Crema Coffee Roasters

Crema puts carefully brewed coffee at the center of the visit. Its smooth drip coffee is the reason to linger, with a straightforward cafe setup for anyone who wants a measured cup rather than a sweet drink.

Picks from The Infatuation and Nashville Scene

Nashville Scene singles out this downtown roaster's hot chocolate as frill-free and perfectly creamy, made with Askinosie Chocolate sauce rather than syrup, tangy and rich enough to taste faintly malty, with no whipped cream, marshmallows or shavings to hide behind. The Infatuation separately calls Crema a Nashville coffee institution whose drip coffee is the smoothest on its list, an independent nod to the shop generally. Order the hot chocolate on its own rather than dressed up, which is how the write-up says it's meant to be had.

Picks from Nashville Scene, Nashville Lifestyles, and The Infatuation