Creama

Downtown Long Beach is looking pretty nice these days and Creama makes for a nice coffee break.
Their hours of operation doesn’t give me a chance to stop by during the week so the weekend is my best bet. I’ve called them two weekends in a row, an answering machine would pick up. Pointless to leave a message, I was just hoping to find out if I can go to their shop. Finally on my 3^rd try my call was answered, they were open. I was doing a beach clean up in the morning so wifey and I figured it would be perfect time to go.
It’s a cozy coffee shop located at the northern end of Pine St next to a deli. Wi-​Fi is available, so you can sit, chill and relax while playing on your lap top.
There’s local art displayed on their walls and even an area where local stuff happening is displayed. There’s a big display case for their paninis, bagels and desserts.
I was hoping for a soy mocha but I was told they ran out of soy milk. Bummer. I’m not adverse to regular milk but I was hoping to share with my wifey. The mocha okay, I wasn’t in love with their chocolate syrup. I had a dessert which was not that memorable.
But I have a gift card so maybe my future visit will be different.
2^nd visit…
It’s 7am on a Friday morning. Why aren’t they open?
Is this an indicator that they’re closed for good? I hope not since I still have money on my gift card.

Love it here

There was one person in the coffee shop when I came in around 12:30. I didn’t know what to get so I asked the barista and she recommended one of the house drinks. I chose «The Brain» which is an equivalent to Starbucks’ caramel macchiato, but much sweeter. I guess I had a sweet tooth that day because I liked it the way it was. She gave an ample amount of whip cream on top as well.
I sat at one of the bar seats facing the front window. All of the tables had different foreign $$$ pasted on top under a nice glossy finish. The seats were comfortable! I was tempted to lay back on the HUGE royal purple chaise lounge but that definitely would not be appropriate for my first visit. I’d love to try their other drinks and paninis.
There is a Tuesday deal for a panini and a coffee for $ 4.95. As well as something along the lines of $ 1 coffee on a certain day too. I like deals. They also have stickers, free wifi, and board games, I like those too.

Creama is the place for college students to gear up their day for the next four hours of college life. Before you stare down the blank eyes of your professor, do what I do and load your visuals. I always look forward to my eyes staring down the fine pastries at Creama but I lean to my fresh banana nut loaf every time. You can get a pastry anywhere but you can’t get it with down to earth people.
The owners are pleasant; the menu is always inviting and you get a nice view of the neighborhood. Every time I go, the ambiance is relaxing with a vibe free from the unwanted pressure of having to buy something. There is no free WIFI police but when you walk in, you can’t help but make a purchase which brings you into unity. After my Creama experience, I can stare down anything.
CREAMA IS SHUT DOWN AND SUSANNA HAS LISA MICHELLE GARRET’S ART WORK… IF ANYONE KNOWS SUSANNA HAVE HER CALL 562−888−1722

The coffee wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be. I ordered the Vanilla Latte which was on the watery side and didn’t have a strong vanilla taste. The inside does look comfortable with several desks and a large couch. There is also outside seating available. There is 2 hours free parking on the street as well as in the parking structure (no validation necessary). After that, I believe it was $ 2 every 2 hours.
Overall the coffee prices were decent (not sure about the desserts) and looks like a place to hang out. To have me go here just for coffee? No thanks. I’d rather go to the Portfolio.

I adore Creama. My coworker and I venture over to Creama about once a week for a panini. They are delicious. My favorite is the southwest chicken with smoked gouda. Yum. The chicken with pesto and sundried tomato is also delightful.
They have good regular coffee… never had anything other than that.
The owner is absolutely adorable and super sweet. She pretty much has our orders down as soon as she sees us walk through the door. You can’t hate that kind of service.

What am I missing? Everyone else seems pretty satisfied with their experience. and I’m really sorry to disagree because after seeing so many shops close down on Pine Ave., I sincerely would like to support a local business that’s surviving this economic mayhem. but I gotta keep it real –_​_​– Everything was average and that’s an euphemism. I’ve had better coffee & sammies at crummy donut shops, and much better service at mcdonalds. Oh barista, why won’t you just crack a smile?

What’s better than taking a day off and doing nothing?
Drinking coffee, eating dessert and Unilocaling @ the same time. This place has wifi. It’s also a perfect place for mom & daughter to bond. I saw a mom with her baby hanging out @ this coffee shop. The sofa was so comfy. I could sit here all day.
3 stars!
Creama is yummylicious!

