The Nutella Cafe recently opened in Chicago and everyone is going (hazel)nuts over it. Every newspaper, food blogger, and Foodstagram seems like it has something to say about the new cafe. So when a friend asked me to grab a bite there, I couldn’t say no. As a fan of trendy sweets and a tough restaurant critic, I wanted to see what all of the hype was about—and I was not let down (especially by the Nutella gelato).
My Experience
We went in the first week it opened, so it was just as crowded as you’d expect. We purposefully chose a weird time between lunch and dinner so we could skip the long wait. Unfortunately, there was still a line that snaked around the corner. We waited almost two hours to get into the cafe. It was a little disorganized, but it is hard to blame them considering it opened a few days earlier and they had hungry Nutella fanatics knocking on their door.
You order at a counter, like a fast casual restaurant, and then they bring the food to your table. The interior was fresh and clean, with white walls and accents of red. It had small tables and a fireplace, creating a European café feel.
The Food
The menu has everything from Nutella baguettes to Nutella fruit salad. They even have some non-Nutella salads and sandwiches for health freaks. I got the Nutella crepe with a scoop of Nutella gelato. Both tasted amazing, especially the Nutella gelato. The texture was smooth and creamy and it really did taste like Nutella. It was definitely the stand-out menu item for me. My friend got the Nutella croissant, which she was also very pleased with.
Overall, it was a flavorful and fun experience. It was exciting to see others just as excited about food as I am. Plus, crazy Nutella fans make for some really good people watching. I recommend waiting until the hype dies down a little more and then stopping by for a scoop of Nutella gelato. It’s right near Millennium Park, so I suggest walking to the park to eat your gelato there. Summer, Chicago, and Nutella — what more could a person want?