Plenty of seating indoors and out for coffee lovers and those who love us!…read more I was meeting a friend staying in the area, and I wanted an independently-owned coffee shop. No shade to the corporate big names, but the local shop is what I love. Cook Street is a Conscious Cup cafe - a personal favorite in my own hometown. This location didn't disappoint. Friendly service, great coffee, and a wonderful vibe. Very demure. Very mindful. We snagged a spot outside, nice tables and chairs with shade umbrellas for those of us who want fresh air with limited UV exposure.

I like this little coffee shop in Barrington. I lived in Ravenswood until last year and you could…read morefind a coffee shop every few blocks. Then moved to the northwest side and there's practically none--unless it's a Starbucks--so it's nice to see an independent shop in a cute little downtown. The chai wasn't bad, service was friendly, and the shop was cute and clean. There were lots of folks hanging out inside and at their nice outdoor space as well. They have several different types of seating, from big comfy chairs to tables big and small, and there are some counter-height seats by the window as well. The area is street parking only, but there's lots of it.

Kari's Rating 9.9/10…read more TLDR: -Seriously my favorite bakery ever and I'm a bakery connoisseur -The flakiest most delicious pastries -Handcrafted sweets and made to order cakes This is my absolute favorite bakery to go to when I am home in Barrington. I've been coming to ambrosia for at least 20 years since my childhood, and this bakery never disappoints. The only reason it didn't get a 10 out of 10 was because sometimes they're closed on days when I need them open, and I find myself to be extremely disappointed I forgot to read the website! Of course error on my side! I remember coming here before I was tall enough to peep over the pastry case, and I've always been so fascinated by the little show window where they have cake decorating or someone demonstrating how to roll pastries-what an art! My number one pastry that I come here for is the ham and cheese croissant. Ambrosia's ham and cheese croissant is the flakiest most savory ham and cheese croissant I've ever had. They don't add any mustard or gimmicks and yet it is so flaky and savory that it doesn't need an extra dash of flavor. I know for a while they were making them smaller, but this time I came, I realized that the ham and cheese croissants are bigger than ever-which probably makes me think they've gone up in price, but I will happily pay the up charge for a little more. Now that I am older, and I have adult money, I find myself going in and trying one new item to add to my repertoire of treats. Today's new addition was the almond Bear-claw which I already had extremely high hopes for because I do love a good almond croissant, but I was a little worried what bear-claw meant. Truthfully, it just meant the shape of the pastry as it still had the classic buttery flaky crust, as well as a sweet almond interior. I was not disappointed! I did end up bringing home four ham and cheese croissants, an ambrosia roll for my dad, the almond Bear-claw, and two freshly made baguettes. I come home relatively frequently, but every time this bakery is added to my morning agenda, I realize I have such few moments left with my family, and I want to cherish them all and I love that ambrosia has been that tradition for us. I feel like most bakeries I go into in the city are mass produced and everyone is just trying to place orders and then rushing to get out the door, but ambrosia the workers really try to make you feel seen and have a way to uplifting conversation with you. Through all of the order, placing chaos, they're willing to explain what's in everything, what's new on the menu or what flavor profile would go with which handcrafted drink. There's a certain side of human conversation to this bakery that makes this visit extra special for me. I can sense everything is made overnight and then baked in the morning, so as soon as you walk in, you can smell an overwhelming bakery scent, which only makes your mouth water more, which I'm starting to think is actually a really strategic sales tactic! Haha! I would never miss a chance coming back here and spending time my parents and picking up a few surprise treat for them. I will keep the tradition of picking up a few extra treats as I would love for this bakery to continue being something my whole family can look forward to whenever I come home

The pastries and cakes here are expertly crafted and taste amazing. On our most recent visit we got…read moreone of their premade cakes for sale, as well as some of their small desserts. They all tasted as good as they looked! As far as I know these ambrosia items don't grant you immortality and eternal youth but they are tasty sweet treats nonetheless. Service has always been veyr friendly and welcoming. I'm addition to their baked goods they also offer coffees, teas, and there's a small refrigerator with cheeses and some selections of wine and local honey on the side. The ambiance does have a bit of a European feel and there is a decent amount of indoor seating.

This is a lovely bakery/coffee shop. Went with a friend and we both enjoyed delicious iced teas,…read morehers a berry one and mine a mint, brought to our table, hand steeped, iced and sweetened to our preferences. We enjoyed macaroons, ginger molasses cookie and an éclair that rivals the ones I enjoyed in Paris. The bakery cases are filled with pastries and sweets to seriously tempt you. Parking lot access from behind the shop with a door leading into the shop and next door florist. The shop is beautifully decorated, pristinely clean with happy, helpful staff. So impressed, a real gem!

So very happy that this place opened up. Can't talk enough about this cute place. Meet all the…read morerequirements of the cute, warm, friendly neighborhood coffee place. Everything is worth the penny. Fresh from the oven and coffee is delicious. God bless they have saved me drive to Barrington all the way for good coffee and bakery.

This is by far the least "sweet" cake we have had, which is actually the highest compliment older…read moreAsian folks can give to a dessert. Made with fresh and tasty ingredients, combined with creative and thoughtful design. Thank you for the wonderful taro birthday cake. Well worth the $50 in our opinion. It is true that the display has limited options compared with many other bakeries near the city. But I think what they do have is made with care. Definitely higher price than what you'd get near downtown, but then again there's not a lot of other options nearby and it's not meant to be a high traffic kind of store as it's ran by the family.

