An's Hatmakers

Queue can be a little long just after lunch or dinner time. They chat with each group of customers and will let you try all the flavors you want before ordering. The flavors are always changing so it’s interesting every visit. Worth the wait as the ice-cream is really good with lots of chunky ingredients. Definitely worth a visit.

An’s Hatmakers Ice Cream in Del Mar matches its reputation. The flavors taste so fresh. The shop has a cool, welcoming vibe and the staff are always so friendly and patient. Whether it's your first time going or your 10th time, do the flavor tour. They let you sample every flavor on the menu. It’s the kind of spot that makes you want to come back again and again.

What a cute little ice cream shop! They first take you on a “flavor tour” and you can sample all flavors. They explain the flavors in detail and make sure to know of any allergies beforehand as well. The shop itself is decorated in a very cute and inviting way. There is not a ton of space inside or seating but even if it is full it seems cozy and inviting to sit. They have outside seating as well. The ice cream was very rich and flavorful. Definitely recommend stopping by here!

Great hat shop with lots of great hats come here if you want a custom made hat o ya you can grab some delicious gelato also while you wait great service parking not so good but a little walk doesn't hurt. Especially in your cool new hat

About as unique as top quality ice cream can get without being overdone. And you pay extra for the privilege. Very generous sampling tour and friendly folk who serve it. They clearly emphasize a proper customer service experience. Popular for good reason and definitely worth a visit!

SUPER CUTE SHOP, the interior is super cute and themed around a hatmaker shop. The flavors are changed based on seasons, weeks, and even holidays, and there’s even flavors named based on different types of hats! The flavors are all super rich and amazing every time.

America’s No.1 Gelato Shop with Unbeatable Flavor and Texture Food: The aroma is rich, and the texture is delightfully chewy. Even with a small size, you can choose two flavors. The pistachio flavor was especially outstanding. Service: The staff are quick and friendly. They also provide detailed explanations about the flavors. When I visited on the afternoon of July 1st, the staff member on the left side from the customer’s point of view was particularly kind and attentive. I’d like to compliment them. Ambiance: The shop is cozy, and the interior decorated with hats left a strong impression. There is limited seating available both inside and outside.

Definitely one of the best ice cream shops I’ve ever been to. The Visor pistachio ice cream was phenomenal and I’d happily eat a pint’s worth in a sitting. The tres leches one was also awesome, but the pistachio one blew me away. Excellent flavor profile and generous use of actual pistachio chunks. Worth a visit if you’re even remotely in the area. Adorable indoor and outdoor seating areas as well

Came here at 3pm on a Thursday. Since it was raining there wasn't any other customers there which was nice for a change. There was a worker that gave us the flavor tour he mentioned he's usually at the North Park location. He was very talkative about the flavors and the menu. The menu consisted of new combinations especially for Valentines Day. The flavors with the star next to them is what we ordered! Thoughts of the Flavor Tour: - Straw Hat, Mango Passionfruit: Very vibrant, full bodied, and refreshing mango flavor with a touch of passionfruit. - *Lingerie, Strawberry Chocolate + Cream: a favorite of mine! The strawberry and cream comes through well. I like how light and flaky the chocolate part is. It's like when you bite into a GOOD chocolate covered strawberry and the shell just slightly cracks in your mouth. Mmmhm! - *Bouquet of Flowers, Vanilla Almond Cake with Raspberry + Rosewater: My aunt really enjoyed this flavor. The cake is so light and moist and it contrasts super well with the hints of raspberry. The rosewater pairs well with the raspberry as well which surprised me. - Box Of Chocolates, Red Crimson Cocoa + White Chocolate Strawberry Bark: this one was spectacular in texture as it reminded me of chocolate mousse. It was whipped so light and fluffy and the hints of that strawberry bark was phenomenal. I would recommend getting this flavor! My aunt said the white chocolate reminded her of marshmallow. - Velour, Salted Caramel: not overly salty and a rich buttery caramel. Would pair nicely with a chocolate flavor gelato. - Visor, Roasted Pistachio: the crushed pistachio provides a delicious chewy texture and the roasted part adds a slight saltiness to the creamy gelato. - Top Hat, Chocolate Almond Cake: I was pleasantly surprised that I really enjoyed this flavor. As I'm usually not a fan of almond this one was delightful! The chocolate was rich and so good! My aunt and I shared a Small Cup $6.45 (I believe), two flavors. The worker gave us a lovely amount of both flavors! The main reason we stopped by was because I preordered the Pho & Phin Flavored Gelato in Pints from the Lunar New Year Menu. As it was sold out yesterday in North Park, we preordered it in Del Mar for pick up! I hadn't tried these flavors yet when I ordered them. The Pho Gelato had a heavy star anise flavor to it. Knowing that it was supposed to be reminiscent of pho, I think if they did less anise it would be better. It lowkey reminded me of bo kho, with the anise. It's a new experience for sure. The Phin, aka Saigon Coffee collab flavor was so delicious! There was a creaminess that really shined through with a strong taste of coffee. It really embodied Vietnamese Coffee.

