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Cream Coffee Bar - CLOSED
Category: Food Coffee & Tea Coffee & Tea [Edit]
4496 Park Blvd(between Meade Ave & Mission Ave)
San Diego, CA 92116
Neighborhood: University Heights
(619) 260-1917
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Parking:
- Street
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
168 reviews for Cream Coffee Bar
Review Highlights
"Free wi-fi which is always nice."
(in 19 reviews)
"It's a good place to get work done and get fed."
(in 3 reviews)
"Plenty of electrical outlets to keep your computer going."
(in 19 reviews)
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168 reviews in English
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Review from Camille W.
La Jolla, CA
12/4/2010
Very spacious with lots of tables to study. No a/c though, which is only a pain a few days during the summer when you actually need air conditioning here.
yummy drinks, good sandwiches, great place to study and nice employees. -
Review from ruggy j.
3/5/2009
Being someone that works from home, I can attest that it's not all it's cracked up to be. The idea of working from home, especially when you're stuck in a cubicle all day long, is a beautiful concept. You can wear your jammies while you work, turn on The Price Is Right while you return e-mails, watch porn, er... YouTube whenever you desire, and more! Granted working from home CAN be pretty neat, but in my experiences over the last year, it's more of a pain in the ass than anything else.
You wake up, then you're supposed to get crackin' in the same space you were just kickin' back under the covers. Unless you have a dedicated office with a desk, printer, file cabinet, etc... it's hard to turn that switch to work mode. I live in a quaint 1br granny flat with a cute rabbit and a pantry full of chocolate bars... what do YOU rather be doing? Eating sugar and petting a bunny? Or submitting a fully-detailed Q2 marketing proposal? My point exactly.
You may be asking at this stage of the review, what the hell does any of this nonsense have to do with Cream Coffee Bar in University Heights? Well, Cream is my unofficial home office. It's my salvation. It's where I go when I really need to crank shit out and be productive. I'd go as far as to say that roughly 90% of my real, quality work goes down at either Lestat's in Normal Heights or Cream here on Park (where I'm actually jotting down this review as I speak). Sitting on a couch in the middle of the day busting a gut while watching Stephen Colbert and The Daily Show doesn't lend itself to the most productive work day, lemme tell ya.
I don't know the owners, but I have to imagine they set this place up for a guy like me. It's pretty much an internet bar that serves coffee and sandwiches. They have huge tables everywhere to spread out your work and school materials, which I really dig. My rig is pretty elaborate. I have a laptop stand, a separate keyboard and a mouse connected to said keyboard. I easily take up a 3X3 space, and Cream has no problem accommodating my workspace girth (that's what she said). Most other coffee shops in the hood have tiny, tiny tables which makes it hard to get comfy. The argument could be made that those other places don't want a bunch of punk ass kids using their WiFi all day for free, but in my case, I'm glad at least one spot in the city doesn't seem to mind people hanging out for hours on end.
I've literally eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner here in one day. I was here for 10 hours one time, no joke. I was really, really busy that day... and I'm sure the staff hated me. BUT, I spent roughly $30 on food and coffee... which is more than I can say for about 3/4 of the other patrons. It's an unspoken rule that you need to buy at least SOMETHING if you're gonna use anyone's free WiFi, so it's important that a drop a little cash.
Their breakfast sandwiches are pretty standard, their salads are pretty good as well... but I'm partial to their sandwiches. Almost everyone I've tried so far has been great, and they come with a side of Kettle Chips. Yumo, as Rachael Ray might say.
If you're a student, a person working from home, or just someone looking to get away for a few hours with a newspaper or good book, Cream will satisfy your needs. It's not the quaint coffee shop experience you might be used to... it's almost like a coffee warehouse. Don't let that drive you away, though. It's dope.Listed in: Do worrrrrrrrrrrk!
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Review from Soleil Moonshine S.
San Diego, CA
3/31/2009
I like my coffee shops a little lived in, but Cream Coffee Bar tends to be more worse for wear. This isn't entirely negative as the 'aged' quality adds a splash of kitsch that definitely differentiates it from other cafes. The chairs aren't the coziest and the tables aren't the most conducive to long stints of pouring one's thoughts upon paper, but the atmosphere, albeit a tad aloof, lends ample an opportunity for compulsive laptop-toters to zen out in the name of productivity.
