Cafe Cremerie — Restaurant in Chicago

My best friend and I stumbled upon this cafe on Sunday during a shopping day and were so excited to try a new spot for an afternoon pick-me-up. We ordered two espresso martinis and two cake bites.

While waiting, we found a cozy table in the back and enjoyed the beautiful atmosphere along with the cake bites, which were absolutely delicious. At that point, we were thrilled to have discovered such a gem.

When our martinis were ready, I went up to grab them and noticed there were three instead of the two we ordered. I let the bartender know, and they told me they had been instructed to make three and insisted I take them. It felt like a happy little mix-up, so I brought all three back to the table and shared the story with my friend.

Unfortunately, what started as a great experience quickly turned sour. About five minutes later, another server—who we had not interacted with—came stomping over to our table and asked, “Didn’t you only order two martinis?” Her tone was shockingly accusatory, as if we had tried to get away with something. I started to explain what had happened, but she cut me off mid-sentence, snatched the untouched martini off the table, and said, “Well, this one isn’t for you,” before walking away without a word of apology. It was rude, uncomfortable, and unnecessarily confrontational.

To make matters worse, we realized the extra martini wasn’t remade for the guests it actually belonged to—they tried to serve them the same one that had been sitting on our table for several minutes. That felt completely unsanitary and unprofessional.

Instead of owning the miscommunication between staff, they made us—the customers—feel at fault. It left us feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable in what should have been a fun, relaxing stop. Even other guests sitting nearby commented to us on their way out that the way it was handled was uncalled for.

Overall, while the space and food were lovely, the way the situation was handled by staff completely ruined...

I booked Cafe Cremerie's Sofa Spread experience through Open Table. It was a surprise for my fiancé, celebrating her birthday and our 1-year engagement anniversary. The experience looked fantastic, maybe even perfect!

But it was largely disappointing.

First, Cafe Cremerie’s reservation system was broken, so they were not prepared for us. It’s a small cafe with minimal staff, which typically makes for a very authentic and great atmosphere, but they shouldn’t offer reservations in this situation. Poor service.

Second, the food is hardly worth the value. Small pastries at a high price. We ended up paying $85 for the two coffees, small savory items, and small desserts (see photos). The Sofa Spread experience is advertised as $30 per person, not including surcharge and a tip. Although accurately advertised, the $25 markup is high. We assumed the "experience" would be deserving of a tip. It was not.

Third, the #Sofa Spread experience, as advertised on Open Table, is hardly an experience. It's more of an odd deal where you can make a reservation at a typical, small coffee shop. So, if you book one of their "experiences," don't expect it to be anything special. Rather, just treat it like a regular coffee shop where you get your own coffee and maybe a snack or two.

I should have walked out the moment they said the reservation system had been broken. Make of it what you will ¯(ツ)/¯

Bottom line: Cafe Creamerie has a cute atmosphere and pretty decent coffee. Do not reserve the Sofa Spread experience, or maybe any of the other experiences. It’s a...

Got a latte, the creme brulee, and the selva nera cake. The selva nera was great, the crème brulee was more like a flan but tasty, and the latte wasn’t bad. The ambiance was very nice with a strong selection of pastries.

Unfortunately, the service was not very attentive and there was no seating available for us. There are very few tables, though I’m sure more are open in the back area when the weather is warmer.

The lack of comfortable seating and some details such as the latte being served in a paper rather than ceramic cup really detracts from the European theme. We were not the only people standing with paper cups at the entrance, while longing for a European cafe experience.

It seemed like it would be possible to have more tables and a more elegant presentation if there were more prioritization. The offerings vary from pastries and cakes to gelato to alcoholic beverages, to coffee, and even souvenirs/merchandise. For a location of this size, besides the European overall theme, it appears that Cafe Cremerie can’t quite decide what it wants to be; at least it isn’t being sufficiently decisive for the size...