Our customer friends say the nicest things...
Best ice cream I've had in Minneapolis. Not too sweet, very creamy, small portions. Brilliant, unique flavors. Great ambiance! I have yet to eat food here. It's on my to-do list for sure.
–Marsha
I've been eating here for 15 years, and they never fail to impress me. Possibly the best ice cream in the nation. Every time I come back to the Cities, I make sure to pop in a grab whatever delicious seasonal craziness they're offering.
I really wish I had a food simulator like Captain Picard in Star Trek: NG and instead of saying "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot." I could say "Ice Cream. Sonny's. Crema." And then BAM! like magic, sparkly swirlies would appear in the air, synthesizer sound effects would zing, and I would have a delicious scoop of Sonny's perfect ice cream, in the most perfect flavor of all time.
I haven't lived in Minneapolis in 12 years, and I miss Sonny's ice cream every day. Sad face.
–Nikolina
The perfect date begins and ends with Crema Cafe. Your place is truly a hidden treasure in this city. Who doesn't love to treat themselves or their loved ones to sweet chocolate, delicate wines and enticing fruity sorbet! HOMEMADE!! I can't wait to take my nephew out on an "ice cream date" this summer for his first Crema sorbet!!! I love your atmosphere, you really give the feeling of traveling to another country (France or Italy) yet never leaving home. It's quite relaxing and romantic - more things in life should be.
–Mary
This little shop of heaven is just close enough for a summer walk but far enough we don't go every day. Good thing because it is good enough to go to multiple times a day.
A frequently changing array of handcrafted ice creams and sorbets feature a mixture of the obvious and the eye-brow-raisers. There are rarely any misses despite the experimentation. The ingredients are top notch and as fresh as possible. It's a bit pricey per scoop but well worth it.
Their patio is one of the best around. It's just a little slice wedged in between buildings but gives the feel of a Mediterranean hideaway.
–Darrell
The options of sweet product are amazing!! So hard to choose just one! However, the prices are fairly high yet the quality is worth it! If I could go there everyday and not gain weight with an endless supply of funds I would! The service is also outstanding!
–Abby
I've never been disappointed by an ice cream flavor here. You can always try before you buy, which is nice, too. It's all homemade and they have unique flavors all the time. I can't speak to their food menu, but the Guinness float is fantastic. Carrie, the owner, is also incredibly nice.
– Joel
On a hot day, trying to get out of the heat, Crema was just the ticket. The interior here is quite charming and had it been cooler outside, we certainly would have enjoyed the side patio. While we were just there for a sweet treat of Sonny's ice cream, they appear to have lunch and dinner and perhaps even a good place for a drink. I'd love one in my neighborhood.
–Diane
Crema Cafe has been my go-to favoritest place since it opened. The atmosphere is warm, the staff knowledgable and the product second-to-none. Those who are whining about the price cannot know the quality of the products used are top notch, that no skimping takes place as every pint IS truly hand-packed. With organic, high end ingredients, care & attention to detail put into every aspect of the end product, comparing cost to a volume-produced ice cream is not comparing apples to apples. Crema Cafe is a diamond in the rough, I just wish another was available closer to where I live!
–Anne
I would give this 10 stars if I could. Black Pepper & Cardamon? Jalapeno mango gelato? Not just fun to say, fun to eat. Can't believe that I labored under the illusion that Izzy's was the best ice cream in town. HA!
Go for brunch too. It might be somewhat expensive, but it's good.
- Zac
YUM. We ran inside at the beginning of a torrential downpour, so I was absolutely freezing, but the ice cream was amazing. I tasted honey lavender, lemon prosecco, chocolate with chocolate nubs, and brown butter pecan. All were amazing. The most outstanding was lemon prosecco, with its slightly alcoholic bite. I will be back.
–Natalie
After being a long time Sonny's ice cream fan, decided to check out Crema for brunch. I loved it!
-Cozy atmosphere
-Amazing food! Ordered the brioche french toast for myself (rivals Town Talk for Best French Toast of my Life status). Big, thick, airy slices with carmelized bananas and real syrup. Oh so good. Stole bites of my friend's hash. Also delicious!
-World's best coffee: Intelligencia. Previously only had been able to induldge on visits to Chicago and was delighted to find it here.Would definitely go back!