An's offers inventive, rotating flavors of gelato, and their Hatmakers location is conveniently located in the Del Mar Plaza. I love that this location also maintains a theme (similar to their OG North Park spot), and that they do the flavor tours as well! On this visit, I loved the following flavors: -Visor: roasted pistachio -Clay: Nutella brownie -Leather: brown butter and chocolate chip cookies This location also offers caramel pecan bars and freshly baked cookies, but I've yet to try them as they've been out each time I'm there. Hope to try their cookies one of these days!

Before my visit here, I had only ever been to the other location, An's Dry Cleaning. My friend told me about this location, and I was curious about how the quality and service would stack up. I'm glad to say that I had an even better experience here than at the other location! - There is a parking garage and you get 1 hour free! - Not as busy - Staff is just as welcoming and we also had a flavor "tour" - Delicious, smooth gelato that is definitely above competitors in my opinion Overall, I think I will be going to this location from now on. The menu does differ between this one and An's Dry Cleaning so be sure to do your research before visiting to see which flavors you'd prefer to have available.

Drove over here because we struggled to park for An's Dry Cleaning. So glad I did because the pistachio was my favorite. The location was really cute and I love that they offer a taste tour! There isn't too much seating but I will definitely come around again to try their biweekly flavors.

If this business sounds familiar, that's because it is! Most San Diegans are no stranger to An's Dry Cleaning- they were named the Best Independent Ice Cream Shop in America! Well, this is their sister location and instead of posing as a dry cleaning business, they're venturing out as hat makers. Oh An's, you're so silly and we're all eating it up (literally)! An's Hatmakers debuts new flavors seasonally. If you're visiting for the first time (or the nth time), don't be shy and ask for their tour of flavors! They're never stingy with their samples. During this particular visit, we went with the Bobblehat (Strawberry Banana Sorbet) and the Coppola (Vanilla + Nutella Chocolate Cookie). Bobblehat tasted exactly like a creamy strawberry banana smoothie- you can really tell that they used real fruit! Coppola was just as delicious as it sounds- a classic combo! An's truly never disappoints.

Sooo good! This is the Del Mar location. It inside of a small shopping complex and there is parking in the back, first hour is free! There is a nice variety of flavors and they let you sample all of them! The staff is very friendly and gives you some info about each of the flavors. I ended up getting the roasted pistachio and the rice/milk/cinnamon flavor. This is honestly probably one of my favorite pistachio flavors I had there are chunks of pistachio and it and they told us that they roast the pistachios there! Combined with my other flavor was sooo good. There was a line when we went but it goes fast. They also sell hats which are on display inside!

Great gelato shop. The worker was friendly and helpful. My son loved it. Seating is limited but it was quiet and we got a table. Definitely curious to try other flavors next visit.

Wouldn't you think this is a place to come to if you were in the market for a hat? There ARE hats on display but this place sells cold creamy confections. Cute shop, interesting flavors, friendly counter service. If you are lactose intolerant prepare yourself. Just a cautionary note cuz you know...

I recently visited An Hatmaker's and was eager to try their ice cream, especially since I had wanted to check out their original spot at the cleaners location. This location was convenient as it was near a lunch spot we were at. The ice cream did not disappoint! It was creamy and packed with flavor, definitely living up to my expectations. While it might not replace my favorite spot in San Diego, it's still a decent choice for a sweet treat. I'll definitely be back to explore more flavors!