To be fair (after all, it is a cafe), this review would be incomplete if I didn't provide an assessment of the drinks. I'm a self-proclaimed coffee purist (translation: I'm usually too unadventurous to order anything other than black coffee and tea). Bearing that in mind, I cannot reliably comment on the quality of any drinks residing outside of the gamut of black coffee and tea. From my exiguous experiences, the coffee has been well-brewed, and never woody, weak, bitter or burnt-to-the-taste. Consistency is always a virtue. For that reason, Cream is swimming in 3.5 territory. The tea options are fairly proportional to other cafes, so the pickings are never slim.
If you're a no-frills, all-business type, you'll appreciate the fecundity this spacious den affords. On the other hand, if you're jonesing for more of a "Friends" feel (my preference), where the normal cast of characters are as commonplace as the fixtures that adorn the cafe, Cream probably isn't your cup of tea.
p.s. Bring your i-pod and a stellar set of headphones as the music here, much like my haunt Claire de Lune, tends to oscillate from ear-bleedingly bothersome to evacuate-the-building unendurable.Listed in: The Kool-Aid Brigade, Death By Coffee?
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Review from Teej T.
Urbana, IL
10/24/2007
Be careful what you write on yelp. After all, the internet is basically one massive bulletin board. I learned this mildly when I found that a barista that I had mentioned in my yelp review of Cafe Cabaret as a nice hipster guy with a derby and vest had begun working at Cream. Upon seeing him, he mentioned that he'd been on yelp, and disagreed with me calling him a hipster. We then had a light conversation discussing the meaning of the term hipster--it's vague and overused, but that's part of the term's charm, i guess--before amazingly, he remembered my regular drink order from Cabaret and made it even better than before.
I like Cream's reinvention from its old look as Korova, and the basic feel of "big space with lots of laptop and wifi room" is a welcome difference from your average coffee shop. I like the layout, and the vibe, and I'll definitely have to keep coming back, hipsters and all.Listed in: Caffeine Rush, You have to hear the whole…
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Review from P. S.
San Diego, CA
4/27/2009
So lacking in style it's criminal.
I was glad to see their sandwich menu one day last week while working in the neighborhood, but sorry to get so many sprouts on it and sit at a dirty table outside.
Take a little pride people, especially if you want to make it serving food. the two workers were just standing in there when I got there. Get your asses out there with a cloth with a little bleach on it.
if you can't have style you could have cleanliness at least. -
Review from Tonie T.
San Diego, CA
5/18/2007
**Edit: 7.19.07: A few weeks ago, the owner of Cream contacted me through Yelp and thanked me for my 3-star review. In fact, he responded to each of my points in my review, and let me know he was working hard to make Cream the best coffee shop in town. In closing, he invited me to come back to Cream to try another drink on the house. Personally, I thought that was really classy, and deserved a star, so I'm changing my review. I finally took him up on his offer last Saturday. I ordered a small double shot latte, and it was, indeed on the house. (Thank you, Chris!) This was a decent drink, much better than the Mexican Hot Chocolate I had the first time. No, Chris never mentioned or ask that I update my review. But I wanted to, because I appreciated his awesome customer service!**
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Loved the atmosphere, and the friendly service.
The drinks, and the pecan tart treat-thingie, though? Not so much.
I had a Mexican hot chocolate and it tasted bland. I tried stirring it up, but it never really got that good chocolatey taste to it. The chocolate was also clumped up, like when you make it at home and you accidentally put the powder in last instead of first.
The space is way cool, though. Lots of interesting people with their laptops just chilling out and enjoying the space. It's cold in there, though. The ceilings are super high and they had ceiling fans running on high even though it was kinda chilly outside. Maybe that's why I ordered the hot chocolate? I was freezing my ass off in there!
Next time I'll go back with a sweatshirt and order a latte! -
Review from Viola P.
San Francisco, CA
11/15/2007
Honestly, this should be a 3.5. It's better than a 3, but it's not quite a 4 because it's just not a destination place for me. It's more of a convenient place. The atmosphere is so...collegiate. Honestly, I was in there the other night and upon walking in it felt like walking into a lecture hall.
But they do have free wifi, which is nice even if it's not really all that good. And they do make a delicious vanilla chai latte. -
Review from dave y.
