cafe babu — Restaurant in Nashville-Davidson

When Babu first opened, the entire town lined up like they were waiting for Taylor Swift tickets sold by the Pope. I refused. I don’t stand in line longer than 15 minutes unless I’m being handed immortality or a free mortgage.

Today, post yoga and spiritually fragile, I walked past and saw NO LINE. The ancestors whispered, “It is time.” I entered.

I asked for their finest elixir and received the house cardamom latte and the turkey–fig–brie sandwich.

The sandwich? Illegal. Emotionally destabilizing. I took one bite and felt my chakras crack open like pistachios. My skin cleared. My WiFi got faster. The state of my soul upgraded to Premium.

The cardamom latte? A warm, spiced apology for every disappointment I’ve ever faced(except that one girl in 9th grade) . If you grew up in Asia/Middle East, you know cardamom in coffee is not a luxury — it’s a constitutional right. I quit breastfeeding early because my mother didn’t season properly. Babu redeemed her.

Now. A quick note:

They asked for my name. I said Tarek. They wrote Darek. I guess I looked white-washed enough to earn a silent promotion. At this point, I’d like to formally request the matching interest rates, job callbacks, and HOA leniency of my fellow Dereks. If you’re gonna anglicize me , please follow through.

The staff? Ridiculously kind. They treated me like a baby squirrel learning to trust again.

The aesthetic? Imagine The Flintstones got into craft coffee and minimalism.

I entered a man. I exited a rebranded prophet...

Café Babu isn’t just a coffee shop—it’s a portal. One minute you’re on the street, the next you’re chilling in a dreamy Mediterranean grotto that somehow decided to moonlight as a pastry wizard’s lab. The vibe? Cozy Greek villa. The pastries? Legendary. The flavors? Like the Mediterranean, Middle East, and India threw a classy dinner party (and didn’t talk politics or religion).

We both went for the Babu Latte, and listen—this thing didn’t need to go that hard, but it did. Espresso with a whisper of cardamom, topped with frothed milk. Bonus? It came with a shard of baklava, just to make sure your soul fully ascended. To be fair, the small size was $7 each; but keep the dream alive: that price included your airfare to this Greek villa, after all.

Now let’s talk about the pain-au-chocolat. I’ve had the real deal in Paris, and somehow this one said “hold my beret” and delivered. Then there was this other pastry that looked like a frosted cinnamon roll, but tasted like the Cardamom Fairy had blessed it. It was soft, swirled, frosted, and unfairly good. Cardamom? Carda-yum!! (No cinnamon, but lovely subtle cardamom.)

Also, shoutout to the person behind the counter—super chill, knew her stuff, and didn’t judge our pastry pile. Great service to match an iconic spot.

10/10 would Babu again. And again! Just don’t make this place so popular that I...

Cafe Babu is an interesting destination and worth visiting at least once, but that may be all for us. The space, while thoughtfully and creatively designed, lacks functionality and flow. It may have been out of their control, but an exit at the other end of the shop would have helped so much with moving around. There's no easy way to navigate your way through the shop which can make waiting in line highly stressful. :(

The line moved quickly, thankfully, but then we learned it was a cashless establishment. It might not be a deal breaker for some, but it's always a bummer for other industry folks. The cashier was completely unsympathetic and lacked any warmth the entire time.

We ordered the house Babu latte to play it safe and while the $7.50 price point was steep, it included a little pastry sample so we let it go. After the oat milk up charge and tax, the total (without tip) was ~$10. That is the most expensive latte I've ever had in Nashville (Barista Parlor held the previous record)! To add salt, no pastry was included. :\

Three stars because the latte was really great and well-balanced, we also enjoyed the patio space so all in all, maybe a good place if you can walk there, but not super practical for...