking in between $5 and $10 — an easy impulse to satisfy.
From classic ice cream parlors to Italian gelato and regional styles and flavors that play off of L.A.’s vast cultural landscape, here are 23 of the best ice cream shops for conquering the summer heat, spanning the San Gabriel Valley, Malibu and Newport Beach, with plenty of options all over Los Angeles.
![A cup of ice cream with a cookie perched on top sits on a counter with event posters](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/efd5d53/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1648x1099+0+550/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F01%2F5f%2F8dd4908047b58d85666a722ad9c4%2Fallchill.jpg)
All Chill
![A trio of ice creams in cups with a spoon sticking out of each](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3c37ae/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2688+0+168/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F13%2F7c%2F2afb49f54e44b32ffa9eb7dbb745%2Fatomic-creamery.jpg)
Atomic Creamery
![Vegan and nut-free ice cream bars from August Novelties, available at Maciel's Plant-Based Butcher in Highland Park.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a1a95ae/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3024x2016+0+1008/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fdc%2F51%2F36b1e4eb4d8ca62bd3b07957e164%2Faugust-1.jpeg)
August Novelties
August Novelties ice cream bars are currently available at Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher Shop.
Awan
![A cup of Dear Bella Creamery vegan ice cream with chocolate hard shell and rainbow sprinkles in Hollywood.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/693a78d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3456x4320+0+3/resize/376x470!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F00%2Ffe%2F1726fad14966838383726e3285ef%2Fdear-bella-creamery-by-stephanie-breijo-1.jpg)
Dear Bella Creamery
Fair Oaks Pharmacy
![A brûléed banana split sits on a mirrored bar at Echo Park ice cream parlor Fluffy McCloud's](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9059b11/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5184x3456+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe3%2F07%2Fce171b5244d38eed77ad74b3b446%2Ffluffy-mcclouds-ice-cream-by-stephanie-breijo-2.jpg)
Fluffy McCloud's
Fosselman's
Ginger's Divine Ice Cream
![A hand holds an ice cream cone](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cbbdf8a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2419x3024+806+0/resize/376x470!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F16%2F89%2Faef4d603409ab6d7ca12e1409518%2Fhans-homemade-ice-cream.jpg)
Hans' Homemade Ice Cream and Deli
Happy Ice
![A hand holds up an ice cream cone topped with two perfectly round pink scoops](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/38243e6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1365x1706+0+0/resize/376x470!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F32%2Fa3%2F5f83b5f249a392a56ba612e2a48a%2Ffrose.jpg)
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
![Two paper cups with scoops of Ice cream from Kansha Creamery in Gardena.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4502df0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2688+0+168/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F10%2F48%2F4689293d42e5ba5ad500ac9dc9bb%2Fkansha.jpeg)
Kansha Creamery
![A pint of Lavender and Truffles' lychee rose ice cream.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7d1428c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3024x3780+0+126/resize/376x470!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F24%2Fa3%2F25d3dff24ddb918717abbf337ee9%2Flavenderandtruffles2.jpg)
Lavender & Truffles
![A hand holds a chocolate ice cream cone topped with strawberry chocolate orbs in front of a flower wall at Cafe de la Plage](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f424e6b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3024x2016+0+125/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F40%2Fad%2Fc8689000434e94b6f83ede01c978%2Fle-cafe-de-la-plage-ice-cream-cone-by-stephanie-breijo-1.jpg)
Le Cafe de la Plage
![Two white paper cups of ice cream with a white plastic spoon in each](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/51d87c9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3024x3780+0+126/resize/376x470!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd1%2Faa%2F822f45f9409caf61124266f234d5%2Fmashti-malone.jpg)
Mashti Malone's
![Scoops of ice cream from McConnell’s Scoop Shop.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8975612/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4257x5321+525+0/resize/376x470!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F38%2Fce%2Fe7eed2984080b313bb8d9f7d8a6b%2Ftn-wknd-river-street-marketplace-san-juan-capistrano-20230402-1.jpg)
McConnell's Fine Ice Creams
![A paper cup and three cones with scoops of ice cream in a rack on a counter](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/864c6bb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1500x1000+0+154/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F52%2F49%2F1977f7ef49329d33cf1dde39083a%2Fsalt-straw-classics-2021-shop-photos-01.png)
Salt & Straw
![A hand holds a double-scoop chocolate ice cream cone of mint chip and strawberry against a blue wall in Sweet Rose Creamery](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f0f6892/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4022x2681+5+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fed%2F9a%2Fd5ea4a864595b4db49072c511339%2Fsweet-rose-creamery-ice-cream-cone-by-stephanie-breijo-1.jpg)
Sweet Rose Creamery
![Thrifty ice cream from the kiosk insie the Rite Aid in downtown Los Angeles.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/211c28f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5760x3840+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcb%2F3c%2F2dad5bb94c1ab35724205a7aeb88%2F3038926-fi-thrifty-ice-cream-kkn-32362.jpg)
Thrifty Ice Cream
![Deep pink gelato in a silver metal bowl](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/438d6dc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/633x422+59+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4e%2Fa5%2F94dbc0454b298dc9346a58bb7cf0%2Fla-fo-0802-icecream-01.jpg)
Uli's Gelato
![A scoop of ice cream in a paper cup that says Van Leeuwen](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/04e9eb2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3024x2016+0+1008/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F11%2F81%2F697fc36d4ea48483720a9a6a9e38%2Fvanleeuwens.jpg)
Van Leeuwen
![Three cups of ice cream from Wanderlust: Japanese Neapolitan in an ube cone, mango sticky rice, Vietnamese-coffee rocky road](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d47cddc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5184x3456+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fac%2F6f%2F51e8760c4c4b969881880d9b3132%2Fwanderlust-creamery-ice-cream-by-stephanie-breijo-1.jpg)
Wanderlust
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