Creme Restaurant & Lounge

Definitely my go-to spot when I spend some weeks in Baltimore a few times a year. Food is beautifully prepared and served, an elegant version of the deep south. Employees are always friendly and skilled. They work well as a team, I have noticed. They truly help each other out. There are three connected spaces in Creme: the formal dining room up front, the long and inviting bar, and (my personal favorite) the lounge where comfortable armchairs cozy up to small dining tables. A few of my favorites? Shrimp and grits for sure, always save room for the fabulous coconut cake, and for Sunday brunch I go for the Harbor Benedict which (of course!) centers on a crabcake. All delicious.
Sep 25th, 2014

Jun 17th, 2014

Duped by Groupon - A recount of my dining experience on 11/10/13. Food is great but don't get duped by any Groupon offer. I just purchased a $29 Creme Groupon for brunch for two with bottomless Mimosas/Bloody Mary's and boy was that misleading. First, the fine print doesn't say that both parties have to drink the same beverage. I wanted the Mimosas and my guest wanted Bloody Mary's. They wouldn't allow that without charging us an additional $14. If both drinks were advertised as "bottomless", what diffference does it make. The restaurant refused to honor it. Then they charged ala carte for whatever they could. I ordered pancakes and the wait person asked if I wanted berries. I really did not and said no but then my friend said he would eat them. So I said put the berries on the side. When the bill came, they charged me $3 for those berries - and they only gave me a small container of berries (maybe 2 strawberries and 6 - 8 blue berries chopped small). Also on the bill was a $5.04 "Groupon tax" (that is almost 20% tax) and an additional $13.50 mandatory gratuity (that is more than 20% tax for the cost of the Groupon + the cost of the bill with their imposed fees). I ended up paying the same price as if I just went in and ordered. I was always hesitant about buying Groupons for restaurants - and this experience confirms it. This was the first and last time I will purchase a Groupon for a restaurant. And Creme won't see me until maybe Restaurant Week- at least you know upfront what you are going to be charged.
Jul 17th, 2014

Worst service I have ever had at a restaurant. My girlfriend and I have never been so uncomfortable in our life. I told the waiter I was unsure if we needed to tell him we had a groupon and he replied "I would hope you would tell us." He then said if we had the groupon we needed to say that we had the groupon in our reservation. My girlfriend was in the bathroom who made the reservation so I was unsure if she specified. They then accused us of lying since they are closed on monday and she said she called then. We were also the only ones in the restaurant and this could have been handled more appropriately on so many levels. They came up to our table every 2 minutes and it was annoying. They did not have the drink special I wanted nor the dessert. The waiter who approached me acted like a thug and should have been grateful for my business but acted in a disgusting manner. Never have I been so uncomfortable at a restaurant. Will not return and will deter anyone I know going here for the rest of my life. Creme has good food especially there corn bread muffins but this will not be enough for them to stay a float with their horrendous service and attitude.
Jun 10th, 2014

My boyfriend took me here last night and I thought it was amazing. Loved the building and the decor inside. We sat at the bar for a pre-dinner drink and the bartender was very friendly. One of the glasses that was served to us was a bit dirty but it was sent back with no problems. The food, I thought was great, especially the appetizers. We ordered the Wild Mushroom Montage and the Shrimp Rosotto for our Appetizers and both were delicious! For my entree I ordered the ​Bourbon and Teriyaki Glazed Salmon and it was good. My boyfriend ordered the Shrimp & Grits and I took a small bite and yes it does have a bit of a kick (spicy) to it. He enjoyed it. Four little cornbread muffins were served with dinner and they were the perfect size for the meal. The restaurant seemed a little short staff but this could have been due to the snow we received the night before. Everyone (the staff) seemed to be pitching in and doing double duty, also it would have been nice to have someone playing at the piano on a Friday night. It was the perfect place for a surprise Friday night date :) The last thing...the coconut cake was out of this world...not sure if it is made on-site or through an outside vendor (forgot to ask) but it was amazing! I would love to go back and try the Sunday brunch.
May 27th, 2014