An's Hatmakers — Restaurant in Del Mar

Wow, after reading about how An's Laundry is vying for one of the top 10 gelatos in the United States we were so excited to try it. I was very happy to see that there was a second and location , An's hatmakers, in Del Mar which is closer for us. We love gelato and have two top San Diego area favorites that are amazing, so thought this one would be amazing too. Also had feedback from two other friends about how delicious An's gelatos were. An's Hatmakers shop was clean and pleasant looking. There were seven fresh selections, but more flavors were available in the freezer near the checkout. Also, both counter workers there were welcoming and very nice and provided tastes readily. We both love coffee gelato, the stronger the better, and a good deep chocolate gelato also. A coffee whiskey shortbread combo was available as well as a chocolate that seems to have bits of chocolatey cookie or brownie in it. We also tasted a blueberry crumble. We both love blueberry and found that the taste was not very strong and a little sweeter than I prefer, so we each got a cup with two scoops, one chocolate and one coffee. Unfortunately, the coffee flavor was very weak and the gelato was very sweet, and I did not enjoy the crumbled shortbread in it at all. The chocolate had a pretty good chocolatey flavor, but also had a lot of the chocolatey brownie cookie crumble and was also extremely sweet. About the time I came to this conclusion, my companion voiced the exact same disappointment. We had both eaten about 20% and decided we didn't want anymore, despite the cost, which was $15 for both. Ironically, where we were sitting outside, someone had left a paper cup with two spoons in it that was almost full of a melted chocolatey looking gelato at the next table, clearly not wanting to finish that either. So overall, we were super disappointed in the weak flavor and overly sweet taste of all three flavors that we had tasted, including the blueberry taste. We think our two favorite area gelato shops, both of which also make and serve homemade gelatos fresh daily, are so much better than the ones we had tonight. This is not a negative review of this business, clearly people have different tastes so if you like very sweet gelato and you like textured cookie crumbs mixed in with it you might really love this gelato, but...

Food: 5/5 Service and Setting: 5/5 Value: 3/5

An’s Hatmakers is located on the street level of the Del Mar Plaza. Loving their sister location, An’s Dry Cleaning, I came here for a similar experience and easier parking. Parking looks deceptively difficult, but there is a dedicated parking lot for the plaza. Going inside, the interior is homey and full of rich warm woody tones. Retro yet modern without being nauseatingly Pinterest-inspired, the shop was aesthetic and comfy. The person helping us was very nice and allowed us to try all of the flavors of gelato before we made our selection. Service, vibes, and food were all immaculate.

Fascinator: 5/5 An all strawberry sorbet, the Fascinator was rich and velvety without any dairy. Each bite felt like you were eating the sweetest and freshest strawberry with a slight tart note in the back as you would expect with fresh fruit. A little bit too sweet for my taste, it is great to pair with a more subdued flavor. Deeply decadent while being refreshing.

Sashiko: 5/5 Named after a Japanese stitching technique, Sashiko marries green tea and pistachio to create another delicious combination. Again, dairy free, Sashiko is a very smart combination. The pistachios cover the bitter grassy notes that green tea tends to have while amplifying the smoother and roasted flavors that pair well in gelato form. The pistachios also give the gelato a slightly grainy texture, sort of like almond flour in macarons but I enjoyed the textural contrast. Not at all icy and not too sweet at all. Surprisingly sophisticated while being easy to enjoy, Sashiko...

I've been a loyal customer of An's Gelato & Dry Cleaning for about four years now. My family and I visited regularly when this spot was still relatively unknown, with short lines and the delightful fluff-and-fold ice cream bins—we truly felt like original fans. While we absolutely love the original Dry Cleaning location, our recent visits to the Hatmaker location have been disappointing.

On our last two visits, the customer service has significantly declined. The servers offering the "flavor tour" have been unfriendly and inattentive. During our previous visit, the server seemed annoyed, making the experience uncomfortable. This time around, while the flavor tour was slightly better, the issue arose when I received my "Party Hat" cone—it was broken. When I pointed this out to the server, she initially dismissed it, saying it was "fine." Only after I clarified that I would prefer a replacement did she reluctantly change it. Even then, she transferred the same small serving into a cup and placed an empty cone on top, which defeats the purpose of ordering a cone.

Additionally, the portion served for $9 was disappointingly small—barely enough for even one person. While the gelato itself remains delicious, the quality of customer service at the Hatmaker location desperately needs improvement. As a longstanding customer, it’s disheartening to see the experience decline so much. I sincerely request the management address these service issues promptly, as continued poor experiences could negatively affect...