Bites 

Brunch Time at Crema

Lizzie Wilcox
Keeping it Casual at Crema

By Lizzie Wilcox

February 2020

Is Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar the perfect spot to roll out of bed at noon and break the fast? With pay-at-the-register service and comfy, outdoor self-seating, we’d have to say yes. Here the vibe is casual and cozy, and the food options healthy, from the salmon omelet, to the feta cheese & tomato scrambled eggs, to the avocado toast.

Of course, sometimes chocolate chip pancakes just hit the spot. One order comes with a stack of three pancakes, melted chocolate chips, and banana slices between each layer. Top it off with more bananas and chips, throw in almond slices, and you’ve got melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness.

The only bite you won’t experience is out of your wallet. The most expensive item on the menu is the tuna toast (ahi tuna, mashed avocado, arugula, sesame seeds, lime, scallions and spicy mayo on multigrain bread) for $14. Everything else hovers around the $10 price point. You can also get one mimosa for that amount, or for an extra $5, bottomless mimosas 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Their freshly squeezed orange juice makes all the difference.

Chocolate chip pancakes, latte, and mimosa with freshly squeezed orange juice

Being an espresso bar, Crema also has a great coffee menu. Espresso, macchiato, cappuccino, Americano, pour over, you name it (even a caffeine-rich chai tea latte). Beyond variety, the coffee itself is some of the best around, well roasted and full of flavor. And what’s a coffee joint in Miami without a cortadito on the menu? Nada!

The seating is another reason to visit Crema for brunch. You can sit inside at tables that run the length of the wood floor, if you want to be air conditioned – and watch the baristas in action. Outside there is plenty of seating under the arches of the Colonnades building, or under umbrellas along the newly widened StreetScape of Miracle Mile.

You can sit outside at Crema either under the arches of the Colonnades building or under umbrellas on Miracle Mile

The building itself is one of the Gables architectural icons, a 1926 masterpiece designed by Phineas Paist that was among the first structures to go up in the new city. It was originally a sales office for city founder George Merrick’s Coral Gables Corporation. It later became a movie studio when Southern Florida briefly vied with Southern California to become the filmmaking capital of the world. You can bask in some of that glory as you down your cappuccino and croissant and watch strollers pass by. 

Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar | 169 Miracle Mile
786.686.0650 cremagourmet.com