San Diego, CA
5/10/2007
Sporting 70's cafeteria plastic chairs, chrome fans and splattered spaghetti extension cords, Cream is an unfinished this-is-how-we-be cafe. Watch your step in here lest you unplug somebody's Mac, and kiddo, be especially careful if you're gonna switch and reverse from stimulant to "depressant" and have one of Cream's alcoholic offerings. With all the 'puter juice flowing, it's a mini marvel the coffee shop's power doesn't cut out every time a barista strokes the latte machine. Well, the wireless poops out pretty often...
Situated on the cozy main strip of Uni Heights, Cream is my ess dee coffee shop default. When you visit and want a quick break from hitting the books, take a walk and check out the sweet murals on the sides of the building. -
Review from Matt P.
San Diego, CA
9/8/2009
I see this place all the time on my way to Twiggs. It's usually busy looking. After having a coffee here for the first time I can't see why.
At 9 o'clock in the morning they had no bagels left. That's life, I'll order my coffee anyway. The guy behind the counter looks like someone you'd see in an S&M club. The coffee is ready and it looks good. There's one pack of raw sugar left amongst a bunch of old sweetener wrappers and bagel crumbs. That's ok, I only use half a pack anyway. Sugar is in the coffee, stirred, time to sit down. I literally could not find a clean table, the one I settled on in the end was the cleanest and was covered in crumbs and food from the previous occupants. As I sit sipping my coffee I start to look around more, I notice the peeling paint and the dead, half dead and fully alive flies buzzing around me near the window. I notice the dirt on the window sill, the rip in the furniture I'm sitting on.
The coffee is fine. Whoever runs and owns this place obviously just doesn't care is all. This is the first time I've been to this place, this is the last time I will go to this place. I try not to judge things on first impressions, but sometimes you're left so totally uninspired that you have no desire to give it a second chance. In reality I don't really even need another great coffee shop in SD. You try new things, sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't.
In retrospect I'm kind of glad they were out of bagels. If the front of a shop looks bad what the hell does the back look like?... -
Review from Robin L.
San Diego, CA
3/2/2010
I decided to get some coffee and breakfast before my weekly hitting up of the farmer's market, so started to stroll down Park to see what was available. I passed Parkhouse eatery, which looked delicious, but included a 20 minute wait. I walked down to Twiggs, where the atmosphere is super cozy and comfortable, but the food selection was scarce. So I ended up at Cream Coffee, where they had a delicious sounding breakfast sandwich on a croissant - the breakfast of (fat) champions.
The guy behind the counter was friendly enough, and I ordered a Vietnamese and the sandwich. Took a seat at one of the many tables they have available (after conspicuously avoiding the dirty looking couches) and waited. This place isn't really a place you go for the "aura". If I were to give a color to CC's aura, it would probably be a split pea soup green. Or Just a little....dirty. The sandwich was tasty (though a bit more egg for my taste) and the Vietnamese was very good, but if I come back again I think I'll get my food to go.
I think if they just took some soapy sponges to the walls and threw a few tablecloths and couch covers around, this place would look 100% better.
To go: 4 stars.
Staying in: 2 stars.
Overall: 3 stars. -
Review from Anthony S.
Berkeley, CA
8/23/2008
I avoid this place like the plague.
Pretentious, dweeby, pseudo-intellectual student-types, jockeying for open tables, drinking $2 Americanos while bogging down the Internets with their laptops and hogging the seating area. Enough said.
About the only thing this place has going for it is the fact that it is painted like an orange creamsicle and there are some great graffiti pieces on the back and side walls...kinda cool. That's why it gets the star.Listed in: What's That Horrible Sucking…
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Review from Marwan A.
San Diego, CA
6/23/2009
I'm not sure how I feel about this place...sometimes I like it, sometimes not so much.
The reason I bumped up the rating from the average 3 stars (or as I like to refer to it as the "whatever rating") is because they serve alcohol. Sometimes I'm in the mood for a beer or glass of wine AND look for the coffee house atmosphere. So for that Cream Coffee Bar I adulate you. However, you barely got my adulation because it doesn't always feel like a coffee house. Sometimes it just feels like a garage with tables.
The artwork on the wall is sometimes impressive. I read from a few YELPers that they also felt the heat in there (lack of ac...not so cool). Free wifi is expected these days, but I still appreciate you for offering it.
Its not a bad place to hang out if you're in the University Heights area. -
Review from Jory J.