I absolutely love the experience here! They offer both permanent and seasonal gelato flavors, so there's truly something for every craving. During my first visit, I loved the touch of their flavor tour. I really appreciated how the staff took the time to elaborate on each flavor and what to expect. I was craving something refreshing and opted for the Visor (pistachio) and their palette cleanser. Both were amazing! The shop itself is a bit small, so it can feel crowded at times, but everything seemed well-organized. I loved the charming interior, with the hats displayed on shelves and plants adding a lively and cozy touch. My only wish is that there was a location closer to home. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in the area!

Wow. What a nice vibe ice cream shop! Staff was very polite and the one and only place that gave us a sample tour if all of their flavors! It made it more difficult to choose from but it was definitely a fun experience. Ended up getting two flavors. Cozy store and during the holidays decoration is on point.

10/10. We even bought a pint of the palette cleanser to take home. Their prices are a bit steep, but they are very generous with their portions.

I've been frequenting An's Dry Cleaning (ADC) for years, so I was excited to try An's Hatmakers when I was in north county. I used the shopping center's underground parking structure/lot. I believe parking there for under an hour is free. There is also some metered street parking. The store was empty when I came on a weekday afternoon. This was a surprise to me, since ADC usually has a huge line going out the door. The gelato was quality. There was a good selection of flavors when I went (they do a rotating menu). I did a flavor tour where I sampled all the flavors they had that day. I love how their gelatos are crafted and well made. There is a little bit of indoor and outdoor seating. The tables and chairs are small.

The service was excellent. They offered to allow a tasting of all their flavors, and it sounds like they do this regularly. This is great for someone who is indecisive. Our favorite was the staff favorite, the cookies & cream. The salted caramel was slightly burnt, but honestly, it just reaffirms that they make it themselves. So in my mind, not a negative. Still has a great flavor.

Very creamy and milky Unique with common flavors Nice of them to let us try all the flavors

After trying An's Dry Cleaning, we knew An's Hatmakers had to be next on our ice cream tour of San Diego! Much like the original location, they cater your experience by providing you a taste line up of all their current flavors - I will say I prefer the "palate cleanser" at An's Dry Cleaning as it's more of a ginger to a lime flavor! The prices are the same as the original location and pretty standard for San Diego. Parking can be tricky, but there is a nearby garage that is free for the first hour.

An's Hatmakers is hands down my favorite gelato place. Its backstory, concept, and execution makes this place so special to me. Backstory: An's Hatmakers used to be a hat shop and when the hat shop closed, the owners of An's named the store "An's Hatmakers" in honor of the previous shop. The chain does this with all their locations as well. Everytime I'm in San Diego, I have to make a pit stop at An's! What makes An's special is their flavor tours. Feel free to ask for one if the workers didn't bring it up already! The workers are always so sweet, patient, and descriptive with their tours. The tour within itself makes the experience here feel so curated and fun! Every few weeks, they switch out some flavors and it's a hit everytime. My all-time favorite flavor is a mix of fascinator (strawberry sorbet) and the pallet cleanser they offer. I love mint and fruity flavors so this is such a good mix for me. Parking: There's street parking right in front of the store but also underground parking as well.

We came on a busy night but the line does move fast! When it was our time to order, the girls working were so patient with us sampling. We let them know of our pistachio allergy and they were kind and offered to scoop everything in the back! We each ordered a scoop of Clay and Leather in a cone! We will be back during each San Diego visit for a scoop!

Went here for a friends last night in San Diego and it was a perfect treat. I appreciated being able to sample things and the scoops were a good size for me personally. The flavors are all really unique but they have more straightforward ones as well. The location is lovely and we caught a great sunset right outside. I would say this is more fancy ice cream so be prepared for that if you are bringing kids- no bubblegum or rocky road here. It's high quality though and definitely decadent. It's a cute spot that's fun for a nice treat anytime!

This is the cutest gelato store! I came here with my family and was greeted by kind workers who let us sample whatever we desired. The flavors were unique and the gelato flavors were yummy. My favorite was the passionfruit mango one. I got the small size and it was plenty to share. The portions are very generous!

