Dolce Gelato — Local services in Carmen

Dolce Gelato, San José – Top-Tier Gelato with a Cool Vibe

Dolce Gelato in San José, Costa Rica, completely blew me away during my recent visit. This artisanal gelato spot serves up some of the freshest and most delicious gelato I’ve had – each flavor bursting with rich, natural taste. The atmosphere is equally impressive, with a cool, youthful vibe that makes enjoying your treat even better. Below, I break down what makes Dolce Gelato a must-visit when you’re in San José.

Fresh and Delicious Gelato Flavors

A cup of Dolce Gelato’s caramel pecan gelato – incredibly creamy and loaded with natural flavor. The gelato here is incredibly fresh and flavorful, and you can truly taste the rich, natural ingredients in every bite. They offer a range of creative flavors, and my personal favorite was the caramel pecan. It was wonderfully creamy, perfectly balanced, and had just the right amount of sweetness. Every spoonful felt indulgent and yet totally worth it – a testament to the quality and craftsmanship behind their gelato.

Almond Croissant with a Raspberry Twist

Dolce Gelato also offers pastries like this almond croissant, warmed up with a hint of raspberry inside. In addition to gelato, Dolce Gelato has some pastry treats. I tried their almond croissant, which the staff kindly heated up for me. The croissant was warm and flaky, with a subtle raspberry infusion that added a unique, extra-special touch to the flavor. The mix of the toasty almond pastry and that hint of raspberry sweetness was delightful. This croissant is definitely a must-try item alongside your gelato!

Cool, Youthful Ambiance

The sunny indoor-outdoor seating at El Jardín de Lolita gives Dolce Gelato a fun, youthful “mercado” vibe. The vibe at Dolce Gelato is cool and youthful, enhanced by its sunny indoor-outdoor setting. The shop is located in El Jardín de Lolita, a vibrant food hall that feels like a small mercado with various food stalls and plenty of open-air seating . It’s a fun place where you can grab your gelato and explore other nearby food spots in the shared space. Despite offering what many might call indulgent treats, all the options here feel surprisingly clean and high-quality – you can indulge without any guilt. Plus, the location right by the train tracks adds a quirky charm; every now and then a train passes by, giving the place an extra bit of local character.

Friendly Service and Extra Treats

The service at Dolce Gelato is excellent. The lady who helped me was super patient and friendly while I took my time deciding on flavors (everything looked amazing, so it was hard to choose!). The staff are attentive and happy to accommodate special requests. Pro Tips: • If you order a pastry (like the almond croissant), ask them to warm it up for you – it’s even more delicious that way. • Get a couple of the crispy waffle cones on the side of your gelato. These cones are light, perfectly crispy, and absolutely delicious, making a great little side snack.

In short, if you’re in San José and looking for top-tier gelato with a great atmosphere, make sure to visit Dolce Gelato. It combines incredible flavors with a fun setting, and it truly lives up to the hype as a...

2 stars because the gelato was actually pretty good. I ordered the brownie sundae and the brownie was garbage. They have some brownies that looked really good, but then those aren’t the ones that they use for the brownie sundae or maybe they are but only after they’ve been sitting out for probably a week, because it was tiny stale cubes and only a fraction (maybe 1/4) of the size of the brownies that they have on display. If I wanted to waste $6 on the baby scoop worth of Gelato that they give, then I would just walk up the street to Auto Mercado and spend $10 on a Ben & Jerry’s...

We loved this so much we came back twice in the same day!

We started with the maracuya and coconut ice creams which were the perfect combination and complement.

At night we tried the whisky brownie and salted caramel - both were delicious. You can really taste the alcohol and the burnt/bitter part of the salted caramel.

Staff was super friendly and the ice cream shop is located in a little food park which is an absolute vibe...