San Diego, CA
8/4/2008
This place seriously needs some freaking air conditioning. I am actually sitting in Cream as I type this. The sweat is rolling down my ass crack and I feel light headed. That being said, I could be light-headed due to the massive amounts of caffeine I have just consumed. I feel like I am in a sauna... AC PLEASE!!
The food I have had is good, but it took forever to get to me. I think they forgot to make it. I had to walk up and remind them what I ordered.
This would be a 2.5 review if it could be. Cream is too hot, took awhile for my food, and the rap bumpin' takes this joint down a few notches.
Stars for: proximity to my digs, Free Wi-Fi, and a good bagel breaky sandwich.
Have I mentioned they REALLY need air conditioning??!!
I think I will find another Wi-Fi spot until the weather cools down... -
Review from Ethan H.
9/21/2007
I hate to give this place 4 stars. I wish I could give it 5. Certainly, I'm a regular there and I use the place enough. And let's face it, I really love a place where you can choose between a coffee and a glass of wine. But the internet connection here is just too darned unreliable. I've walked into this place too many times and gotten almost nothing.
It's annoying, too, because there are other cafes around that are equally nice, some of which don't have internet at all. So whereas, ironically, I may have given one of them a 5 (for being a nice cafe), I actually feel like I'm *penalizing* Cream for having a bad internet connection and rewarding other places for not having a connection at all. I recognize that this doesn't necessarily make sense. But still, I can't get past the fact that the connection here is so bad so consistently.
To make a long story short, I love this place. But it's hard having a favorite coffee place when you can't consistently count on it to provide you with one of the key things I go there for.
AMENDMENT I (March 25, 2008).
This place keeps getting better. They've added a few new and wonderful wines -- including a few from San Pasqual Winery (see my last review). For this, they deserve some credit.
But there's still a problem with the internet connection. As it turns out, soon after I wrote this review, I received a message from the owner -- who, it should be said, is a nice guy who cares a lot. He explained the situation to me and outlined a few ways he was going about fixing the wireless problem. Sadly, I have to report that in the 90 minutes I've been here today, I've been 'kicked off' the internet 4 or 5 times. I'm leaving now. I'll still come here. I'll still enjoy the coffee, the wine, and even the internet connection when I can. But if I absolutely NEED to connect to the internet, I'll go elsewhere. -
Review from Laurel T.
3/11/2009
Much to my chagrin, old Chris C. treated lil sis and I to breakfast here a few weeks ago. Although it was a nice gesture, I was dying for an El Zarape breakfast burrito but Chris C. had eaten there the day prior and refused another Mexican meal.
This was actually my third time coming here and I ordered the exact same thing, the bagel plate. It's cheap, satisfying and super yummy. I love that it comes with pesto, cream cheese, tomato and onion. Alas, Cream was out of bagels. I substituted toasted sourdough bread and it was really good. (only I pretended it was mediocre to make Chris C. feel guilty for forcing us to eat there.) Lil sis and Chris both got breakfast sandwiches and Italian sodas. They seemed to enjoy them.
I think we went at a bad time however because the place seemed to have run out of everything, no bagels, no croissants and they had to run to the liquor store for club soda for the Italian sodas.
Oh well, it's a fun spot. There is lots of table space indoors to do work if your one of those types and ample outdoor tables for the smoking sunshine loving daydreamy types like myself.
Also, the two murals on the outside of the building are super dope. It's hard to believe they are all done with aerosol! -
Review from Justin R.
San Diego, CA
9/1/2010
The mural of the beautiful girl that stares at you on the side of this establishment is the best thing about this establishment.
The staff is neutral. The coffee is neutral. The ambiance is boring and needs better lighting. The music is okay.
With so many amazing coffee shops in the area, you would think this place would try harder to stay current. -
Review from Jeff J.
San Francisco, CA
3/3/2007
You can bring your laptop and work. You can come with a friend for coffee. You can come by yourself and sit on the sidewalk and people watch. It's a cool place to come for any reason.
And speaking of a cool place to come. The new name: Cream. And the sign. "Hey there, I'm opening a coffeeshop called Cream. I'd like a big sign that looks like someone ejaculated all over the word Cream. You know, like dripping white creamy spooge. Yes, just like that, perfect!" -
Review from Madison B.