They’ve got good coffee but don’t waste your money buying their ground coffee… I ordered the original house blend package, and found out it was Hazelnut when I got home. I give them a call, and the Italian guy who sold it to me as original (I even asked the first time, and he confirmed), told me to come back tomorrow to exchange… Something felt weird about that, so I just asked that I come back and replace it same day. I come back and he gives me the real kind this time, although, for $ 11.99 it feels kind of light. I come home and weigh it (twice to be sure), and it comes out to 10.4 ounces…
This’ll be the last time I go there…

Creama isn’t the most unique coffee shop I have visited in Long Beach, and I feel pretty confident in saying that I have visited 88% of the one-​off shops LB offers. However, it is a surprising downtown find. They offer Stash teas, which seems to be the standard LB tea brand. Creama is cozy, and it wasn’t busy, so it was easy to find a spot to enjoy the free WiFi, which is very nice. The service was friendly. All in all it is a positive little hang.
On a side note: The most distinguishing characteristic of Creama was the soundtrack. They had The College Dropout, and maybe one other Kanye album on nonstop repeat with no other music added to the mix. I think I heard Jesus Walks at least 20 times. Maybe Kanye was in the back steaming milk. If he wasn’t, someone should let him know that his number one fan in America owns a coffee shop in LB. I am surprised they didn’t name it Kanye Coffee! Their motto could be: Our coffee will make you longer, better, faster, stronger!

Creama is not what I’d expect to find in the middle of downtown Long Beach at all. It’s clean yet cozy, staffed with friendly people, and they have free Wi-​Fi. Holla! Wait, sorry about that last word. I got caught up in the moment of writing.
Seriously though, all the above statements are true. Plus there is a garage just around the corner where you can park for free for 2 hours. There are both tables and comfortable chairs for all sorts of coffee drinking needs (work, study, social) and the array of baked goods is dazzling. I think I gained 5 pounds just window-​shopping their cold case of cakes.
I’ll definitely pop in here again the next time my usual haunts are too busy because there was plenty of open seating.

Just had to get away from work, so I stopped in on this rainy day to try out Creama. Completely happy with the lovely soy latte they made for me. Soy milk wasn’t too sweet, espresso wasn’t too bitter or burnt tasting (like some places), and there was a good soymilk to espresso ratio.
Not having to endure major ‘flair’ from employees or having them ask for my name and then getting a major tude if I don’t want to put my name on my cup… both major plusses in my book!
Creama offers organic coffee beans and free wireless to boot! So, what’s this I hear about Creama possibly closing the doors? Stupid economy, you ruin all my fun! Hopefully, won’t happen, because this is, so far, my favorite little coffee spot in the Pine/​Ocean area.

I have been here just once. We ordered two specialty drinks and a panini… I didn’t have the pleasure to eat other pastries, I am sure they taste good, but they didn’t look very appealing (fresh) to me. I don’t dislike the shop, but I am not a fan, definitely five star is overrating. We came here because we were looking for a coffee shop to study, drink coffee, and I was hoping to get some afternoon dessert, the coffee we ordered were not strong enough for us, and the prosciutto/​Swiss panini was just a OK, there weren’t enough cheese, I think it would definitely taste better with mozzarella cheese.
This coffee shop is small, but seems like they display local artists’ art works on the wall, which I enjoy very much. The seats and sofas are also very welcoming and comfortable, another plus. However, the bench seats we were sitting on kept fliping over, a temperary malfunction perhaps? Anyways, it’s a nice neighborhood coffee shop.

I love pecans! I remember last November my Aunt thought it would be nice to make the entire Thanksgiving dinner all by herself. Her heart was in the right place but having had my aunts cooking before I thought it would be smart to fill up on chips and dip before sitting down for dinner. Well my thought turned out to be true. The turkey was dry, the stuffing was burnt, heck even the cranberry sauce was sour (and it was canned). The only thing that saved that meal was her homemade pecan pie. That pie was delicious, if it had not been for the pie the whole meal would have been a disaster. Well when I visited Creama for the first time it was their mini pecan tart that stopped me from writing my first 2 star review.
The other day my girlfriend, my best friend, and I were walking around downtown Long Beach in search for something really cold to satisfy our thirst when we came across Creama. I noticed the «People love us on Unilocal» sticker in the window and thought this place would be worth a try. My GF ordered a chocolate chip cookie and a blended caramel mocha. My BF ordered the same drink as my GF and also a crème brûlée. I ordered a blended mint mocha and a pecan tart. All three of us got out desserts before we got our drinks so we decided to take a seat and dig into our treats while we were waiting for our coffee. All three of the desserts were amazing. My girl’s cookie was huge and crunchy, it was really good. My friend’s crème brulee was very tasty, it was the best one I have ever had at a coffee shop. My pecan tart was fantastic. The crust was soft, the pecans were toasted, and the filling was super sweet. I finished that thing in less then four minutes. Our moods went from super happy to super disappointed once we got our drinks. All three of our drinks were absolutely flavorless. I could not taste any mint in my drink and both of their drinks tasted watered down. In all honesty I think that I would have preferred one of those bottled Starbucks coffees that you get at a gas station or liquor store over these drinks. It makes me sad to write this because I love supporting local independent places like this. To top it all off they were out of straws, we had to use a spoon to eat our flavorless coffees. This place is also really pricey. My drink and dessert came to about ten bucks.
If I’m ever in the area again I know I will give this place another chance. Who am I kidding, even if their coffee ends up being terrible again I would still come back for their pecan tarts.
Pecan Tart and other desserts– 5 stars
Blended drinks– 2 stars

I stop by Creama on the way to work a couple times a week. Quite a step above from your typical «franchise» joint.
Has a great cozy atmosphere with great pastries, tea and coffee drinks. They also display local art inside, so artists, you should check them out and inquire about posting up.

