Morning coffee and tea with a pastry! Two Raisin Danishes, a Grim Steeper, and a Applely Ever After…read morehot beverages.

Finally came back to check out a different drink. Ended up getting the London Calling Latte, which…read morewas much better. I have tried a latte with honey and sea salt before; that one I didn't like but this one was much better. Like last time, pretty fast & friendly service. Coffee place seems nice and calm; I would come back and work next time! Note: London Calling Latte is usually made with oat milk but I ordered mine with whole milk.

I stopped by Intelligentsia Coffee and really enjoyed it. I ordered a matcha latte with almond milk…read moreand my husband got a cappuccino with oat milk. Both were excellent. I appreciated that the matcha can be customized. You can choose sweetened or unsweetened and even adjust the matcha strength. Since I am sensitive to caffeine I chose light matcha and it was perfect. Smooth flavor and not overly sweet. The cafe is also a really nice place to sit for a bit. There are big tables and lots of natural light which makes it feel relaxed and comfortable. The staff were nice and the drinks came out quickly. Great spot for a quality matcha or coffee in the area. I would definitely come back.

I was already skeptic about coffee shops in the Loop, especially big chains like this but my…read morefriends & I were in desperate need of caffeine and this was the closest spot...we should have just pushed through without the caffeine. First off, the staff were nice so this review does not have to do with them. It has everything to do with the atrocious, offensive liquid that they dare call coffee. When you walk in, the space is small, humid, and dirty. The tables were all sticky with drink residue and crumbs everywhere. It's the Loop so I'll give some grace but it was pretty unpleasant. We ordered the strawberry matcha and vanilla latte. The matcha came out murky green with an attempt of making it look nice with a chaotic splattering of strawberry puree/sauce (?). It tasted like it looked...trash. You might be wondering, "Well why would you order a matcha here?" And you would be correct. In my defense, you would think that if there is a drink on the menu, it would at least be somewhat good but now that I think about it, that might be too much to ask. Now to my #1 gripe, the latte. It was watery and nearly flavorless aside from the diabolical acidic taste that assaulted my tastebuds. For context, we HATE wasting food/drink; I could probably count on one hand how many times I've done that in my life. We threw away the lattes after a few forced sips; that should tell you how nasty it was. Bad coffee, bad drinks, it happens. But paying ~$8 for each drink really does rub salt in the wound. I will NEVER drink Intelligentsia coffee again. In the grand scheme of things, my review doesn't matter but if I can warn at least one other person about the atrocities this company commits to coffee/matcha, then maybe it will make up for the waste of money & time I spent here.

Got the hot honey oat latte. This latte was amazing. Super nutty with a nice foam on top, and the…read moreflavor was really balanced. Not too sweet with the perfect amount of bitterness. The space is cute but on the smaller side, so not ideal for long stays. Service was great though, the server was smiling and really welcoming. They're known for their Italian-style coffee blending, using beans from different regions around the world to create a more balanced and complex flavor, which you can definitely taste in the drink.

Caffe Umbria was exactly what I needed that morning. It was cold, wet and I wanted something hot,…read moresimple as that. Small and cozy spot. The kind of place where you slow down without trying. The staff was genuinely nice too. Asked how my day was and even recommended couple of pastries. I ordered a hot chocolate with an almond blueberry financier. The hot chocolate was honestly perfect. Rich but not heavy. You get that dark chocolate hit first, then it smooths out. Creamy. Warm in the right way. The financier was great. Nutty from the almonds, little bursts of blueberry, soft but not mushy. I dipped it into the hot chocolate (had to), and yeah... even better. No regrets there. It's a small place, but if you get there early, you might grab a seat with a really nice city view. Worth it. I'll definitely be back. Especially now that I know there's a solid hot chocolate spot right nearby.

Usually I left a couple days after my visit to write my review, but this time I could not wait!…read moreIt almost NEVER when my husband eats cake, because he is lactose intolerant. He picked the chocolate coconut slice. Not only he likes it, he gave it a 5/5! He was like "it's moist. It's chocolate! it's coconuty! Great balance!". He never give such score on cake, let alone a full sentence review (he is man of few words. He usually devour the whole thing before you get to taste/try it, or automatically push his food to your plate type...)