San Diego, CA
1/18/2009
I don't have a preference between Karova, or Cream. I used to come to Karova to meet for study groups, which would lead in a lot of not study and more of people watching. For some reason, I always got this weird vibe when coming here.
The coffee is tolerable. Sometimes cold, like the service. I got a cookie, ONCE. Horrible!
Now, Cream. It's always packed with hipsters I guess. That's what I hear. I don't go here anymore. Over this scene.
However, when I drive by I always notice the artwork, which seems to be my style, but I'll never know for sure. -
Review from lisa c.
Holland, MI
3/3/2008
Cream is one of those next generation cafes where you no longer find people dressed in black lurking in corners scribbling into notebooks or reading esoteric works of philosophy by Camus or Heiddegger. Instead, you see people dressed in normal clothes staring at laptops. Both are equally antisocial, but the new world order isn't nearly as poetic.
That said, Cream has a great bathroom (this has been historically very important for me); their coffee is good; they have an *amazing* selection of chocolates and their food menu is expanding. On a recent visit, i had a huge sandwich - very reasonably priced and delicious at the same time. I look forward to soiling my laptop keyboard with the crumbs of some of their future offerings. Oh and they also serve wine, so maybe I'll don a black turtle neck, break out my slim volume of Sartre, put out a few lightbulbs and do some lurking.Listed in: Ridin' in my Footmobile, Lunchin', The Earl of Sandwich is my…
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Review from Eric O.
San Diego, CA
10/25/2007
After 72 delirious and unproductive hours watching the local news coverage of FIRESTORM 2007! trying to ascertain when my apartment would be 'globally warmed' out of existence, Thea T and I decided to log a few hours working at Cream.
I really appreciated the large, open space - it helps in so many ways, from better acoustics,.to more personal space, to letting sometimes funky coffeehouse smells disperse more readily.
Not sure I dug the coffee, though. I opened with a huge iced Vietnamese coffee, which was fine, I guess. I don't have much basis of comparison for Vietnamese coffee; all I can really say is it was definitely a brown caffeinated beverage. The massive Cafe Americano I followed with was disappointing. It had the right mule-kick-to-the-moon strength but no discernible taste.
Wi-Fi access was touch-and-go for a good portion of our visit. I just hate watching a Very Good connection cut in and out in favor of Limited Or No Connectivity. The only answer the baristas had was something about "a lot of laptops connecting", which was strange as the place couldn't have been at more than half capacity. It did settle down eventually, giving a strong, clear signal; I guess whatever dipshit was hogging all the bandwidth finished background-downloading Pantyhose Catfights Volume 6 off Bittorrent.
And maybe my fast consumption of huge boiling-hot beverages had something to do with it, but it was unexpectedly hot and stuffy for such a large space with the front doors wide open.
None of this will keep me from going back. Strong beverages + abundant space wins. -
Review from Erin D.
San Diego, CA
8/24/2010
Cream is....ok.
It's conveniently located about a 15 second walk from my house which is a big plus (though their free wifi doesn't quite reach to my house, bummer!), but their coffee is pretty mediocre/average, in my opinion. The regular drip coffee is fairly bitter and requires a lot of cream/sugar to mask that, and their latte drinks are fairly bland, and the espresso almost always taste burnt.
I hate to say it, but their customer service is pretty mediocre too. I'm not sure if I've done something to piss off the one guy that's usually working when I've gone in, but his attitude makes me think either I offended him...or the world did. If I somehow offended him, my apologies, but if he can't fake being cheerful, customer service is probably not the job for him. Just sayin'.
Bottom line...I want to like you more, Cream, especially since we're practically neighbors, but with Twiggs and Monicas at the Park just a block or two away, I'll go there instead since they have better drinks and better customer service.
Update: Their hours listed on Yelp aren't correct (and neither is their address...it's on Park Blvd not Adams Ave). Lately they've been closing on/before 8pm during the week for some reason, so if you're jonesing for a late-night caffeine buzz, try Twiggs instead. -
Review from Sarah S.
San Diego, CA
7/16/2008
When I am not stuck at the corporation that pays in free coffee five days a week I frequent this spot not because of the great coffee or atmosphere. It's convenient and cheap and spacy. All the things a girl needs to study or write articles.
It's hot in here during the summer. I feel bad for the employees because the kitchen doesn't make it any cooler.
