Confession: I LOVE Nutella!
Ever since I had Nutella for the first time in my first crepe in Paris, I was hooked. So when I heard there was going to be a whole Nutella Cafe opening in Chicago, I new I had to visit it.
This past weekend was my chance! Having a Saturday off of work, I decided to jump on a Travelzoo email offering stays at Chicago’s Allegro Hotel for $95 a night. It’s not often I can get a whole weekend off and a nice deal on a hotel to boot. More about my stay at the Allegro in a future post.
After after taking in the Driehaus Museum (more about that later too), I was feeling a little hungry, so I plugged in the Nutella Cafe into my GPS and took off on foot down Michigan Avenue. Going south and crossing the bridge, it wasn’t long before I found the cafe. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was PACKED! In fact there was a line out the door waiting to get in. Not to be deterred, I took my place in line. When I got inside (more waiting in line) I was able to view the menu on the board and also took a menu that was lying on a table. You basically order at the counter and pay, nothing fancy. As I was waiting in line, I kept thinking where in the world I was going to sit once I ordered my food. Every table, every seat was taken. There are two actual rooms to sit. The main room where you order made up of some small tables, long tables, window, and counter seating. The side room up the steps has small tables, also couches and round seating with small tables. As I kept my eye out for an open spot, I decided what I wanted to order.
Lots of yummy looking things to eat on display.
At the counter there were menu items on display so you could take a look at what was available. Pastries, croissants, and other items were awfully tempting. In the end I ordered a plain Nutella crepe with a scoop of Nutella gelato and a flaky croissant. The prices were what you’d expect. After placing my order, paying, and taking my beeper, I tried to find a place to sit. Finally there was an opening on one of the couches in the side room, so I took that. About 5 minutes later I spied a couple that had a table against the window getting ready to leave. I made a move and was lucky to beat another couple!
A few seconds after that my order came. Yes the crepe and gelato was really good! Not quite like the huge Nutella crepe I had in Paris from the crepe stand, but delicious anyway. The flaky croissant was really good. Very flaky and tender on the inside with a filling of….You guessed it, Nutella! As I sat at my window seat watching the crowds walk down Michigan Avenue I enjoyed my Nutella treats. By this time the crowd inside had thinned out and more tables were available. There was still a steady stream of people coming in, but not the long line.
It’s certainly not haute cuisine, but definitely worth checking out. If you have no interest in Nutella, there are other items such a sandwiches and salads that you can order. Is it touristy? Sure, but then again isn’t most of Michigan Avenue geared toward the tourists? It was a great stop to satisfy my sweet tooth.
And while it was a fun place to check out and now my curiosity is satisfied, I’m not sure I will make a habit of visiting it every time I’m in Chicago. It was good, but I would not wait in line for it in the future. It happened to be on my bucket list items to do in Chicago. By all means go check it out and let me know what you think!
Lori
As always my opinions are my own honest account of my experience. I was in no way compensated for this post.
Wouldn’t you know, the Nutella Cafe opens AFTER I no longer work just down the street, about a block away. Probably a good thing, though, because I would probably have gone there way too often.
I hear you Connie. If I were there, I’d have to get my Nutella fix often