Creme Restaurant & Lounge, Baltimore

A creative spirit thrives at Creme Restaurant & Lounge. As the chefs meticulously plate their eye-catching entrees, diners enjoy live performances from locally and nationally renowned musicians on the dining room stage. That combination of cozy ambiance and refined food creates a welcoming environment that encourages guests to linger for a while or attempt to move all their belongings in. The Baltimore Sun succinctly summarized the restaurant’s charm by noting, “If you have had a bad day or simply need to reward yourself with some rich, artful comfort food, this is the place.”

The chefs take a more refined approach to contemporary American cuisine. Shrimp and spicy sausage arrive with a bed of creamy grits and salmon emerges from the kitchen with a bold teriyaki and bourbon glaze. Even the bartenders demonstrate a willingness to push the boundaries of the expected by infusing their own spirits and creating specialty cocktails with chipotle-infused vodka and hibiscus-infused gin.

With its dark wooden floorboards and sunflower-yellow walls, the restaurant’s dining room exudes a similarly cozy, yet stately spirit. Intimate tables flanked by simple black chairs fill the long, narrow space, although virtually every seat presents patrons with a clear view of the stage at the front of the room. Some small touches add extra whimsy, including a dangling chandelier, an ornately decorated fireplace, and a collection of framed eggs benedicts.