It has adequate room to study and plug in laptops. They also make a mean panini. The Pizza Pizza one is divine and they also have vegan and gluten free options.
The only thing I have to say is it's not the cleanliest of places. The bathroom is nice with a dark makeup room like atmosphere and modern art. Three chandeliers hang above the toilet. But the condiment bar is always dirty and looking behind the counter at the floors always makes a little weary to drink the tea that is resting there.
But I do love the cook. He's a cool cat with a marijuana leaf tattooed on his arm and a swagger in his step when he calls out: Turkey Pesto Panini! I smile as I take my food and wonder where the world has taken him. Can I go? -
Review from Jasmine J.
San Diego, CA
3/1/2010
This place needs some serious upkeep. It just looked run down. Tables were dirty, windows were dirty, walls were dirty and then the food and drinks weren't that great either!
The coffee wasn't great, the food was just okay, and the service was HORRIBLE! Baristas are supposed to be friendly and cheerful but not the lady that was working the register. It looked like she was hating life. She didn't greet me, didn't smile, threw down my receipt, just pointed to the water (which was empty) and napkins when I asked where they were. Not good service at all and I will not be coming back here. -
Review from Paul L.
Brooklyn, NY
10/12/2008
Cream is a pretty good coffee shop. But I consider the place to be a better place to study and grade papers than a place to enjoy great coffee. Smack in the heart of University Heights, Cream's customers exhibits a great blend of cross cultural elements from all different facets. The employees here are very warm and engaging, some have become my friends.
The inside decor isn't anything special. Light brown walls with salvation army couches and tables. The place kind of reminds me of my high school cafeteria. The power accessibility is great with outlets all over the store for all the grad zombies and their macbooks. I wouldn't necessarily come here for coffee/conversation date, the outside patio better holds that purpose. The inside is mainly great to go knock out a solid couple of hours worth of essays to grade and LSAT studying. Most people in here are usually in study groups or independently studying/working on their laptops.
I marked off 2 stars for one reason, the room temperature. The place can become pretty scortching on hot days. They have 2 huge fans to cool the place but it doesn't suffice enough. This isn't that much of a problem right now in the fall but it was in issue in August. Sweating while you study isn't the most desirable condition. Despite this I keep coming to Cream more consistently than any other coffee shop in San Diego because I'm comfortable here. I get a lot of work done, while enjoying some decent coffee.Listed in: Studying + Coffee destinations
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Review from Colin P.
San Diego, CA
10/9/2007
I love that there are plugs galore here. And I've not really had any of the referenced problems with the internet.
I've written many many pages of a research paper on the desk-shaped tables, and usually there weren't too many ambient conversations to bother me.
The scones are pretty bad, but the sandwiches look pretty tasty. Still, I think anyone who chooses to eat here when they have El Zarape so close is doing themselves a sincere disservice. (El Zarape is right north on Park and Adams).
I also love that there is beer and wine here. Of the some 20 times I was here, I don't think I had more than one glass of wine. But every once in a while, the best writer's aid is a splash.
This really isn't a social cafe scene. It's an office for those of us without an office. Or a study hall. Or whatever. I guess your conception depends on your age.
The place really started out two years ago as a sort of vacant warehouse space. But it's become a little bit nicer as the remodeling has taken shape. At some point they either began to display (or I began to notice) new rotating local art from local artists. That's kinda cool. -
Review from kaitlyn m.
San Diego, CA
3/21/2007
Cream has the ideal balance for getting work done, while also relaxing and enjoying the company of friends. The place pops off with study parties on a regular basis. Good coffee & good atmosphere, including wine, chocolate & food.
Plenty of seating, outlets for computers, awesome staff, AND new bathrooms. I just discovered them today, and once inside felt compelled to stay beyond an acceptable time frame. I love it here. -
Review from annie r.
San Diego, CA
2/8/2009
I used to go here before they put the mural of the sexy woman on their wall because I live close and I liked the art inside, but I am definitely not a big fan.
Two reasons:
1. I hate their murals with a passion. They don't fit into University Heights at all. I rode my bike by once when someone had put a sign on their wall that said "Stop Sexual Objectification!" and I gave it a big "F-yeah!" in my head.
2. The food isn't even that great. Their smoothies are icy and the service wasn't all that friendly.
If you're in the neighborhood, skip this place and to go Twiggs! -
Review from Evan M.