I recently ordered a "Rainbow Mille Crepe" cake for a Hawaiian theme birthday party. It was soooo…read morebeautiful and delicious

Friendly service, great cappuccino! Always enjoy the atmosphere. Love supporting this small, local…read morebusiness.

Very quaint cafe, cute ambiance and delicious menu for food and cafe items…read more Everything is fresh and good quality. Nice service. Has indoor and outdoor seating. Highly recommend the burak and pastries, the chocolate croissant is my favorite. Good spot in the DT Palatine area. Parking can be tough if it's busy.

Conscious Cup Palatine is located in the train station. They have a cute porch patio, indoor…read moreseating, and large ordering counter. I love that this location also sells their vanilla & lavender syrups and mocha & caramel sauces for at home coffee. They offer their standard line up of coffee and teas as well as monthly drink specials. They do not have their breakfast sandwiches but do have their pastry case. I ordered the Sweet Honey Bee latte which is one of my absolute favorite flavored lattes. My husband got the London Fog with he also thoroughly enjoyed. I got the vanilla syrup ($19) to enjoy at home. It's a bit thicker but you can see the fresh vanilla bean and has great taste. Conscious Cup coffee is priced as a premium but is such a great treat to enjoy!

Friendly staff beautiful environment. The beans are bought…read morefrom all around the world, roasted by Conscious cup and as fresh as you can get. The syrups are homemade. Truly fresh coffee and tsia tea. I loved the pumpkin Thai tee! Pumpkin

Never disappoints. Clean and a friendly staff. Food and coffee very good and the location is…read moreconvenient right near the lake. Definitely a return destination.

It's ok . I think conscious cup is better . Service could be friendlier . I think if I go back I'll…read morejust order juice . I like that you can buy gifts there if you'd like to support small businesses . The chairs aren't very comfortable so it's not a place you want to stay and chill .

Best Coffee shop around. The Expresso they use taste so good, especially for a Latte. The…read moresandwiches are good like the Coupe DeVille. Great atmosphere and Service.

Pepper Park Coffee is a cute shop located just off NW Hwy in a more industrial area. Their location…read morehad a drive through, outdoor patio, and plenty of seating inside. Their menu offers a favorite of coffee, teas, and sandwiches for food. Note that all syrups flavors are pumps over homemade. I was between some items but the staff member highly recommended the seasonal Pumpkin, Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso (med- 20oz). I changed the milk to oatmilk ($1 upcharge) and my total was $9.30. This is a bit pricey for how much I like to spend on coffee out but the flavor was amazing! A bit sweet but I found myself continuously going back for another sip. I would certainly come back for their seasonal offerings but couldn't sustain visiting sadly on a regular cadence. Either way, stop by Pepper Park Coffee to give them a try!

* Whimsical and charming vibes, atmosphere * Adorable,…read morethoughtfully designed décor * Beautiful artisan/designer jewelry and little treasures you can purchase * Organic, fresh, thoughtfully sourced food * Perfect for a cozy coffee-and-pastry afternoon * Romantic, Parisian/French countryside feel * Feels like stepping into a little storybook * A place to browse, linger, and discover unique things * Natural, elegant, and slightly bohemian * The kind of place that feels hidden and special rather than commercial * Very photogenic--every little corner has character * Warm, intimate, and inviting rather than fancy or stuffy * Lovely for finding unusual gifts or something special for yourself Overall: "A whimsical little Parisian-inspired gem--part café, part boutique, part treasure hunt." Owners I believed, were probably inspired by the art galleries, boutiques, cafés, and restaurants.

Me and my wife recently came here on a little bit of a lunch adventure while wanting to explore…read moresomething new. I'm impressed nobody has reviewed this place at all and it seems to have been open for well over 7 years according to Google. This place is a café with all vegan friendly food items. On top of that it is a gallery that offers classes too that you can buy art and support local artists. I had their spicy 7 tofu wrap on my end while my wife ordered another wrap. Staff here was absolutely friendly and courteous with us especially with no other guests inside. Prices were a bit above average with moderate wait times but the food itself was absolutely filling making the wait time worth it. They have a dessert menu too after which has a small selection of sweets. Overall, I was blown away from my visit here. Highly recommend coming back and visiting when you get a chance!

We tried Cloud Tea since it recently opened in downtown Barrington. Nice open space as you walk…read morein, with around 7-10 tables and a bar ledge area. We tried a few drinks and ice cream. We'll try some of the sandwiches next time we stop in. We had a Brown Sugar Milk Tea, Taro Coconut smoothie and Oreo ice cream with fish waffles. The drinks were good, similar to many of the other boba places locally. The tapioca tasted fresh and were soft, which is a good indication of the quality of the milk tea. We need more retail in downtown Barrington, so we'll be back to support our local shops.

My son and I visited Cloud Tea for some rolled ice cream, but unfortunately, it fell short of…read moreexpectations. The request for a tip before the product was even made seemed a bit premature, and the sight of a messy workstation didn't inspire confidence. As we watched our treats being crafted, the lack of attention to cleanliness dampened our excitement. When we got the ice cream each looked very pretty and worth of a photo though when it came time to taste, my strawberry cheesecake creation had nonexistent flavor in the actual ice cream. With just a 1/4 of a strawberry mixed in, it left me feeling a bit shortchanged for the price. While I'm not closing the door on Cloud Tea just yet, our first visit didn't quite hit the sweet spot. Perhaps if they focus more on the taste and cleanliness and less on the visual of the product they could have a better shot.