Was it worth the hype? Not really. BUT, it was nice to finally try this location after they won the vote. The line was long (out to Tamarindo restaurant). They had two people scooping today. There is a/c inside but it's a wall unit so it's still hot and stuffy inside as the front door remained open. Our scooper was Tiden. He alone is worth 5 stars as he was sooo welcoming, patient, and helpful. He suggested the Palate Cleanser tour (?) which was a free sample of ALL their offerings. We appreciated this, as did others, as why not especially standing in line on a hot day :) Tiden, you rock! I personally found the flavors very sweet. Even the mango as well as the strawberry sorbets. Not sure if they add extra+ sugar or how much but the sweetness was a bit much. I opted for the Espresso/Cold Brew and Nutella/Brownies. Cousins got their two flavors in a house made waffle cone. They both said gelato was nice but they've had better in San Diego. I didn't pay so can't attest to the price but the serving size seemed good. I'd revisit to try other flavors if I was in the area and there wasn't a line.

We went during a busy time around 8pm and although there was a line, it moved pretty fast. Highly recommend doing flavor tour. Our server told us all the fun flavors and they were amazing. So happy I got to see the rave around An's Ice Cream. Got tweed (tres leches) and it was milky with some soft chunks of cake I think. Definitely reminds me of tres leches. Area is small but it's decorated nicely with a hat wall, mirrors, and other decorations giving it an old mid-1900 aesthetic.

Came here on a Friday evening and it was busy!! Absolutely loved the theming inside the store- so many hats and fun antique hat store vibes. I forget the actual names of the flavors I got (all hat themed too, so cute), but one flavor had brown butter and chocolate chip cookie bits and the other was their rendition of tiramisu. I enjoyed the tiramisu flavor more, the brown butter ice cream was so buttery that it left a slightly unpleasant oily residue in my mouth. But the gelato was really good and creamy, not too sweet at all! Staff were super friendly, and props to them because they handle a busy line for hours and provide samples with so much patience! LOL Parking was super easy, there's a lot right under the building where An's is located, and it was free for the first 90 minutes or something! Would love to come back and try the other flavors...

This ice cream altered my brain chemistry. When I read that a place had the best x or y, I'm always a bit skeptical. Like how good can it get that someone would say that? No, yall, this place deserves the credit it gets. Not only are the flavors and the experience excellent but the texture of their gelato sends me back to a via or piazza in Italy on a sunny day. The service also takes it up a notch by giving you a tasting of all their flavors, which is super neat, especially if it is your first time. If you're trying to decide if it's worth it, let this be your sign and go order the entire menu.

I loved the taste testing flight with the silver spoons! I definitely was just looking and not hungry. However, after trying all the flavors, we got a couple. The person helping at the counter was really nice. The shop was very cute and looked like a little hat shop. I loved that the door was already decorated for Christmas. They have unique flavors. All of them tasted great!

An's continues to never disappoint!!!! I got to try 2 pints: Kilt and Visor. Kilt is a very strong coffee and Irish whiskey flavored gelato that is soo creamy and delicious. The coffee flavor is STRONG just how I like it. This one is different from their other coffee flavor that used coffee beans from 7 seas roasting. One of my favs from An's!! I've never seen this on the menu, but they had it available in the pint version. Visor again is also one my favorites and it's just so nutty, sweet, creamy, and very satiating. I think the pints are very good value if you get it. It's $13 but you get a lot more than if you just get a small or large cup. An's always provides such a warm and friendly experience and service and can't wait to keep trying new flavors!

An's Hatmakers is the second location of An's Dry Cleaning, the highly-rated handcrafted gelato maker in North Park. We finally tried An's Hatmakers recently after having lunch in Del Mar. The small shop was packed with customers, but our wait was less than five minutes to be served. There were only three gelato flavors that day: Visor (roasted pistachio), Hard Hat (cold brewed espresso), and Clay (Nutella brownie). We tried all three. The gelato tasted great and had a smooth, creamy texture. Nut flavors were clear and pronounced. At $6.25 for a small cup, An's is pricey. Counter service was helpful and friendly. Limited seating indoors and on street-side patio. Park on street or in Del Mar Plaza garage.

Line moves a bit slow and is usually long as this place had a great reputation. The servers are really nice and guide your experience. They offer samples. Try the flavor tour if you're visiting.