10/23/2008
Eeek, I've eaten here a few times and just found out last night that a friend got food poisoning from here the other day. When I told my gf that, she said the same thing happened to her a few months ago.
Taking that into consideration I'll prob never eat here again.
Try Monica's at the end of the block [Park and Adams Ave.] instead. -
Review from Sue Z.
3/12/2009
This place was popping with students!! Very spacious, lots of natural light. Perfect for bringing a book to read or writing an essay, but the wifi bandwith is so low that you can't even connect!
Coffee/scones are okay, nothing spectacular and actually the scone was rather dry. They ran out of Vietnamese coffee though (condensed milk) :( -
Review from Tracy S.
Baltimore, MD
10/24/2007
For the next three days, Cream is donating 10% of their profits towards fire-related charities. That rocks!
I noticed the same service-related issue that someone had posted earlier. I ordered a peach smoothie and the guy glanced at the chick and she wandered off. Next thing I know, he's rung me up even though I was actually thinking of getting a brownie too (in the interest of helping fire victims, of course).
Well, all righty then, no brownie for moi...so I paid and he handed me my change with visible disinterest. Not even a comment like, "Your drink will be right up." or anything. Maybe there was a muted, "thanks" but it was pretty mute.
The smoothie is nice, but I can't taste any peach in it at all. It's all banana. =( I like banana, but I wanted PEACH. Oh, well.
The tables were full of folks with their various laptops, all looking very busy and disinterested. It reminded me of a school cafeteria, rows of tables with rows of studious people, none of them speaking with each other.
It did feel a little too "hip" for me to be comfortable. But the truffles looked really good...and 10% to fire-related charities is for a good cause, right?Listed in: BreakfastQuest, Coffee? Coffee? Coffee?
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Review from janelle A.
San Diego, CA
5/3/2007
CREAM...GET ON TOP...CREAM....NEVER STOP.....
YOUR COFFEE FANTASY HAS COME TRUE...YUMMM, EVERYTHING YOU COULD POSSIBLY ASK FOR, so fresh, so delicious. Try the amazing fruit smoothies, they will complete your daily intake of nutritious vitamins and minerals. Natural, soothing...nothing to feel guilty about. I absolutely love this place...
two thumbs up yo....word -
Review from Nadine N.
3/8/2007
Cream reminds me of being on a college campus and I happen to love college campuses. There are tons of tables and lots of people, all on laptops or studying with friends. The free wifi and innumerable power outlets must be a real draw. I like working in a noisy, bustling space, so this is the perfect place for me.
Oh yeah, they make the best soy latte I've ever had! I couldn't resist the pretty truffles in the glass case and ordered a Bergamont orange dark chocolate truffle. It was absolutely delicious, but *gulp*, it cost more than my latte! The upside to that the price helped me resist the urge to eat 10 more. They also have other interesting truffles with flavors like lavender.
Another plus for Cream is that they serve wine and beer! C'mon, wouldn't you rather meet your study group over beers?
Let's review:
*free wifi
*power outlets for all
*awesome soy lattes
*decadent truffles
*alcohol
What more could you need?
*edit* Try the lemon pepper breakfast bagel. It is unbelievably yummy. Who knew that lemon and egg would be a good combo? The brilliant people at Cream, that's who!Listed in: Places to study, work, or just…
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Review from natalie p.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 11/5/2008
Why am I always so cold here? Today, I'm fairly certain I almost froze to death. I don't know if that's my own fault, even though I had on 3 layers and socks (plus accompanying clothes, haha), but I was super cold. Other reviewers have the opposite problem...is my homeostasis just out of whack?
Also, I brought my own cup, but sadly wasn't given a discount.
Pretty day. Pretty productive. Pretty cool...but I still have to dock you a star...let's work on the temperateness.Listed in: Concentration Station
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/8/2008
Walking into Cream, I always feel like I'm stumbling into a telemarketer's paradise. There are… Read more »
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Review from Faith S.
Little Italy, San Diego, CA
12/26/2008
I never came here when it used to be Korova.
If you need to study, this is your place. If you want to come chill and hang out, I would probably suggest going to Claire de Lune, Twigs, or Rebecca's instead because there are only two big couches and two small sofa chairs. The rest of the seating consists of tables and chairs, which is more conducive for productivity. The fact that they also serve beer and wine is also helpful when you want to reward yourself after a day of hard work.
