The Best Ice Cream Spots in la (For Kids)
Naiya may be the most ice cream-obsessed three year old there ever was. I know that's a tall order but there is nothing Naiya loves more in this world than ice cream. Ice cream lights up Naiya's soul. Girlfriend knows what she likes and she's not afraid to give an honest review. Rounding up her Top 5 Favorite Ice Cream Spots in Los Angeles and sharing why they're the best for kids.
Naiya's Favorite Ice Cream Spots In LA
When Naiya's ice cream obsession became EXTRA real around her second birthday, we started taking her on ice cream dates every weekend (more about that here).
Once the Pandemic hit, Naiya asked EVERY weekend for months to go on her date but of course, we had to stay safe at home. We would literally drive by the ice cream store near our house and she'd wave out the window "bye ice cream date." While this ice cream break was AMAZING for Naiya's teeth, she was heartbroken. The ice cream cones we bought from the grocery store just didn't do it for her.Over the past few weeks, we started taking Naiya back out on ice cream dates again (safely)! We call ahead to order and we all leave the house for basically the first and only time ALL week to make a three year old (and her little sis) smile (from the car). Rounding up Naiya's fave ice cream spots below from our adventures:
1) Flour Shop: Beverly Hills
We recently took Naiya to pick up ice cream from Flour Shop in Beverly Hills for the first time. When we pulled up outside, Naiya was SO excited to see the beautiful rainbow colors inside. The floor of Flour Shop is literally painted with a giant rainbow and the whole storefront pops with color. Naiya was obsessed with the ice cream from Flour and she was equally excited about all of the rainbow cakes. Flour has the cutest unicorn cakes and cake balls. If you try out Flour for yourself, Naiya HIGHLY suggests you go for the ice cream AND another special treat. You can see some of Naiya's faves pictured below and you'll see Sadie holding a rainbow push pop.
2) Salt & Straw: Studio City
Salt & Straw was quite possibly the ice cream shop that helped Naiya first fall in love with ice cream. The flavors are so unique and creative and the branding is so cute. Naiya LOVES that in less uncertain times she was able to sample ALL the flavors and pick her favorite at the end. Double fold vanilla is Naiya's fave flavor here but she also loves salted caramel cupcake. The cones at Salt & Straw are also Naiya's favorite. She dreams of these cones!
3) McConnell's Fine Ice Creams: Studio City
McConnell's Fine Ice Creams is right down the street from Salt & Straw so naturally, Naiya had to check it out. It's also on a street that is lined with our favorite farmer's market on weekends so Naiya discovered this amazing place before COVID. Naiya LOVES this place! We love that there are no stabilizers, preservatives or fillers (natural or otherwise) in this ice cream. Naiya is obsessed with the vanilla bean ice cream here and we love that they offer such tiny kid servings that are just her size. She also loves the sweet cream and cookies and cream flavors.
4) MILK: West Hollywood
Phil and I lived in walking distance of MILK around the time we got engaged and I remember going here with him every weekend . He was addicted (so clearly with Naiya, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree). The line at Milk was always out the door and around the corner because it's just that good. Naturally, we had to take Naiya to Milk so that she could try it out too. She fell head over heals in love with MILK's ice cream sandwiches. She LOVES the fruity pebbles and red velvet flavors the best but you can't go wrong. These ice cream sandwiches are made of giant macarons with ice cream in between and they're incredible.
5) Milk Bar: West Hollywood
Naiya can't stop talking about Milk Bar. Milk Bar is a sweet shop that’s been turning familiar treats upside down and on their heads, shaking up the dessert game since 2008. Their cakes are perhaps most recognizable because they don't have frosting on the outside and you can see the beautiful layering inside. Milk Bar's ice cream is also incredibly memorable. Naiya LOVES this ice cream because it's made milk that tastes like it's infused with her favorite cereal.
What's your favorite type of ice cream? Have you tried any of these shops? Tell us all the things in the comment section below and as always, thanks so much for stopping by! Photography: Azusa Takano
