Crem Puff Café Brings Coffee and Smoothies to Sixth Avenue

For those eying the flurry of renovations taking place at the new coffee shop on Sixth Avenue between Bergen and Dean, take note: it’s slated to open in about two weeks, the owners say.

Called Crem Puff Café, the tiny storefront will serve as a coffee/juice bar with smoothies and protein shakes as well as lattes and plain old joe. There will also be light lunch and dinner offerings including salads and sandwiches and a large assortment of baked goods, said owner Nikki Turna.

“It’s going to be the same thing like Starbucks, but with a lot more stuff,” he said.

Turna, who moved to Brooklyn from Russia when he was 18, owns the spot with friend Katy Klymenko. It’s the third Crem Puff Café they’ve opened in the past five years. There’s also one in Bay Ridge, where the pair lives, as well as one in Brighton Beach. (But if you're hoping for some Russian treats you're out of luck, the pastries will be primarily Italian, Turna said).  

While the menu sounds fairly standard, the décor stands out. Turna designed the interior of the shop himself, and did much of the installation.

Most striking is a spoon-covered sculpture he made hanging from the ceiling (see photo gallery). But there’s also the walls, covered with bark from the coffee tree, the dark wood beams along the ceiling and the carefully chosen ceramic and glass tiling throughout. Tables handmade by Turna and a second sculpture are on their way, he said. (The gorgeous stained glass windows were already there, however.)

It’s a shame that the 300-square-foot shop will only have four seats, because  if it were bigger, it would be a lovely place to savor a cappuccino. 

As it is, the restaurant will rely mostly on takeout, and there are no plans for delivery. Turna says the hours are likely to be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

But at that location, across from a police station, a block from the Atlantic Yards constructrion site and around the corner from the subway, another fast take-out place has no option but to do well. 

**By the way, does anyone know what was in this spot before? I only knew it as the place with the "Too Blessed 2 Be Stressed" sign.