This seasons flavors is fire! I wasn't a fan of their summer menu, but this one is less decadent and more full of flavor! Tips off to the creators. First time at this location and it wasn't too busy. The staff was attentive. The place was clean and well maintained. Thanks for a fantastic first experience at this location. I recommend the Hounds tooth for a chocolate peanut butter twist! Yummmm!

I can't argue with the high quality service (food tour), and the gelato is definitely high-tier with good texture. But given the expectation of "best gelato in the U.S.", what I thought would be an eye-opening food experience more so became about the customer service experience and above average taste.

The service was very quick and efficient. The ice cream was pretty good. It wasn't overly sweet and had a great flavor. It didn't just taste like milk like some of these other places. Although prices are a bit steep. For this tiny thing with tax it came out to $7 !! I would only go back if I was driving through the area. It's good ice cream but not that special

An iconic San Diego gelato shop that was ranked #2 best in America, and it definitely lives up to its name. To start, parking was super convenient in the parking structure, with the first 60 minutes being free. When we first entered the shop, there was quaint antique-like decor to fit the hat theme, and both indoor and outdoor seating. The girl helping us was friendly and super thorough, letting us do a taste test of all the flavors before making a decision. All the flavors were delicious, but we settled on a small palate cleanser (lime and yes, this is an unofficial flavor haha) + straw hat (mango & passion fruit), and a small leather (brown butter & chocolate chip cookie) + visor (roasted pistachio). Overall, fantastic service and delicious gelato! I do have to note that a small cup is quite tiny and $6.25+tax, but nonetheless, worth the price for the experience. I haven't been to the original An's Dry Cleaning, but this location seems to have a better parking situation and probably offers the same quality. Absolutely worthy of a pit stop when in SD!

Love love love going to ans whenever visiting san diego! The icecream flavors are different every time, and its about 7$ for a small ice cream. It was a little busy during the labor day weekend but we only needed to wait like 15 minutes. Love all the hat decor!!

First time here. Wasn't too busy when we arrived. There are a few tables outside + a few inside. Limited flavors at a time, but I'm sure they rotate a variety. The service was quick and good. The interior décor was also cute. Gelato was good overall. Their espresso and cold brew was tasty. The mango passion fruit sorbet was OK- typical flavor, but did not taste artificial though, which was good. Same goes for the strawberry sorbet. Overall, quality was good. They also have different sizes (cups) vs party hat (cone). There is street parking or parking in the garage behind the plaza, which the 1st hour is free. On the weekends, parking can get tough.

Super big portion for the "party hat" cone. I wish they offered more than two flavors per cone. They do a quick tasting flight of all the flavors for free and it was really fun to hear them explain each one. It was hard to pick because they all were so yummy!

We went with a group of 7 people. We got a bunch of different flavors but I was interested in the Matcha Pistachio combo aka Sashiko. I was so excited but there were too many salted nuts in the ice cream (not really gelato consistency), no taste of matcha and it was way too salty. My 8 yr old foodie rated it a 1.5. Maybe the other flavors were better. Avoid the matcha pistachio combo. My older kid said his Velour (salted caramel) was good. His cousin also had high regards for the milk tea honey toast flavor. At least the shop is cute and I appreciate the staff asking if anyone had allergies before giving out samples.

Just as good as the original! Same great flavors, same flavor tour, same cute ambiance. The added bonus of this location is being able to take your gelato to the beach!

In one word- awesome! The line was out the door but it moved fairly swiftly and inside this is a super cute, unique place! Cute little booths, hats and sewing machines mark the theme. But then we got to the service and gelato- omg! Sondra thank you! She was friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and offered us each of the flavors with a little info about what makes it special- made our decision easy (but also hard because everything is so good)! Collectively three of us tried the leather, clay and pistachio flavors. Leather was the family favorite but I have to say their pistachio is the best I've ever had including in several places in Italy! This place is now on my list for my birthday treat in a few months.

Hands down best gelato I've ever had - when I asked if I could sample flavors, they told me they could walk me through the entire menu and allow our group to sample every flavor, despite us sampling every flavor the line moved quickly - the gelato was sooo good - the pistachio flavor was incredibly nutty with chunks of pistachio; the clay ice cream had chunks of brownie notes that were so good!!! Can't wait to come back here

Service was very friendly and helpful. I tried each flavor before deciding on visor (pistachio) and leather ( brown butter with chocolate chip cookies) in a waffle cone. Make sure to get a waffle cone. It was fresh and sweet but not overly so and crunchy but not brittle. It was perfect. The shop was nice and bright and clean.

