Froyomind

Atmosphere. San Diego is notorious for being laid back, casual, and downright beach-y. Yes,beach-y. Think flip flops, shorts, and beach cruiser bikes… no sense of urgency, little or less stress, and a whole lot of sun.

And it makes sense that you will find a moment of serenity from a frozen yogurt store found down in San Diego. Located on the cusp of Hillcrest, meet Dolce Freddo.

Neighborhood: Hillcrest
3739 6th Ave
Ste C
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 299-9387
12:00 - 11:00 pm

While at first glance you might mistaken the name for high-end Italian wear, Dolce Freddo stands for frozen yogurt: cold, sweet, and refreshing. Flavors include plain, chocolate, mango, and green tea. Toppings are-a-plenty, and actually fresh! That’s right, none of that stuff from out of a can.

The best part of Dolce Freddo is the ambiance of the store. There is plenty of seating, you don’t have to yell over loud obnoxious music, and it’s probably one of the cleanest frozen yogurt stores in California. If you’re looking for a place to catch up with friends, or even take a solo break with your laptop, this is a cute and relaxing place to hang out.

Now onto the frozen yogurt.

The plain is subtle, non-offensive, and can potentially work well with a variety of toppings. I didn’t find their yogurt to be as tart or creamy as some of the other yogurts we’ve experienced, but truth in point, not everyone is a fan of tart. I’m actually a big fan of tart so I would probably go with an alternative flavor.

Green tea is tough to critique. As we’ve seen the explosion of green tea in the drink world - Jamba’s own Green Matcha, Tea Station’s Green Milk Tea, and even Starbucks’ Green Tea Frap… as much of its health is touted, the exotic flavor of green tea can fluctuate immensely. The simple fact is, green tea almost never tastes identical across multiple food types, some absorb more of the actual authentic tea flavor than others. I personally thought Dolce Freddo’s green tea was pleasing, it didn’t leave a strong aftertaste as some others do.

The Mango was by far my favorite. It wasn’t too sweet, and delightful bite after bite.

Toppings get a grade A in my book - everything was fresh and well-presented, and variety is always key. They offer the usual suspects from granola to an assortment of fruits, and I suddenly grew a liking to their mini gummy bears. Although be warned, after a few minutes gummy bears are susceptible to a frozen state. No biggie, that just means you should eat your gummies first!

Mochi also gets my seal of approval - it’s the same exact mochi Pinkberry fans have been known to crave… that soft white goodness akin to little white pillows of heaven. Yes, I admit I always give in to good mochi.

The service is sincere, coming from a mom+pop’s type of store - you don’t feel the pressures of corporate vibes here.

And another bonus - shaved ice! When they say shaved ice, they mean it - they hook you up with sizable portions good to share with your loved ones. Quite a treat for a hot day, if a frozen yogurt isn’t quite enough. Their shaved ice also mixes in a helping of frozen yogurt.

Nearby students or Hillcrest fans can retreat here and enjoy frozen yogurt as well as the atmosphere.