SumitrA Espresso Lounge + — Restaurant in Gulfport

One of my happy places in Tampa Bay -- had been a while since I came (maybe 2 years?!). SO much joy to be back and know every detail I loved about it still stands.

Staff still as lovely as ever. Beautifully made coffees and hot chocolates. Their Mayan cacao elixirs are still as strong, as flavorful as I remember. Got the chocolatte this time with the Mayan full spice blend and oat milk: PERFECT. I was worried maybe the oat milk wouldn't stand the heat, but it was still a beautifully creamy hot drink.

I also decided to try food as their sesame chili shrimp croissant sounded unique and delicious. Croissant had that perfect flakyness and standout buttery flavor you expect of a great croissant. As for the filling, I was expecting a more intense, bolder flavor - it was still tasty, but I'd use more of that unique sauce/dressing in future batches so the unique sesame chili flavor can stand out against the strong buttery flavor of the croissant. The shrimps were big and perfectly cooked though, so no complains there!

Ambiance ALWAYSSSS on point here. Gosh, PEACE. Peace to lightly chat, peace to work. You'll get the random louder type of customer at the counter, but they usually end up sitting outside. Otherwise, a beautiful Moroccan-style cafe interior with cushions, comfy couches, and gorgeous furniture. Light, easy-listening jazz at the right volume beautifully wraps up the ambiance of Sumitra.

There's also outdoor seating, which is perfect for people watching. There's plenty of shade between the generous awning of the bldg. and large umbrellas on the other side of the sidewalk.

All in all, the perfect cafe you've been looking for! Highly...

Stopped by today - moderately busy, but still places left to sit. Clean. Pleasant service without an extended wait. One of our two coffees made incorrectly, and that one was just a cold brew with a shot of syrup...which was missing. Not worth the drama to ask for a remake and we still had a relaxing visit. As is most people's custom, we went to drop our cups in the bus pan near the counter. One of the team members was standing chatting with the table that's almost up against the service counter, so we couldn't reach the pan... and even though we were standing right there she couldn't be bothered to take a break from her personal conversation (and stroking her belly) to acknowledge our presence and either move or take them from us. Either would have worked, but mebbe talking and adjusting her crop top maxed out her abilities? Dunno. We patiently waited what we thought was an appropriate amount of time to be acknowledged, but no joy - we finally just left them on the window table. We're good with the relaxed vibe, but.. come on. Yeah, we're just old hippes - and so not as cool as your nouveau hippie friends - but we deserve to be acknowledged.

Re the response - thanks for letting us know how we're wrong. No worries, we won't ever try to clean our own table again. And perhaps that wasn't your team member , but she certainly was behind the counter when we were...

This is hands down the most AMAZING coffee shop I have ever been to!!! Maurice recommended a wonderful hot cacao drink made from a 3,000 year old recipe. I about died when I took my first sip (in a good way)! All drinks and pastries offered here are of purest intention and energy. The owner Maurice is one of a kind and so incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about his coffee, cacao, and every ingredient used for the drinks and pastries. Majority of the pastries are gluten free and many vegan options. Only the finest coffee beans from Women owned farms are used here. The sugars utilized are date and coconut sugars. Maurice gave me an informative lesson about coffee beans and why light and medium roast coffee cause things like heart palpitations, anxiety and adrenal crashes. He recommended trying only a dark roast for people (like me) sensitive to most coffee and caffeine and explained in detail why that is. I am sad to have only found this shop a day before I leave the area but will be back here in the morning. I wish I could take Maurice and his shop back home with me! Thank you to Maurice and his coffee...