Tango Gelato

Gawd, finally!

The only Argentinian artisan gelato shop in SF has now CLOSED. I don’t even follow the froyo trend, so it doesn’t really matter to me. Other than local employees losing their jobs this year.
Yes, I have sampled their gelato. But don’t remember anything about it. And never tried the sandwiches. Really, who wants to eat gelato when most of the time it’s so cold outdoors.

I LOVE Tango Gelato !!! They have so many different flavors and sometimes they even have the most unexpected ones like Lemon Basil and Lavender! My favorite flavor has always been HAZELNUT!!! (OMG, I’m drooling just by thinking of it …) It’s the best hazelnut gelato I’ve ever had! Last time I had the combination of Hazelnut, chocolate and raspberry cream, and it turned out to taste super amazing together !!! I usually don’t get chocolate because I thought it’s so easy to be found from any ice cream or gelato place, but their chocolate gelato was totally beyond my expectation! It was so delicious!!! After all, Tango Gelato has become a «must go» stop whenever I have visitors coming to town. I like how they open late so I can take my families and friends to enjoy a little sweet treat after dinner!

I love this cute spot on Fillmore! They have a great selection of fantastic flavors (think White Chocolate, Biscotti, Lemon Ricotta) and are a cheaper, less pretentious alternative to Fraiche across the street.
This place has a soft space in my heart for 2 reasons:
1) Their chalkboard, with the various gelato size options, used to include (in addition to the standard Sm, Med and Lg) a «Bathtub size» (price upon request)
2) They have a cute selection of boardgames for you to take advantage of as you enjoy your gelato. Great date place.

On a rainy humid day after walking down Fillmore, we decided to stop for some gelato. I got the Chico (small) size with Mint Chocolate Chip (made of real mint) and Café Chip. The Mint Chocolate Chip was my favorite! I loved the subtle flavors of the mint. Looks like they have some unique flavors based on other Unilocal reviews.

I was here for San Francisco Fleet Week and me and my fellow Chiefs were walking from Japantown looking for some desert. I trusted Unilocal to direct us to something that was unique and a must try and we landed here at Tango Gelato! I will have to say that for me, gelato is the new hotness and once I got a hold of their Cookies and Cream, it was to die for! The best thing about it was that it had like cookies AND oreo cookies mixed in. I was literally in heaven. It is sad that I don’t live in San Francisco, because I would be here probably at least once a week if not more!
Small quaint place with outstanding customer service. Clean and great huge board above the gelato to order from. There was other stuff to eat there too, so I would love to go back and try the rest!

Yet another place that will force me to keep working out as much as I do. Feeling a bit hungry (and hot) as I was strolling down Fillmore, I felt the need to get some gelato. Luckily I remembered that this place existed, so I popped in for a quick snack. I got a small with half chocolate, half cookies and crème. Yummy!!! Great combo, if I do say so myself. I like that they use chocolate chip cookies rather than oreos for their cookies and crème. I do wish that they had a more extensive flavor selection, but seriously, who am I kidding? I will probably get the same flavor every time anyway. Then again, if they offer other flavors in the future, I may try them (mixed with chocolate of course).

3 words… RICOTTA LEMON ZEST.
the most amazing luscious finger lickin gelato on a waffle cone goodness that one will EVER have!!!
i’m hooked. i’m addicted. just give me the whole container… and i’ll nom nom it all by myself. mmmMmmMm…

It was a rare, gorgeous day in San Francisco and what better way to celebrate it than with some ice cold, delicious gelato at a cute place on the Fillmore?
My friends and I were around the Japantown area, so thanks to Unilocal,we searched for gelato places and Tango Gelato was the first to come up. And thank goodness for that! I ordered the single cup with two flavors: almond delight & chocolate hazelnut. Man, oh man, the almond delight was SO GOOD and the chocolate hazelnut was yummy as well. Not to mention, the outside area was nicely set up as well. Perfect for the sunny weather. It was really comfortable, just sitting at the tables, eating gelato and people watching.
I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend a lazy afternoon.

