Café Crèmerie Fulton Market Review: The Affogato That Stopped Our NeoCon Walk
Café Crèmerie Fulton Market Review: The Affogato That Stopped Our NeoCon Walk
There are certain words that immediately get your attention when you’re walking around Chicago.
Pizza.
Beer.
Tacos.
And on this particular day after wandering Fulton Market during NeoCon, the word was Gelato.
That one sign was enough to pull us through the door of Café Crèmerie.
Located at 315 N. Green Street in Fulton Market, Café Crèmerie has become one of the neighborhood’s stylish coffee and dessert destinations. The café also operates a second Chicago location in River North, bringing its combination of espresso drinks, pastries, gelato, bomboloni, macarons, and Italian-inspired treats to two of the city’s busiest districts.
The NeoCon Detour
After spending the day walking showrooms, checking out furniture displays, and putting miles on our feet during NeoCon, we spotted the sign advertising gelato and coffee.
At that point the decision was already made.
We were going in.
The space itself feels exactly like something you’d expect to find in modern Fulton Market. Clean lines, soft colors, polished finishes, and enough seating for people looking to either grab a quick coffee or spend some time working.
It’s sleek without feeling cold.
The neighborhood is full of design firms, architects, creatives, and business professionals, and Café Crèmerie feels built specifically for that crowd.
The Affogatos
Naturally we ordered affogatos.
Because if a place specializes in both espresso and gelato, that’s basically the mandatory order.
We tried two versions:
Pistachio Affogato
Mint Chip Affogato
For anyone unfamiliar, an affogato is one of the simplest and greatest inventions ever created. Hot espresso poured over cold gelato creates a dessert that somehow works as both coffee and ice cream at the same time.
The pistachio delivered that rich nutty flavor that works perfectly with espresso.
The mint chip offered a refreshing contrast and felt almost like an elevated version of the mint chocolate desserts most of us grew up eating.
Neither disappointed.
The Surprise Winner: Baby Cakes
Then came the baby cakes.
A small assortment featuring flavors including:
Chocolate
Vanilla
Lemon
Orange
And while all of them were good, there was a clear winner.
Orange.
Sometimes citrus desserts can be overpowering or artificial tasting.
This wasn’t.
The orange flavor was bright, balanced, and refreshing without becoming overly sweet. Out of the entire box it disappeared first.
That usually tells you everything you need to know.
Pastries Worth Looking At
One thing that stood out immediately was the pastry case.
Rows of bomboloni, croissants, danishes, cinnamon swirls, macarons, sandwiches, and other baked goods lined the display.
Honestly, it was the kind of pastry case that makes you start mentally justifying buying things you had absolutely no intention of ordering five minutes earlier.
“Well, technically this is research.”
We’ve all done it.
Coffee, Gelato, and Fulton Market
What makes Café Crèmerie work is that it doesn’t try to be just one thing.
It’s a coffee shop.
It’s a dessert spot.
It’s a pastry café.
It’s a quick meeting place.
It’s somewhere you can stop after walking Fulton Market and reward yourself for pretending exercise was the reason you were there.
The espresso pairs well with the gelato, the desserts complement the coffee menu, and the entire experience feels designed around slowing down for a few minutes before heading back into the city.
Café Crèmerie was one of those accidental discoveries that ended up becoming one of the highlights of our Fulton Market walk.
The affogatos were exactly what we hoped for, the gelato was excellent, the pastry selection looked dangerous to our waistlines, and the orange baby cake unexpectedly stole the show.
If you’re attending NeoCon, exploring Fulton Market, looking for Italian pastries, hunting for a good affogato, or simply want a coffee break with something sweet, Café Crèmerie is worth putting on your Chicago list.
Fulton Market Location: 315 N. Green Street, Chicago, IL 60607
River North Location: 615 N. State Street, Chicago, IL 60654
Must Try: Affogato, Pistachio Gelato, Mint Chip Gelato, Bomboloni, Macarons, Baby Cakes
Winner of the Day: Orange Baby Cake