– Erin
Thursday night is cheap date night and I highly recommend taking your best girlfriend there so that it's not wasted on a guy that "sort of likes ice cream." They have amazing vegetarian options including a stellar mushroom pesto panini that just kicked my royal highness straight up into the atmosphere only to come down for the full array of ice cream choices. BECAUSE YES CHEAP DATE NIGHT INCLUDES TWO ICE CREAMS.
If you have a table inside or out, you're in luck because either will be a very intimate and pleasant experience.
–Molly
The ice cream/sorbet here is so amazing, it's super high quality and made on site with all natural local ingredients. The food here is really great too, they do brunch on the weekends and dinner most nights, and just like the ice cream the food is made with natural and local ingredients.
The atmosphere here is outstanding. It's casual but classy and reminds me of the of the little gelato and coffee shops I visited when I was in Italy. I would definitely recommend this place and will be back for sure.
–Juice
It is a lovely place! I tried their homemade chai and French toast.The food is a little bit too milky for me. But in all, I like this place! People keeps coming in for ice cream or other snack. The service is warm and friendly! Worth to go and try!
- Lori
I've oddly never been here for Sonny's ice cream that makes them famous, but I came for brunch with my mom a couple of months ago and forgot to write about it.
First of all, the space is so, so cute. It reminds me of a cozy French bistro with that garden and little outdoor patio. It was too cold for us to be outside at the time, but the inside is just as nice.
I got the very organic Green Mountain ($13), which includes a light salad, potato pancake, homemade veggie burger, tomato spread and a poached egg. It was good, but I was totally jealous of my mom's Croque Madame. I'd get that next time.
We didn't have room for dessert, but had I been hungry I would have indulged in some ice cream or one of the B.T. McElrath chocolate bars sitting at the register.
The best part for me about Crema was the service. We were warmly taken care of from the minute we walked in. Lovely people work here... go see them.
–Annie
We have eaten at Crema for both dinner and brunch and really enjoy their seasonal organic local approach. I had the buttermilk blueberry pancakes with a side of bacon and eggs and large OJ. Janna had the Sonny burger which is naturally raised beef and local pork which was cooked perfectly. The burger also came with a small side of greens. The night we went for dinner there was an excellent pasta special and we also ordered the Cheesy Sonny. I had one of the IPA's which was pretty good. We also tried the ice cream and enjoyed the seasonal selections. It's a bit pricey considering you have to go to the counter to order but that's a small inconvenience considering the high quality of the food and the service is friendly.
– Andrew
Looking for a magical place to daydream the day away? This is it! Super Yummy gelato (olive oil is amazing!), great wine list, tea varieties that dreams are made of, cuter than life patio....it just rocks. I have spent several afternoons snuggled into a cozy booth gossiping with friends and a few melancholy evenings sipping wine on the patio. I just love it here. Only downside is that the hours are sort of weird, but its all good with me!
–TC
Love it! Adorable little cafe, serving delish food and wonderful coffee. Bacon & Carmelized Onion hash, to die for! Eggs were perfectly cooked so that they oozed happily onto the hash. Tomato Basil soup was just the amount of basil for me, yum!
My experience with the service was top notch. But you'd expect that from one of the owners, right? The other staff serving us were equally friendly and took the time to tell us the Sonny's story. As you may know this is also the place they make Sonny's Ice Cream.
So onto the ice cream review. Izzy's & Sebastian Joe's...you have competition in my book for best ice cream. One appeal for me are the sorbet options and I dig the unusual ice cream flavors to choose from.
–Kristi
The best ice cream place I've eaten at, period.
Everything is made in small, small batches with either organic or local ingredients, so the ice cream is fresh, flavorful and creamy. The flavors rotate out (with the exception of the Crema flavor as well as a standard Vanilla Bean or some version of chocolate - there are like, fifty). If you're lactose intolerant, they've got a selection of sorbets too, which have a lower dairy content and have been a lot gentler on my LI friend.
Crema also has an adorable little patio that vaguely reminds me of a little Italian piazza. It's absolutely perfect for a warm summer day.
Unfortunately, Sonny, the man behind it all, recently died, and there's currently a sweet little tribute to him set up on one of the tables inside. I wonder if he'd be flattered to know that because of him I was inspired to attempt making my own ice cream? Granted, I'm no expert yet, but I don't think anyone can really replace Sonny.