Sunshine, surf, laid back vibes and gelato. Who knew San Diego is home to gelato that rivals any you'll taste in Italy? The hubs and I took an amazing trip to Italy which included a daily gelato habit. After 2 weeks of sampling a variety of gelato shops in Italy (Florence, Pienza, Modena, Bologna and Parma), we are self proclaimed experts on which gelato represents a delicious, authentic "coppa" of gelato.
This quest to find and report back on the best gelato in San Diego started out of gelato withdrawals upon returning from our 2-week trip to central and northern Italy. While there, we shared a "coppa" (translates to small cup) of gelato every day. And while we'll never say no to a tasty scoop of ice cream, gelato has become our preferred cold sweet treat. If you need any further convincing, gelato has less calories and up to 60% less fat than good old fashioned ice cream. Try any and all of these gelato shops in San Diego County and we think you'll become a convert too.
1. An's Hatmakers - Del Mar
This gelato shop has been voted the best ice cream shop in USA Today's Best Indie Ice Cream Shops poll in the entire USA for 2024 and second place in 2023. Once you taste the gelato, you'll instantly know why. Ever wish you could try all the flavors on the menu? At An's, the gelato flight is part of the experience, as an associate takes you through a tasting of each flavor to help you land on what to order. The shops feature unique, seasonal flavors, but some mainstays remain on the menu for months at a time.
Cleverly race-track themed flavors were featured when we stopped by including Facinator, a vegan strawberry sorbet and Tweed, a Tres Leches flavor. We opted for a cup of their bestseller, Leather, an insane brown butter gelato base with chocolate chip cookie chunks. We also recommend the Clay, a nutella flavor with chunks of brownies. Oh my word. The texture of the gelato was slightly different than anything we'd tried in Italy or across San Diego. Think slightly more air, slightly reminiscent of marshmallow fluff, but still creamy like gelato should be.
The Del Mar location is located in the heart of downtown across from the swanky L'Auberge resort. It has small tables inside and out which makes for great people watching or just enjoying the California sunshine. An's has three locations, the original, An's Dry Cleaning in North Park off Adams Avenue, this shop in Del Mar and another in Petco Park. No matter which location you choose, An's is a must try for locals and tourists alike.
2. Gelato 101 - Encinitas
You likely have passed this adorable little shop located on Pacific Coast Highway in the heart of Encinitas, perched just above Moonlight Beach. It is operated by Italian gelatiere, David Arato, who owns four other gelato shops in San Diego County. They use the freshest ingredients in the gelato, yielding delicious flavors including a variety of fruit flavors, traditional flavors such as hazelnut and pistachio and unique seasonal delights.
While there, we tried Amaretto which was an insanely delicious cherry-flavored gelato with flecks of dark chocolate. We also indulged in the Chef's Choice flavor featuring a blend of sweet cream, almonds and candied citrus crunchies. The flavors and texture transported us back to the piazzas of Italy. So delicious and authentic. The shop has a large outdoor sitting area with a few small tables inside. It's San Diego so you'll want to sit outside and watch all the hustle and bustle along PCH or stroll along and check out the beach shops that line PCH. A perfect afternoon or evening. As a bonus, this shop serves espresso drinks, all using Illy coffee so you can't go wrong!
3. Bobboi Natural Gelato - La Jolla
Bobboi Natural Gelato is a gem of a gelateria that stays true to authentic Italian flavors using the highest quality ingredients from local farmers and suppliers. Bobboi opened its doors in 2014 and has grown to four locations across San Diego, including one in the Little Italy Food Hall. We visited their La Jolla location, an adorable shop sitting a short walk from the Children's Pool Beach. "Bobboi" translates to "delicious small sweet" which is the perfect description of their cups of gelato goodness.
The owner and gelato chef both hail from Sardinia and are dedicated to authentic flavors and use of quality ingredients like organic milk and Italian hazelnuts. We indulged in stracciatella and salted caramel and were in absolute gelato heaven as we strolled down to watch the seals and sea lions on the beach. In true Italian style, the shop does not have any seating or patio so you'll want to enjoy your gelato strolling around downtown La Jolla or meander down to the beach. Their website lists all of their locations and flavors available so you can begin drooling before you arrive.
4. EscoGelato - Escondido
Even inland North San Diego needs gelato and EscoGelato is where it's at. This cute gelato shop and cafe is located in the heart of Escondido's downtown center. It has a coffee shop vibe with shady outdoor patio seating. They use local ingredients in both their gelato and cafe offerings and brew coffee from San Diego roaster, Zumbar Coffee. But let's talk about the gelato.
They offer a host of rotating and seasonal flavors, many reminiscent of ice cream parlors. They even venture out with more inventive flavors including honey lavender or cereal milk. There were so many flavors we wanted to try, but decided on Cookies and Cream and Salted Bourbon Chocolate. Both were so creamy and decadent but not overly sweet like ice cream can be. The patio was quiet and cool under the trees and the cafe menu looked delicious with a variety of paninis, salads and baked goods. If you're in North County, definitely opt for a trip to EscoGelato as a nice changes from the usual ice cream place like Handel's or Salt & Straw.
5. Venchi - La Jolla UTC
This chocogelaterie began as a small chocolate shop in Turin, Italy way back in 1878. Fast forward to 2024 and Venchi now has over 180 chocolate and gelato shops across 70 countries, with the La Jolla location newly opening in June 2024. We walked by several Venchi locations while in Italy but never tried their gelato. The La Jolla shop is fancifully decorated and is half gelato counter and half chocolate shop, complete with free samplings of chocolate and single serve bins to select pieces of chocolate by the weight.
The gelato line moves extremely slow and I think this is due to all of the customizations the shop offers on chocolate dipped cones, whipped cream toppings and extras. The menu features traditional Italian flavors including several spins on hazelnut, pistachio, and chocolate. They do offer some vegan options as well that are primarily fruit flavors. We kept it traditional and tried a cup of hazelnut and stracchiatella. Each cup or cone is served with a small disc of dark or milk chocolate on top that is quite tasty.
Overall, the gelato was quite good but we much preferred other shops in San Diego and thought Venchi was a bit overpriced and not worth the long wait. We wished we'd gone to Bottega Italiana right around the corner instead. We did take some chocolate home which was also quite good but very expensive and would prefer a good old piece of See's candy instead.
Now tell us if we missed any San Diego gelato shops that we must try? Want a post on top Italian gelato shops we tried? We'll get to work on that!
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