Cream Coffee Bar

Inconsistent lattes
	Reviewed By howie	May 15, 2007

After seeing that Cream was listed as one of the best coffeehouses in San Diego, I decided to check them out. It's a big, clean space that seems to be popular with students. They carry those same pastries that most indie coffeehouses in SD have. They also make sandwiches and sell artisan chocolates from Eclipse. I was pleasantly surprised to hear a Pixies song while waiting to order.

I've only been by twice, and I'm judging it mostly on their lattes, which could use some work. The first latte I ordered looked pretty nice. The foam was fairly tight, and glossy, but had a few big bubbles in them. When I tasted it though, it was *extremely* bitter -- bordering on acrid. I don't think I've ever had a latte this bitter before since the milk usually tones down imperfections in the espresso.

I was disappointed by my first trip, but I decided to give them another shot a week later since I thought the foam had promise. This time the latte was not bitter, but it had a kind of musty aftertaste. The foam was kind of poofy with big bubbles like half-whipped meringue. I don't like this foam consistency since I feel like I'm chomping on air; it doesn't carry the espresso flavor well.

Well, Cream Coffee Bar seems like a nice place to hang out and study, but it doesn't seem like a destination for serious coffeeheads.