Gelato Paradiso — Restaurant in Laguna Beach

The weather was just right for some good gelato & I was pleasantly surprised at the results!

Coming to Gelato Paradiso as mentioned in the initial email, parking is a bit tougher on the weekends as well as a decent sized line! I was lucky to find some parking, but would advise anyone coming here on the weekends to look for parking a bit further away rather than at the parking lot right next to the plaza. The line was a little confusing at first, but I'd head towards the PCH side to usually find the end of the line and ask around as well (people were pretty nice and had a cute shiba in front of me to keep me entertained during the wait). Did note too that mask wearing was definitely super variable as a heads-up. The plaza itself is super homely and European // loved walking through and observing some of the other shops (including a very tempting chocolate shop that of course had their doors wide open for us to smell all the chocolate inside).

Once you get to the shop entrance, there's a board with all the flavors / pricing awaiting you so you can make some quick decisions when you're inside. They are pretty good about social distancing once you're inside with everyone masked up and pretty quick about getting you through the experience without feeling like you're rushed. Don't forget that they have a tip jar too! Everyone inside was super nice.

I got the piccolo (smallest cup) which you can pack in up to 4 flavors. I got 3 - the coffee / pistachio / mint. Excellent is definitely the word I'd like to use. It wasn't overly sweet and had a nice texture and flavor. Haven't had gelato in forever and definitely scratched that itch! The chocolate chips were plentiful as well as the pistachio nuts in each of those flavors. Plus I got to walk around the town with the beautiful sunset to...

Gelato is good, store is cute BUT when I went in the other day the girl at the front tipped herself without my consent. As I was at the front I was paying for my gelato I was putting my phone up to pay and then so I didn’t forget I grabbed some napkins on the side of the counter because I knew the gelato would melt everywhere. While I was grabbing the napkins she tapped something on the cashier screen thing and after I grabbed the napkins I looked at the screen and there was no tipping option and sometimes with apple pay it skips the tipping option for some reason and I didn’t have cash either so I just thought there was no tipping option. I had been there before (using a physical card) and I’ve left a tip so I thought it was a bit odd. It wasn’t untill I got back in my car that I looked at my bank notification and it charged about probably 18ish percent more than what the gelato costed. 2$ isn’t that deep for me to get back out of the car and walk 10 minutes to go complain but for me it was the principle of it. I do tip BUT even if I didn’t it’s not the cashier’s place to tip themselves without consent, it’s stealing. Tipping is a kind act, not an obligation. To the cashier who tips themselves, do better, you’re not as slick as you...

Gelato Paradiso at Laguna’s Main Beach is the real deal – think authentic, small-batch Italian gelato crafted fresh each morning from Sicilian recipes.

Here's my take:

Flavor & texture: Silky, creamy, and richly flavored – pistachio, hazelnut, and strawberry cheesecake are popular and truly hit the mark.

Portions & pricing: Generous scoops—one cone can fit three flavors for around \

7–\\

Atmosphere: Tucked in a charming alley off Coast Hwy, the place is small and often has a line, but the wait moves fast and the vibe is cozy.

Service: Staff are friendly and let you sample flavors before deciding – a nice touch.

Local love: Yelp averages a 4.6–4.8⭐ rating from over a thousand reviews, and locals on Reddit praise it as “the closest you’ll get to Italy” in OC.

My personal verdict: It’s my go-to reward after a beach stroll, perfectly creamy gelato, plenty of flavors, and that classic seaside alley charm. Sure, it’s touristy and lines form, but it's absolutely worth it. Just go a little earlier to avoid the midday rush and don’t forget to grab a waffle cone and stroll down to the sand while...