Only complaint is that they close early (10pm). I think places like this should at least be open till 11pm. -
Review from Nathaniel F.
San Diego, CA
8/16/2007
Cream (formerly Korova) is an awesome coffee bar, right next door to a great hair salon and clothing store and they all have the same great style: retro-futuristic 60s/70s mashup.
I'm impressed by the freakin restrooms! They are top notch and I don't think any other coffee bar can come close! My only gripe is the lack of a baby-changing station, but other than that, the restrooms are a sweet perk.
Coffee is always good and they have snacks for those of us who avoid dairy. Another bonus!
Go there for great atmosphere (but why no air con?!) and great wireless connection for free. Surround yourself with other cool hipsters while you design the next great website or study for your GRE's. :) -
Review from Jennie E.
San Diego, CA
2/24/2010
This is a great place to hang out with a friend, or bring your laptop and get productive. It makes a quiet mobile office with free Wifi.
The best part is their Chai Tea Lattes! (Enjoy a menu of several varieties.) I've tried so many lattes around the city, and Cream has the best! The soup is also very tasty, with unique flavors everyday. -
Review from Nicki B.
San Diego, CA
3/16/2008
Anyone who gives this place more than 2 stars has to work there.
This place was awful, if I could have given it zero stars I would have. After we finally got the attention of the super hipster counter guy, we ordered what sounded like and should have been a pretty good lunch. Soup and half sandwich with the "mad tuna" (I was pretty mad when I finally got it) and a pizza panini. They brought out my soup and sandwich and informed us that paninis take 10 minutes to make so we would have to wait for the rest of the order. What? Doesn't everyone who works in food service know that if one meal takes longer to make you hold off on making the second? ALWAYS bring both meals out together, duh.
The tuna sandwich was literally a can of tuna on bread. In addition to being a poorly assembled mess it had absolutely no taste. No mayo, no seasonings, NOTHING but dry ass tuna. Okay, I thought, maybe this is their version of "healthy," surely the soup would be better, it's pretty hard to screw up soup. Wrong.
The soup was the consistency of very thick, cold oatmeal. It had no flavor, ever heard of garlic salt? Pepper? ANYTHING??? So, just as i'm finishing chocking down this sorry excuse for a meal, out comes the other half of our order, hooray!!
The pizza panini: I mean I think Subway makes something better than this. It certainly was the shining star of what we got but how can you f*ck up canned pasta sauce and pepperoni melted with cheese on bread? When it arrived we really just wanted to get out of there.
By the way both orders came with what looked like homemade potato chips but they could have used a healthy dose of salt since they had none.
Maybe the hipster-ness makes up for the food for some people, but w e came to eat, and regretted it. -
Review from Lyn P.
8/26/2007
A lot of good choices at this place. You can get coffee or smoothies or even beer and wine. They also have a good selection of sammiches and pastries/cookies and even gourmet chocolate.
The free wi-fi is fast (I've been to other places with free wi-fi that just takes forever for things to load.) Plus as mentioned by other yelpers, there are plenty of outlets to plug into so that you don't need to worry about your battery (unless you are outside.) -
Review from Meg M.
Los Angeles, CA
6/22/2007
A solid 4.5 for me!
Love the atmosphere - perfect for studying, working or a computer lesson :-)
The iced coffee with non-fat milk was PERFECT for a hot summer day. The women's restroom - is SUPER cool...and it's not even done yet!
One of my favorite cafes in San Diego - hands down! -
Review from Susie G.
1/27/2008
I loved this cafe when it was called Korova and had all the 50's furnishings -- but it was recently remodeled, and the name was changed, and the new owners installed that weird mural on the side of the building that makes me feel like that latina seductress is staring me -- personally -- down. (Here's a snapshot of the mural, you'll see what I mean: http://www.flickr.com/...)
I might have continued patronizing this cafe in the face of its remodel, but I didn't. (I'll blame the mural, which by the way, may give the name of this cafe a disgusting new context)
However, my sister is a regular here. And she always seems to call me from this cafe when she's there.
And everytime she calls me, it sounds as if she is at a rave. No, it sounds louder than that. It sounds like she's front row at a Daft Punk show.
I don't know how people work in there.Listed in: coffee: you can sleep when…
