Best Ice Cream in San Francisco
San Francisco has more genuinely great ice cream shops per square mile than almost any city in the country. After visiting every shop on our directory, here are the 10 we'd send our best friend to — what to order at each, what makes them worth the trip, and what to skip.
How we picked the best ice cream in SF
San Francisco's ice cream scene is unusually deep. There are dozens of solid shops; only a handful are genuinely worth recommending to a friend who has one afternoon in the city. This list is built around that bar — "would a local actually send you here?" — not "is this shop popular on Instagram?"
We weighted four things:
- Flavor quality. Hand-churned, fresh-ingredient ice cream that holds up to its hype.
- Signature item worth the trip. Every shop on this list has at least one flavor you can't get anywhere else.
- Local reputation. What real San Franciscans say when you ask, not what's at the top of a tourist guide.
- Distinct character. A historic parlor, a Filipino institution, a soda fountain, a nitrogen lab — each pick represents something different about SF ice cream.
National chains (Ben & Jerry's, Häagen-Dazs) and tourist-trap-only spots are excluded. Salt & Straw is on the list because, despite being a Portland transplant, it has earned its place in San Francisco's ice cream scene.
The 10 best ice cream shops in San Francisco
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Bi-Rite Creamery
Mission Signature: Salted CaramelIf a San Franciscan has one favorite ice cream shop, it's usually this one. The salted caramel is one of the most-copied flavors in the country and still better here than anywhere else. The line moves fast — wait it out.
What to order: Two scoops: salted caramel + roasted banana. Or balsamic strawberry if it's summer.
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Humphry Slocombe
Mission + Ferry Building Signature: Secret BreakfastSecret Breakfast (bourbon + cornflake) is the flagship, but Humphry Slocombe's whole identity is built on flavors that sound like jokes and taste like masterpieces — prosciutto, olive oil, peanut butter curry. The Mission shop is the original; if you're sightseeing instead, the Ferry Building branch is the single best ice cream stop on the Embarcadero — same flavors, walk it out along the bay with the Bay Bridge in view.
What to order: Secret Breakfast, no question. Harvey Milk Memorial Bar (chocolate + hazelnut + sea salt) as a backup.
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Mitchell's Ice Cream
Noe Valley Signature: Ube + BukoOpen since 1953, Mitchell's is on the San Francisco Legacy Business Registry for a reason. It's the only spot on this list where you'll order from a take-a-number system, and the Filipino-inspired flavors — ube, buko, macapuno — are the best in the city.
What to order: Ube ice cream in a cup, plus a scoop of buko (young coconut) on top.
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Garden Creamery
Mission Signature: Thai Tea, Black Sesame, UbeGarden Creamery is the most consistently inventive shop in San Francisco. The owner builds flavors around Asian and Hawaiian ingredients, rotates monthly, and offers a strong vegan lineup that doesn't taste like an afterthought. The corner shop on Mission St has the city's best ice cream scene-and-stop.
What to order: Black sesame + butter mochi. If hojicha is on the board, add it.
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Salt & Straw
Pacific Heights & Hayes Valley Signature: Honey Lavender, Monthly SpecialsYes, it's a Portland import. Yes, the lines are long. But Salt & Straw's commitment to weird-good monthly flavors — pear with blue cheese, chocolate gooey brownie with sea salt — keeps it worth the trip. Best for visitors who only have one ice cream stop.
What to order: Whatever's on the monthly menu. They'll let you sample as many as you ask for.
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Smitten Ice Cream
Mission, Hayes Valley, Russian Hill Signature: Vanilla Madagascar BourbonSmitten makes every scoop to order using liquid nitrogen, which produces an ultra-smooth, low-iciness texture you won't find anywhere else. The flavor list is short and disciplined — and the brown sugar caramel and Madagascar vanilla are textbook examples of doing one thing perfectly.
What to order: Brown sugar with salted caramel ribbon, made in front of you in 90 seconds.
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Koolfi Creamery
Financial District Signature: Rose-Cardamom, Saffron-Pistachio KulfiKoolfi makes Indian-style kulfi — denser, less sweet, and more fragrant than American ice cream — and it's unlike anything else on this list. The rose-cardamom is a revelation; the saffron-pistachio is what you get for friends who say they don't like ice cream. Easy weekday stop in the Financial District.
