As temperatures rise, so does the desire for ice cream. Luckily for you, Marin has plenty of delicious ice cream shops offering a cool treat on a hot summer day. Whether you’re looking for sorbet, gelato, soft serve, or just a classic scoop of ice cream, Marin’s shops offer a wide variety of flavors and toppings to satisfy any palate.

No. 3: Silbermann’s Ice Cream

This classic ice cream store in San Rafael transports you right back in time with its old-fashioned feel and decor. Established in 1966, Silberman’s offers perhaps the widest selection of flavors out of the three stores, boasting at least ten variations of chocolate, and a constant rotation of seasonal flavors in addition to the more permanent ones. 

While ice cream is their primary offering, this vintage shop also offers malts, milkshakes, sundaes, splits, and ice cream cakes, all of which, like their ice cream, are made fresh in-house, adding to the overall appeal. The ice cream itself is nothing special, but it is delicious nonetheless. One of their more unique flavors, blackberry cheesecake, offers a tasty twist on this classic dessert with its creamy vanilla base and blackberry syrup swirled through the ice cream. 

With prices ranging from 5.50 dollars for a small single scoop to 13 dollars for a pint, Silbermann’s falls among the average rates for ice cream in the area. Silbermanns is a family-owned ice cream store, and while delicious, it does not stray from the norm, offering a classic yet inviting experience. With its delicious ice cream and enticing old-fashioned decor, this ice cream shop earns itself four out of five feathers.

No. 2: Swirl San Anselmo

Unlike the other ice cream shops on this list, Swirl offers a range of frozen yogurt and sorbet flavors rather than just traditional ice cream. Established in 1995 and located in San Anselmo, Swirl is a constant hub of activity throughout the year as students and community members alike seek their mouthwatering froyo. 

This shop stands out due to how customers serve themselves their own frozen yogurt and add their own toppings, offering the ability to customize your ice cream to your exact desire with the widest array of toppings from fresh fruit and popping boba to brownies and chocolate fudge. Once you have added all your toppings, you will then weigh your frozen yogurt to determine the price, which can vary drastically based on the weight of your frozen yogurt. 

The store itself offers a personal touch with the community, with TVs displaying photos of people of all ages in the community enjoying their froyo. This fun and experiential frozen yogurt shop earns 4.5 out of five feathers.

No. 1: Fairfax Scoop

Perhaps one of the most popular ice cream stores in Marin, Fairfax Scoop always has a line out the door, and for good reason. This spectacular ice cream shop goes above and beyond with fresh and warm homemade cones and creative flavors like ginger pineapple sorbet and cardamom. Established in 2003, this family-owned shop quickly rose to the top of people’s radar, becoming a cornerstone of the community. 

To add an element of surprise to their array of rotating flavors, Scoop also offers a flavor of the day, which was recently lemon shortbread. This spectacular combination of creamy and tart lemon ice cream paired with chunks of sweet shortbread replicated the flavors exactly, creating a symphony in your mouth. 

Not only do they have delicious ice cream, but they also show their commitment to sustainability and the environment by using plastic-free and compostable packaging, saving over 100,000 spoons and cups from landfills since 2019. Both the most delicious and the most affordable on our list, Fairfax Scoop earns the number one spot and five out of five feathers.