Not only this is the best Gelato in San Francisco, the service is simply impeccable. But let’s start with the Gelato: there are many flavors to choose from and they keep changing as well! My favorite is the chocolate chip… Sooooo good!
Now let’s move to the service — Ziv, the owner, created such an inviting environment, it’s hard not to stick around for a while. You can use the free wi-​fi, play game boards, or read the newspaper all while enjoying great Gelato. I always feel welcomed at Tango Gelato and once you come in once or twice you’ll also be greeted as if you were a long time customer.
What a great neighborhood gem. I highly recommend this place!

(See pics)
What’s good on a fairly chilly windy rainy evening after a good dinner and need something to sweeten up? Gelato at a totally heated dessert place!
I already saw it on our way to a restaurant and made a mental note to come by afterwards. Also, the night before I already saw this place on iPhone Unilocal and wanted to visit but they close at 11pm, too late after going to a ballet performance.
The guy over there was proud of his gelato. I really respect those who love what they do as they do it with pride.
I got the signature dulce de leche (caramel) and it was very good. Lavender was very nice and perky that makes you feel comforting and uplifted at the same time. The chocolate hazelnut (Gianduia) was also pretty good and not strong. All were creamy, softly to melt so slowly. It soothes up a stormy evening outside like a serenade.
The inside mellow beige tone tables that have the cute pictures on them as decoration, and the tile style very colourful paintings and some cute wall decorations were perfect for this shop. It transported you to a different latitude as you infuse in a great conversation.
They also serve cookies, panini, smoothies and pizzas that I will check out next time I come visit. Pretty versatile but looking at just the name and the outside decoration it’s hard to know if not walking inside.

This is like my second home in the city.
If I had a hard day/​week, I will come here and my day would turn into one of the better ones. The gelato, the atmosphere and even most of the food selections. I’ve been coming here whenever I can for almost 2 years now.
I always start with gelato of any two kinds in the chico-​sized cup, then see what else attracts me. Sure, my favorite is dulce de leche, but I love everything here… (except the pumpkin flavor during Thanksgiving. I just can’t take pumpkin and any kinda food made out of it…)
From gelato, I have moved on to empanadas (chicken or beef, comes with Ziv’s all-​so-​proud Asian dressing salad), cookies, brownies, coffee, tea and soda.
Ziv (FYI, he runs this place) is really great to talk to, and nice to everyone in any occasion. He is often too nice to talk to. Now that I’ve befriended him, it’s hard to come here just to read or study alone while looking at the people walking on Fillmore. Not complaining. Just stating a fact. I’d be tempted to hang out with him even if I had brought things to read, etc.
Sure, these days frozen yogurt is kinda hip: Fraiche, Red Mango, and Pinkberry, etc.
BLAH BLAH BLAH YADDA YADDA YADDA.
Nothing beats the old school beauty of gelato and cozy café in Tango Gelato. They re-​did the paints and got new tables/​chairs recently, which make things even better.
Still not sure how good and well-​regarded this place is? Type TANGO in the Unilocal search bar… Tango Gelato is the 2^nd in the recommended list. Enuf said.

Sweet gelato dispensary.
If you’re in the mood for something else, Tango Gelato offers cakes, cookies, and more substantial options like pizza, paninis and empanadas. There’s an assortment of hot caffeinated drinks, too. On top of their decent gelato selection, they have free WiFi — what’s not to like?
It’s cozy (perfect for escaping the rain), with seating for a light crowd.
Shared a small cup of gelato with several scoops, including chocolate chip, and a coffee-​flavored one (about $ 3.50?; cash only). The gelato wasn’t mind-​blowing, but plenty good.

Good flavors but I wish there was a bigger selection!
We got a medium with strawberry sorbet, green tea, and crème brûlée. The strawberry was definitely the best and you could taste the fresh strawberries — pits and all. The crème brûlée had a nice creamy texture while the green tea was just okay.
Plus points for the cool bench/​counter setup they have on each side of the entrance door. It’s a nice use of space and was really cozy.

