Nutella Cafe

Adventures, Cafe, Chicago, City, Food, Illinois, North America, Nutella, Uncategorized88 Comments

Nutella, a recent food trend in the US unless you are from Europe and have grown up eating it, know this delicious hazelnut spread. For a part of my childhood my family lived in New Hampshire where we were lucky to have a variety of European imported goods in some stores. Otherwise we would have to bring Nutella back from our trips to the Czech Republic. Most of my friends thought it was weird that I was eating a chocolate spread just like how many Europeans find it weird that Americans eat peanut butter. But those who tried it loved it and by the time our family moved to the west coast, Nutella had started to become popular around the US.

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Front entrance

When I heard that there would be a Nutella Café opening in Chicago this year I couldn’t believe my luck! Even though I was preparing to move out to Southern California in a few weeks I made sure I had time to stop by and enjoy a menu dedicated to Nutella.

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Waiting in line once we got inside the cafe doors

Walking up to the Nutella Café, located on busy Michigan Ave, you will find a line out the door with a security guard guarding the entry of the café. Luckily when I went with my friend it was in the middle of the week, the café had already been opened for a few weeks so we didn’t have to wait as long. The line moved quickly and after about twenty minutes we were inside.

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What surprised me the most was the price of the items on the menu, which were fairly average for downtown Chicago. I couldn’t settle on one choice so I ordered the banana and Nutella crepes and Steel-cut Oats with Almond Milk and berries and a cup of espresso. My friend ordered the Seasonal Fruit Crostata.

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You can also get baked goods without nutella

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It was a beautiful day so we found a table outside facing Michigan Ave. My friend’s food came quite quickly and after a few minutes my oats followed. We gave it about another ten minutes and I started to wonder where the rest of my order was. You would think that an order would come out at the same time. Frustrated and hungry I walked back inside to ask if my food was ready. Of course the moment I had left my seat the server came with my order from the other side of the café. A few minutes of confusion at the counter and we figured out my food had been sent to my table already. I returned to our table and excitedly started to dig into my meal. I admit my expectations were pretty high. I have been eating Nutella since I can remember, usually on cut up slices of banana and strawberries or simply by the spoonful.

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The fruit costata, banana and nutella crepes and oats

First bite into my oats and I tasted zero flavor. If it wasn’t for the scoop of Nutella in the center I think I would have passed on the bowl completely. Setting the bowl to the side I decided to give the food another shot with my banana and Nutella filled crepe. Disappointment. That’s what the crepes tasted like. If I am ordering Nutella filled foods from the World’s First Nutella Café that has had thousands of people flocking to it, it better taste above average.

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Fruit crostata

So the service was a bit of a mess. The food was lacking in any flavor minus the fact that there was Nutella incorporated into each recipe. But that’s not all. As my friend and I are trying the foods and admitting our dissatisfaction she points to my bowl of oats and shows me a raspberry covered in white mold. I had to draw the line there. I finished my espresso and left the half uneaten food on the plate.

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Our nutella filled spices

From the service, the food, and the wait it is definitely not worth it. I am so bummed to share this experience with you, I even hesitated whether or not to even post about it. In the end I decide to post it anyway because I know that before I go somewhere I like to read reviews. I will continue to eat Nutella from jars I purchase at the store but I won’t be visiting the Nutella Café again. I understand this is a review of my experience at the café. You may go and have incredible food and service but I cannot recommend going to Nutella Café in Chicago.

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Crepes being made

If you are in Chicago and craving a Nutella crepe than I do recommend going is Eataly where there is a Nutella crepe bar on the ground level. There you can enjoy a properly made Nutella crepe.

Overall:

Food: Tasteless minus for the Nutella, at least the espresso was made properly. You have a chance of finding moldy fruit.

Service: Slow and not organized. Your food may not come out at the same time and take too long.

Atmosphere: As you wait in the line everyone seems excited. People are taking photos with the exterior of the café and everyone is asking each other what they think they will order on the menu.

Location: Right in the center of the city, the café is a close walk from the Randolph/Wabash “L” station as well as the buses that run from North and South along Michigan Ave.

Price: Average, for my oats, banana and Nutella crepe and espresso I paid $16.86.

Address: 189 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago IL 60601 USA

Disclaimer: I purchased all food and drinks mentioned in post, Nutella Cafe did not reach out to me. All opinions are my own. 

x the Adventurer

Copyright © Dream of Adventures 2017. All rights reserved.

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Travel, food and wellness blog written by a twenty something year old girl always dreaming of adventures with a cup of coffee in hand.

88 thoughts on “Nutella Cafe”

  1. it says it is reblogged. I am sorry for the misunderstanding. I thought you would be cool with somebody reblogging and showing it to others. Have a good day.

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    1. I don’t mind that you reblogged it but in the future it’s always respectful to ask the blogger before sharing their work. Also it says it’s by you underneath the title. so make sure you always give credit to whoever wrote it.
      Thank you

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  2. Pingback: Nutella Cafe — omg ♥ | Hope Dream Wait

  6. When I clicked on the post I was so excited, and a little jealous there wasn’t one here in England! It’s so disappointing though 😦 Nutella was like a major treat as a kid, I probably tried it a handful of times, but now I’m an adult I love to indulge now and again! I suggest making your own coffee and some pancakes and spreading your own jar of Nutella on, probably a lot cheaper and a lot better! Thanks for sharing, great photos 🙂

    Yasmin x
    The Sweet Seven Five

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  9. I didn’t know that Nutella was only a recent food trend in the USA 😮 They’ve been deprived!! I was so excited to see this post about the Nutella Cafe because that sounds like a dream, but I’m sorry to hear that your experience wasn’t great D: But that’s good to know. There are probably a lot of people who would look forward to the Nutella Cafe based on the name and theme, but it’s best they not waste their time! There are sooo many delicious ways to incorporate Nutella in your own recipes at home 😀 -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s

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      1. Yes, I know you had a terrible experience there (in Chicago) but I thought it was an interesting place! Thank you so much for sharing your experience 🙂 Have a nice day!

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  32. So disappointing! I was so excited when I saw the post, and then so sad when I read that it was so terrible. We recently came back from Europe and the Nutella was EVERYWHERE! My favorite way to have it was in gelato. No disappointments there! Maybe the cafe should take some notes from where it originated!

    Susie | http://milehighdreamers.com

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  35. Oh no….what a disappointment. We all love our Nutella here so it would have been a total let down for me, especially finding the mold on the raspberry!!! Glad you posted it though, I always read reviews and what other people experience. Thanks for your honesty. Xx

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  40. Thank you for posting this! Reviews are SO important and now there’ll be one less disappointment (because I live pretty close to Chicago and would have gone had I known that a Nutella cafe existed). The mold-covered raspberry is unacceptable! Maybe they are super busy and crumbing under the pressure? Still, it’s a big brand, they should have been prepared. Definitely a bummer! But still, there are lots of places to get good food 🙂 Like Eataly, that you mentioned. I have never had their Nutella crepes but I have had their panettone, which blew me away… so delicious!!

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  41. Oh wow… Just like Paula I too was soooo excited to read about this place – and immediately thought “Let’s open one in London”…. Well, maybe not!
    As a Dane I grew up with Nutella – and I still fancy a bit from time to time in a pancake or on a piece of bread… But moulded raspberries? I dont think so! Bummer!
    X Louise
    http://www.louiseloveslondon.com

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