Cute café with good coffee (4/5 Green Stars) I visited Café…read moreCrèmerie twice in one day. Once for lunch and then again in the evening for a Too Good To Go pick-up - cake slices! Too Good To Go is a program that allows businesses to sell left over food at the end of the day on discount, avoiding food waste. For lunch I had an Americano, the vegetarian egg sandwich and a Margherita Bistro, which is like a cross between a margherita pizza slice but in a latticed pastry. Both the Americano and egg sandwich were actually excellent, while the Margherita Bistro was less noteworthy but fine. Actually when I looked up Margherita Bistro, wanting to learn if it's a common thing and it turns out that it's made by a food service company (Bridor, owned by French Groupe Leduff which supplies baked goods to cafés all over Europe). I got two cake slices later in my Too Good To Go order. The strawberry cheesecake (Monteressa cheese cake, made with marscapone, ricotta and fresh strawberries) was delicious while the carrot cake was not as good but still fine. It turns out that the Monteressa cheesecake is made by another big supply company (Bindi) that supplies Italian desserts. Coffee appears to be from Illy. I'd definitely recommend Café Crèmerie for their good coffee, excellent egg sandwich, and nice atmosphere. I'm also giving Café Crèmerie 4/5 Green Stars for social and environmental impact, based on the following: * First I'll get into the mediocre aspects and then some positive points. * Coffee is from Illy, which I would say is slightly better than average for a major coffee company. It's a certified B Corporation but it not known for organic or fair trade coffee (they do a kind of direct trade). * Many of the pastries are mass-produced by companies that supply European or European-style cafes. Like Illy, these suppliers are perhaps slightly better than average: Bridor mentions using cage-free eggs while Bindi uses renewable energy. * A lot of the menu is suitable for vegetarians and I appreciate that there's no sign of beef on the menu (the single food product that drives around 10% of climate change). Would be nice to see more vegan options. * Café Crèmerie does a nice job at avoiding waste generation. Ceramic cups are available for coffee and food is served on trays with a paper liner. * I also appreciate that Café Crèmerie takes part in the Too Good To Go program, avoiding food waste.

Small little coffee spot to the right of the Langham Hotel entrance…read more The coffee is wonderful, prepared well, consistent & tastes great. Had an almond milk latte on three separate occasions during my stay and each were delicious. THANK YOU for using Califia brand. The staff is nice and friendly, and bring the drinks/food to your table. Well, I didn't order any food, the items also looked really good I've seen popular as many people ordered food. Note, there is no public restroom available at this location -not at the hotel or office building, which is super lame. The coffee shop is also limited to seating on the two long tables nearest their coffee shop only. The rest of the seating areas are off-limits. *eye roll* and the closest bathroom is across the street at the Yolk restaurant. But don't skip out on trying Mojo, just know the facts ahead of time!

This isn't a full shop, it is a kiosk-like setup in the lobby of an office building and the hotel I…read morewas staying at during my quick trip to Chicago! I had a latte with their Maple Cinnamon syrup, and it was delicious. The chocolate croissant was also nice and flaky, though I wish they offered the option to heat it up. Service was friendly and the coffee came out quickly as well! Not a ton of seating and it is slightly awkward since it is in the lobby of the building, but they have some communal tables around where you order.

Great carrot curry soup and excellent latte. You order at a kiosk near a wall of rolling pins. Your…read morename is called to eat in at about 14 small tables or you can take out. Cute and cozy.

Middling iced coffee (a bit more watery than I like) but very tasty and fresh Brie sandwich with…read moreexcellent bread! It would be nice if there were an option to have it slightly warmed (not melted) because I tried a few bites fresh in the cafe but enjoyed it more after walking through the conservatory gardens, by which point the cheese had softened for a satisfying chewy / creamy bite.

Another Michigan avenue staple that was packed on a Sunday morning with locals and tourists it…read moreseems. Be prepared to wait if you come during a busy time. All in all though waited 15-20 min for the coffee's while the crazy awesome donuts (Dough Boy Best & LeStan Croissant). Overall great start to our 17,000 step day as we needed the sugar & carbs to power us until lunch.

Must say for being as packed as they were it was pretty quick. Couple of rude employees but I…read morebrushed them off due to the nice ones. Donuts were way to sweet that'll work for some but for me it was like eating a box sugar. Iced coffee was pretty good much better than a Starbucks or Coffee Bean Iced coffee. The breakfast options were top notch.

AMAZING! Get the breakfast burrito!!!! A must try if you're…read morein the Chicago area. When visiting Chicago last week I was looking for coffee spots within walking distance of Grant Park and I found fairgrounds. I'm so glad I chose to stop in! The indoor seating area is small with one larger table, a single seat & table, and some bar like seats. I was able to snag the single seat with a small round table to myself. It was so cute inside and while I wish there was more indoor seating there was a lots of space to sit outside which I also enjoyed after finishing my food. I got the tahini caramel latte, the staff was very kind in helping me decide on a drink, I made a substitution to have it made with almond milk and it was delicious! So rich in flavor and a great coffee taste without being too sweet. Also you have to get the breakfast burrito with an extra side of salsa. I've never had a breakfast burrito and salsa like the one I ate at Fairgrounds and I'm still dreaming of it! The burrito was piping hot, had so many different bright flavors and the salsa on the side was very bright and fresh. Absolute 10/10

No issues with my order. Coffee was good and strong. The service was fast and the inside was clean!read more