The Original Ghirardelli Chocolate & Ice Cream Shop
Hot fudge sundaes made with fudge prepared fresh daily are the draw at this historic shop in Ghirardelli Square. Open late every night.
Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory
In a tiny shop on historic Ross Alley, workers fold warm fortune cookies by hand right in front of you. Sample one fresh and take a bag home.
Toy Boat by Jane
The beloved Clement Street dessert shop reopened in 2025 under the Jane bakery team, scooping local ice cream alongside pastries, cookies and sundaes, with its whimsical vintage decor intact. Closed Mondays.
Swensen’s Ice Cream
An old-fashioned ice cream parlor scooping at Union and Hyde since 1948, right on the Hyde Street cable car line.
San Francisco’s Hometown Creamery (Hayes Valley)
Small-batch ice cream from a shipping-container shop right next to Patricia’s Green. Grab cones and head straight to the lawn.
Salt & Straw (Pacific Heights)
This Fillmore Street scoop shop is known for playful rotating flavors, and staff hand out samples before you choose. There are dependable classics too, and it stays open late.
Humphry Slocombe (Ferry Building)
This local ice cream shop is known for creative flavors and keeps plenty of classics for picky eaters. A scoop here is a natural end to an Embarcadero outing.
Bi-Rite Creamery
This small-batch ice cream shop is a Mission favorite for flavors like salted caramel and seasonal specials. Dolores Park is a block away, so families often carry their cones over to the grass.