Where can you stop for a cup of coffee on the way to work, pick up a wholesome acai bowl for lunch, and sit down with a friend for an espresso and a gourmet treat? Try Cream Espresso Bar & Bakery in North Bellmore. While it will have its official grand opening on October 10, the warm and welcoming family-run shop has been serving guests a menu of fresh coffee and unique food and dessert options since August.

Cream has a large selection of coffee drinks including espresso, frappes and cold brew, as well as food items such as acai bowls and overnight oats. The main attraction of the Cream bakery, however, is its diverse variety of sweets and baked goods. Cream owner Georgio Hambartsoumian credits his mom as the inspiration behind the bakery. “My mom has been an incredible baker all of our lives.” He said people were always asking for her specialty recipes for cookies, cakes and pastries for different occasions. Most of the bakery items are made from his mother’s recipes.

The selection of baked goods, which varies daily, ranges from muffins, cheesecakes and cookies to pastries, pies and spinach and cheese burek. Some Cream Espresso Bar & Bakery signature items include:

Cream chocolate cake. Photo courtesy of Cream Espresso Bar & Bakery. 

Cream Chocolate Cake - A 4-layer cake made with vanilla cream custard in between each layer finished with a chocolate glaze made from scratch. Hambartsoumian noted that “Typically, bakeries purchase frozen chocolate and heat it in the oven whereas our ingredients for the Cream Chocolate Cake are imported from Belgium.”

Fruit cookies. Photo courtesy of Cream Espresso Bar & Bakery.

Fruit Cookies - Handmade fruit-shaped butter cookies. Hambartsoumian said that these are often confused for marzipan but are “cookies filled with vanilla cream and topped with food coloring and sugar to look like an actual fruit.”

Napoleon. Photo courtesy of Cream Espresso Bar & Bakery.

Napoleon - A crispy cake made of layered puff pastry with smooth buttery vanilla cream filling, covered with flakey puff pastry, and topped with powdered sugar. 

Cream Espresso Bar & Bakery is a modern space with several tables that offer comfortable seating for conversation. Hambartsoumian plans to expand the menu soon and add breakfast sandwiches and pressed panini sandwiches. He also takes cake orders and will bake custom cakes for any occasion.

Cream Espresso Bar & Bakery is located at 2455 Jerusalem Ave in North Bellmore. Current operating hours are Monday 8 a.m. -5 p.m., Tuesday 8 a.m. -7 p.m., Wednesday 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Thursday 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. -8 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. -6 p.m. Visit the Cream bakery Facebook page for the most updated information.