European Café by Sweet Couture

European Café by Sweet Couture
207 Park Central East, Springfield, 417-942-5055
PRICE RANGE: $

I’m a bit of a coffee-holic. After spending eight-plus years working in coffee shops around Missouri and Iowa, I basically have espresso running through my veins now. When you have to wake up at 4 a.m. to open the store, coffee is the only friend in the world you can count on. Even now, when I get to sleep in till 7, I still stalk 417-land coffee shops in search of my favorite espresso or the best dry cappuccino in town. So when European Café by Sweet Couture opened shop on Springfield’s Park Central Square, I immediately became a regular.

Over three or four weeks, I carved out time during my lunch breaks to swing by the café. I sampled a new pastry each time, sinking my teeth into the creamy lemon tart, rich chocolate cupcakes or, my favorite, the subtly sweet cream puff that is so stinking delicious it has made its way into my dreams.

No matter which pastry I’m savoring, my coffee of choice never changes. Each visit, I order a macchiato—a shot of espresso served in a demitasse with just a dollop of frothy milk floating on top. By skimping on the milk, this tiny beverage really boasts the rich flavor of the Lavazza espresso that comes out of the espresso machine in trickling golden streams. One sip in, and the rest of the world melts away as the espresso warms my soul. Pair that with a forkful of the thick vanilla cream that spills from the cream puff, and the stress of the week is whisked away. This is my version of meditation, and it’s delicious.

Kind of like my macchiato, the café’s interior is simple, but welcoming. The décor has a slight feminine touch with dark-stained wood floors and cushioned benches that run along one wall. A handful of tables and couches give this bakery and café a cozy atmosphere that makes it the perfect destination for a quiet Sunday afternoon spent reading in one of the plush chairs. If you’re in the mood for a quick jolt after lunch, you can settle in on one of the leather barstools that line the front windows.

But, it you’re like me, you’ll rotate from the plush couches to the window bar and then back to the tables with a new pastry in hand each time.