By far, Creama has the best coffee and espresso in Long Beach. As far as I’m concerned, it is the best coffee I have ever bought from a café in California. This café reminds me more of something I would find in Seattle (the best coffee in the U.S.) Never will your espresso be bitter, never will the coffee be too acidic. What other coffee shop also carries micro-​brews? What a perfect marriage!
Secondly, the service is always friendly and quick, two qualities which hardly ever go hand in hand. It’s too bad that I’m usually in a hurry when I go to Creama, because the few times I have been able to sit and enjoy myself the couches were so comfortable and the music interesting enough to keep me entertained for hours. They also have plenty of good local magazines and newspapers in case you ever forget your book.
Finally, the sandwiches are superb and the desserts are impeccable. They even carry sugar-​free, organic syrups for people who like that sorta thing. Could a coffee shop get any better?
Everyone who works at Creama is so awesome that I almost just want to stop in and say hello even when I don’t need coffee. The only way this place could improve is by staying open really late, but, really, who wants to be wandering around on Pine Ave late at night?
I hope everyone goes out of their way to check this place out because it is worth the extra walk, bike ride, or drive. Forget about the Bucks. They lost their Seattle credibility years ago. Go with Creama, if anything, because their coffee is Growers First. I wouldn’t say there is a waiter service, but you should tip them like there is anyway.

Great for Not-​Bucks Pine Avenue coffee. Not so comfortable for sitting in for long periods of time. A bit sterile feeling.
Pastries and panninis are great, and they have BEER which is very important for a wannabe French style espresso café.
I find the espresso is of the nutty/​earthy flavor, which is a nice break from the sharp/​thoroughly roasted (some say burned) espresso of Starbucks. I still think the best espresso around is the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Belmont Shore.
I love this place, and I want it to succeed, but it just doesn’t quite do it for me. Maybe they need more plants or something.

Screama for Creama!
I went to this place a while back so let me at least write down what I remember. My close friend Jenny was going to leave for Columbia in NY for her master’s program, so I, the loyal friend wanted to take her out. I took her to a Greek restaurant close by and then we walked over Creama.
We walked in and the owner was really nice. We didn’t know what dessert we wanted and he gave some good suggestions. We settled for this chocolate thing. I forget what it was called but the owner said that «it melts in your mouth» and who can resist something that melts in your mouth? But I’m not too fond of M&Ms. Anyway, so we got that, sat down and shared the chocolate thing. Hah.
It’s a nice coffee shop with good desserts. Definitely will check back if I’m around the area. And as for Jenny, she’s still in NY. COME BACK JENNY!!! =(

There are several kinds of coffee shops, and Long Beach has many of each. There’s get-​a-​cup-​and-​leave, of which Starbucks is a good example. There’s the funky hipster /​literati shop, like Portfolio or The Library. Then there’s the café-​style shop, of which Creama is the best. Good Panini, strong-​ish coffee, good lattes, excellent cappuccino, and best of all — it is served with a genuine smile.
If you like to work in coffee shops, I highly recommend Creama — there’s a solid web connection, plenty of outlets, and never a feeling of being rushed. The music volume is also medium to low, so you won’t be distracted.
The crowd includes suits, strollers, cruise-​ship rats, and off-​duty cops. You may not end up arguing over Pynchon or Descartes, but you’ll get a good cuppa joe and a satisfying café experience.

I would hve loved to have been the first person to review this, but alas, I have only been on Unilocal for a short while!
I love this place! I found it one day about two years ago while walking down Pine. Any place that has panini’s are great in my book. I love that they have so many varieties. Another huge plus for them is that they have horse radish, well at least they used to. I think they might have gotten rid of it since they don’t have the roast beef panini any more :(
As everyone else has said, the staff is very friendly and polite. I have never had a bad experience here.
If you read my reviews, you see that I do a lot of food ordering for my office. I always try to get the shirts some things that they normally don’t get, or maybe something with a twist. The last time I ordered sandwiches, I ordered from here. They have an impressive varitey of sandwiches and drinks. The only downside to the sandwich combos is that they only have one type of chip (plain, kettle cooked). However, they totally let me substiute cookies for the chips. (I recommend the oatmeal cranberry). I was so impressed that I had them cater breakfast for me the next day. They have a very good selection of breakfast pasties for contintental breakfast.
My only compliant that I have, is, as an office worker in downtown, that they do not deliver, so that means schlepping down the street to them, but that means getting out of the office. In which case, that may actually be a plus.
This place is highly recommended.
Oh, one more thing, I do not recommend the pinaple upside-​down cake. It looks very appealing, but it has carmel instead of carmelized pineapple and it just turned me off. But everything else I have tasted was fabu-​u!