We popped in an hour before closing and the line is always out the door until closing - definitely understood why after we tried their ice cream. We had leather (butter and chocolate chip cookies), clay (Nutella and brownie), strawberry sorbet, and pistachio. All flavors were intricate and delicious! They do have the option of a gluten free cone. There are 2 tables inside and some outside seatings as well. Makes sense that they're rated #1 in the US, will definitely come back when in the area.

They are so sweet here. The girl right away was like, would you like our taster treat? She goes thru each flavor and with these silver spoons proceeds to give you every single flavor on a spoon. I think there is like 6. Some were better than others but none were bad. Beret was my favorite. A very small cup is a lot, I guess Gelato is expensive or you should only have a few bites? Not sure but pricey. Very smooth and flavor packed. It's called the hat shop which I don't get. They do have a few hats on the side wall on a shelf. But it seems more focus is on the Gelato? Maybe they needed to make it retail for rental purposes?? Anyways, they are next door to Tamarindo but they serve Gelato. If you love Gelato, pop in after dinner.

I went here with friends after they won the vote and I got visor and leather. They still offer the flavor tour and the person helping us explained each flavor to us. The line was really long so we were sited about 30 min but otherwise our experience was great. I do wish they had their cypress flavor in rotation which has always been my favorite but maybe next time.

Not a huge selection and not enough staff for the 4th of July weekend. I found it interesting that there was not a line out the door considering the reputation of Hats and a very crowded beach scene. This located very close to the ocean beach entrance. We had an opportunity to taste all the flavors and I found much of them lacking a tasty balance of flavor. Just didn't excite me. Favorites were the mango and the pistachio. To be fair I am a Salt and Straw girl at heart.

I had an issue with the staff at this location. After leaving a review, the owner reached out a resolved the issue. Thanks for reaching out getting things done.

This place is the real deal! I came in on a Tuesday evening to a small line. When we got to the front to order, the woman at the counter asked us if we'd like to do the flavor tour. I expected it to just be more in depth descriptions of their offerings but we actually got to try every flavor they offered. And so glad we did that because my initial choices for flavors before trying them and what I ended up ordering were completely different. Love that they take their time with each customer and their genuinely warm demeanor. Easy to see why they're ranked one of the top in the nation!

Stumbled across this place by accident, and boy is it life changing! Sampling all of the flavors was awesome! The flavors are amazing and I can't wait to come back to try more! The staff is so friendly and welcoming to make sure you love the flavor(s) you choose. The decor inside is great as well! Just wish there was more seating!! See you again soon, An's!

Very cute little ice cream store in Del Mar! Not a lot of seating available inside, but there were a few places to sit and stand outside. It's also located very close to the beach so you could always take your ice cream to the beach and eat it while taking in the views! There wasn't a huge variety of flavors, but the ones we did try were very delicious. I assume they switch the flavors out seasonally and I liked how there were both fruity sorbet and more decadent ice cream options so I didn't mind the smaller selection at all!! We ordered: Straw Hat- mango and passion fruit sorbet flavor Tweed- tres leches The straw hat ice cream was a nice, refreshing, tropical sorbet, perfect for the hot day while the tres leches was creamy and smooth without being overwhelmingly sweet! I especially enjoyed the little cake pieces in the ice cream. Although it was pretty busy, we were able to get our ice cream quickly, without feeling like we were being rushed. It is a little expensive, with a small being $6.25 and large being $7.25 (as of August 2024) but it is Del Mar so I get it. I wanna visit again to try some of the other flavors!

It's such a nice hole in a wall. The ice cream is amazing. I haven't been to all I've cream places in USA so I won't know if it indeed the best ice cream. Had the roasted pistachio. Very nice flavor balance. Good ratio if ice cream to pistachio. It's really gogo didn't have time to take photos before I swallowed that whole thing down lol. Pecan tart is amazing. It's shortbread based with some salted caramel pecan topping oh la la!