Best Ice Cream Restaurants in Downtown LA (90012)
5 hand-picked restaurants, AI-analyzed and critic-validated
Notable Picks
#1
Somisomi
8.6
Korean-style soft serve and taiyaki cones made to order, with a reliably smooth base and fun flavor swirls like ube and milk. The fish-shaped ah-boong adds warm, crisp contrast, and the Little Tokyo location keeps lines moving even at peak hours. A go-to dessert stop after dinner in the plaza.
Must-Try Dishes:
Milk soft serve ah-boong, Ube-milk swirl cup, Nutella-filled taiyaki with soft serve
What makes it special: Hot taiyaki meets creamy soft serve in customizable ah-boong combos.
8.3
Vibes:
Sweet Treats Escapes
Quick Bites Champions
Family Friendly Favorites
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Light, milky soft serve finished with raw honey and honeycomb for a clean, not-too-sweet bite. Flavors stay focused—think true milk, matcha, and yuzu-leaning pairings—so the toppings do the talking. Consistently popular with locals and visitors for a quick, bright dessert.
Must-Try Dishes:
True Milk ice cream with honeycomb, Honey Affogato, Matcha Darling soft serve
What makes it special: Signature honey-drizzled soft serve topped with crunchy honeycomb.
An old-guard matcha specialist whose soft serve tastes like real whisked tea—earthy, bitter-leaning, and dense in flavor. The minimal menu is the point: one standout matcha soft serve done with conviction. Feels more like a tea ceremony pit stop than a typical ice cream shop.
Must-Try Dishes:
Matcha soft serve, Matcha latte float, Ceremonial matcha affogato
What makes it special: One of LA’s most intense, tea-forward matcha soft serves.
Worthy Picks
#4
Bani Bani
7.9
A playful Korean dessert counter known for creamy soft serve, gelato-mochi hybrids, and rotating flavors that skew nostalgic. Texture is the hook—chewy mochi with cold, rich centers. Great for trying something beyond standard cones.
Must-Try Dishes:
Gelato mochi assortment, Milk soft serve swirl, Seasonal flavor cup
What makes it special: Soft serve plus gelato-mochi bites in fun rotating flavors.
A low-key plaza staple for classic scoops, frozen yogurt, and simple sundaes. It’s not about novelty—just straightforward flavors and quick service in the heart of Japanese Village. Works as a quieter, old-school alternative to the buzzy soft-serve lines nearby.
Must-Try Dishes:
Green tea scoop, Swirl frozen yogurt cup, Fruit-topped sundae
What makes it special: Old-school Little Tokyo dessert counter with reliable basics.