4 Stars
+ Free Wi-​Fi
— Cash Only
After having lunch and smoking Hookah with big sis, we came to Tango Gelato for dessert. There were some pretty interesting flavors to choose from such as Candied Fruits (seasonal), Thai Tea, Cinnamon, Pumpkin, etc.
Bonnie and I shared a Chico (Small) Gelato with 2 flavors: Cinnamon and Chocolate Orange. The cinnamon had the perfect amount of sweetness but could have used a bit more spice. The chocolate orange was bitter sweet. Loved how the aroma of the orange hits you at the end. Total was $ 3.50 plus tax.
I’m looking forward to try something new flavors on my next visit :)
[DAY WITH BIG SIS — II]

My friend and I were just having a nice girl’s day and walking up toward Marc by Marc Jacobs and we passed by this little shop! I love gelato, so we decided to get a Grande gelato with Cream Brulee, Hazelnut chocolate, and thai tea!
I love the cream brulee! and the thai tea was really good, too! But it doesn’t really taste like the real thai tea! hazelnut kinda taste like espresso.
I especially liked the gelato cup! It was so cute! But too bad we couldn’t bring it home because the stupid security guard @ Marc by Marc Jacobs forced us to finish and throw away the cup!

I was taking a slow stroll up and down Fillmore and all of a sudden something caught my eyes. No, it wasn’t the cute ambiance that had all the supportive elements to help someone make a good impression on a first date. No, it wasn’t their colorful gelati that were aimed to attract the most discriminating palates among children and their parents alike. No, it wasn’t the festive foot traffic that was appropriate for an afternoon of people watching. No, it wasn’t the size of the boutique because the doorway was as skinny as some of the most fashionable jeans that could be seen in Pacific Heights.
What got my attention was the little sign on the window that says «free wifi». Simple message and yet powerfully motivating that I had to bust out my laptop for an afternoon of work. In addition to all the characteristics described above, the atmosphere was laid back and once in a while the presence of small children with dainty chico cups running in circles around their parents adds to the charm.
The wifi certainly did not disappoint. However, what made my afternoon such a worthy experience was their pleasant ambiance and good food. My hisbiscus iced tea ($ 2.50) came unsweetened with the essence of hisbiscus nicely steeped on the sweet side without it being undesirably tart or sour. My custom ordered panino ($ 6.50) came with warm focassia bread, thin turkey slices, artichoke spread, basil, and thick hearty provolone. The presence of the basil leafs gave it a sweet sharp flavor but I wished I had requested tomatoes to add to its taste. I thought the generous side of fresh greens with some very tasty balsamic vinaigrette was delightful; and the portions were surprisingly huge where two could have easily shared.
To finish off the night, I had their medium size gelati ($ 4.75) with mint chocolate chip, hazelnut, and café chip. Prior to making a decision I also sampled their banana, mango, and strawberry cream and decided to skip their fruit flavors all together. The decision paid off as the gelati were fluffy and light with good cocoa presence as the common thread that brought the little dessert into a refreshing focus. Although the price was high for the tiny cup, I thought their edgy flavors such as ginger vanilla and lemon basil are worthwhile for those looking for an adventure.
If there were limitations to my experience it would be the following three things: First, I saw the server nibbled off their basil plant to make my panino and I wished he could have rinsed off the leaves before adding them to my food. Secondly, I thought they could be more vigilant in keeping the door shut as the place got pretty chilly once the sun disappeared. Finally, it was unclear to me why I was charged full price for the gelato when other reviewers had received it as a part of their panino purchase (See Karen C’s review and the bottom of my picture as proof:
).
Had I known about this in advance, I would have settled for whatever gelato that automatically come with the purchase. Other than that, it was a good visit as I was able to make use of the space to get a few things done. Service was very friendly, personable, and accommodating at the time but maybe we miscommunicated. Initially an excitable 4 stars experience but they lost some credibility by mishandling my gelato.
Disappointed, I won’t be coming back.

For a $ 3.50 chico size cup, you can get 1 – 2 flavors.
Go wild.
Mix peanut butter with pistachio.
or Mango with raspberry.
or Café Chip with Chocolate.
Yum!
I didn’t finish my chico size Mango gelato, not because it wasn’t good, but because my tongue was getting numb from eating spoonfuls of it.
I’ve decided, that today, is not the day to get frostbite.

My favorite gelato place in the city. They have a small selection but I don’t mind since I usually always get Strawberry. Though one time I went, they didn’t have Strawberry, which was kind of surprising because who doesn’t like Strawberry?! Okay my bf doesn’t, but anyway, I went for something else and it was still good so no biggie.
The cups look small but they pack it in, so you end up with more than you expect. I usually get the small which is about $ 4. The service is okay, they do what they are paid for. The thing I love about the place are the bench seats by the window, very cozy if you want to take a date there.

Yummy!