What to order: Rose-cardamom + saffron-pistachio. Add a paan kulfi if you want to taste something genuinely new.
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The Ice Cream Bar
Cole Valley Signature: Boozy Milkshakes, Soda Fountain ThrowbacksThe Ice Cream Bar is the only shop on this list with a 1930s-style soda fountain and an honest-to-god boozy milkshake program. The ice cream itself is excellent — Dublin Honey is the standout — but you come for the experience and the egg creams.
What to order: Dublin Honey single scoop, plus a boozy milkshake to share.
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Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream
Outer Sunset Signature: Durian, Jackfruit, MangoDon't be fooled by the name — Marco Polo specializes in Southeast Asian flavors like durian, jackfruit, lychee, and avocado, and they're some of the best in the Bay Area. Out-of-the-way Outer Sunset spot, almost no tourist traffic, devoted local following.
What to order: Durian if you're brave; mango if you're not. Get both — it's that kind of place.
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Joe's Ice Cream
Inner Richmond Signature: It's-It Sundae, Almond MacaroonJoe's has been on Geary Blvd since 1959 and is one of San Francisco's most underrated ice cream institutions. It's also one of the few places that still serves a proper It's-It sundae. If you want to taste the city's ice cream history without the Mitchell's wait, come here.
What to order: Almond macaroon ice cream in a homemade waffle cone. Add hot fudge.
Honorable mentions
A few shops that didn't make the top 10 but are worth the trip if you're in the neighborhood or have specific cravings:
- Swensen's Ice Cream (Russian Hill) — founded in San Francisco in 1948. Classic flavors, vintage signage, the original location.
- Polly Ann Ice Cream (Outer Sunset) — a "spin the wheel" flavor selection wheel and an offbeat lineup that includes durian and squid ink.
- Lush Gelato (North Beach) — Italian-style gelato done right, in a neighborhood that needs more good options.
- Uji Time Dessert — Japanese-style soft serve with matcha and hojicha that rivals what you'd get in Kyoto.
- Madlab Kakigori — Japanese shaved-ice with seasonal syrups; technically not ice cream, but absolutely worth the trip.
Best Ice Cream in San Francisco FAQ
What is the best ice cream in San Francisco?
Bi-Rite Creamery in the Mission is widely considered the best ice cream shop in San Francisco. Its salted caramel is the city's signature scoop. Other top picks include Humphry Slocombe (experimental flavors like Secret Breakfast), Mitchell's Ice Cream (historic, Filipino flavors since 1953), and Garden Creamery (Asian-inspired and consistently inventive).
What is San Francisco's most famous ice cream flavor?
Bi-Rite Creamery's salted caramel is the flavor most associated with the SF ice cream scene — it helped kick off the salted-caramel trend nationwide. Other distinctly SF flavors include Humphry Slocombe's Secret Breakfast (bourbon + cornflakes), Mitchell's ube, and any of Salt & Straw's monthly creations.
Where can I find the best vegan ice cream in San Francisco?
Garden Creamery has the strongest vegan lineup in the city. Smitten and Salt & Straw also offer reliable vegan picks. See our full vegan ice cream guide for more options by neighborhood.
Which SF shop has the best ube ice cream?
Garden Creamery is the most consistent year-round source of ube ice cream in San Francisco. Mitchell's is the other top pick — their ube has been on the menu for decades. Read our full ube ice cream guide for the complete breakdown.
What's a historic ice cream shop in San Francisco?
Mitchell's (1953), Joe's Ice Cream (1959), Swensen's (1948), and Polly Ann (1955) are all still scooping. Mitchell's is on the San Francisco Legacy Business Registry. See our historic SF ice cream guide for the full history.
How were these picks chosen?
These 10 picks are based on consistent local reputation, flavor quality, what's actually worth ordering, and how well each shop represents something distinct about SF's ice cream scene. We avoided national chains and tourist-trap-only spots, and weighted toward shops a local would actually recommend to a friend.
Want more?
The full SF Scoops directory has every verified ice cream, gelato, and frozen yogurt shop in San Francisco — filterable by neighborhood, dietary needs, and specialty.
Browse all SF ice cream shops