The Original Ghirardelli Chocolate & Ice Cream Shop
Ice cream shop · Fisherman's Wharf ·
Decadent sundaes, shakes, and chocolate treats with rich history
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Decadent sundaes, shakes, and chocolate treats with rich history
"The most famous name in San Francisco chocolate is famous for a reason. Sure, the classic hot cocoa is a nostalgic treat, but it is also well-balanced and thoughtfully made – it somehow manages to feel personal with thousands of people in mind. It is sweet and easy on the palate, with notes of oregano and Home Alone." - Ori Ravid
"Even though Ghirardelli doesn’t make its own ice cream, their sundae is still one of the most iconic in the city. While this place has 11 different sundaes on the menu, the one to focus on is the World Famous Hot Fudge. It’s maxed out with two big scoops of vanilla, layered with fudge, and topped with whipped cream, nuts, chocolate squares, and, of course, a cherry. Yes, it’s Dreyer’s ice cream, but the hot fudge really does wonders. Order at the counter and do your best to find a seat. There are dining areas up and downstairs and in the courtyard, but if they’re full, use the park across the street as a backup. And, if you’re fine without the photo opp with the giant sign, try the Financial District location—they also serve the World Famous, and it’s nowhere near as busy." - Patrick Wong
"In a city with a rich chocolate history, Ghirardelli is the oldest continuously run chocolate factory in the United States. Lindt now owns it, so the chocolate is milky sweet, very smooth, and mass-produced. But a glossy hot fudge sundae is still a delight, and, even after its 2022 makeover, the Original Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop is a classic San Francisco treat, billowing chocolate aroma onto historic brick-lined Ghirardelli Square." - Dianne de Guzman
"The oldest continuously run chocolate factory in the United States dates back to the Gold Rush, though it’s now owned by Lindt, a massive international company. With a handsome redesign from the firm behind the Apple store, this is indeed the destination chocolate company of San Francisco. A warm day spent at Ghirardelli Square with the iconic hot fudge sundae is tough to top." - Becky Duffett
"If I trek all the way down to Ghirardelli Square — which locals rarely do — and join that long pre-pandemic line of tourists, I can smell chocolate in the air; Ghirardelli no longer manufactures chocolate in San Francisco, but that doesn’t diminish the shop’s gloss: exposed brick, brass rails, two levels’ worth of old-timey equipment and fun history facts, and gooey hot fudge sundaes whose fudge is melted down daily from wafers, ultra-smooth with the telltale sheen of emulsifiers and stabilizers and an aroma that billows out onto the square like a Cinnabon." - Becky Duffett