The tea is always flowing at BloomingTea and is sold—iced or hot—by the cup, in small or large pots, or in bulk by the ounce. In addition to Brown County Coffee and kombucha on tap, the teahouse offers more than 100 kinds of tea, including blacks, greens, whites, herbals, matés, and apothecary blends. The food menu includes soups, quiches, and sweets from Piccoli Dolci. • Prices: $ • Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. • Bar: No • Credit Cards: Visa, MC, AMEX, Disc. • Outdoor Seating: Yes

Located next-door to the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, BLU Boy serves beautiful chocolates and cakes that are handcrafted with local ingredients. The chocolate store's experienced chefs and chocolatiers create dainty, European-style desserts without any preservatives. Don’t forget luscious seasonal tarts and pies, the daily cupcake menu, or house-made gourmet ice cream. Visit the store's website to order boxed chocolate assortments, all of which make great gifts. • Prices: $$ • Hours: Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–10 p.m.; Closed Sun. • Bar: No • Credit Cards: Visa, MC, AMEX, Disc. • Outdoor Seating: Yes
Read our review of BLU Boy Chocolate Café & Cakery here!

Come summer, lines form well into the night at The Chocolate Moose. Grasshopper and Moose Chocolate ice creams are classics and well worth the wait. Soft serve is big, too, from tiny torch cones to chocolate-and-nut-dipped swirls. • Prices: $ • Hours: Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sun. noon–10 p.m. • Bar: No • Credit Cards: Visa, MC • Outdoor Seating: Yes • Fair Labor Decal

Known for its famous Fudge O’Bits, which are sold nationwide at Menards stores, DK Sweets originated in Spencer, Indiana, and now has a Bloomington location just off the downtown Square. Stop in for a variety of handmade candies, ice cream, smoothies, and bulk candy. • Prices: $ • Hours: Mon.–Wed. 2–8 p.m.; Thu.–Sat. 12–8 p.m.; Closed Sun. • Bar: No • Outdoor Seating: No

Just steps from East Kirkwood, Hartzell’s has stepped up to fill ice cream cravings near campus. Freshly made waffle cones and bowls are the way to go—fill yours with a scoop or two of creamy homemade ice cream. Other creamy treats include soft-serve ice cream, Spinners (think DQ Blizzard or McDonald's McFlurry), shakes, malts, floats, smoothies, sundaes, parfaits, and Slush Puppies. Choose from a list of 58 toppings to customize your dessert. Carbolite (99.9 percent lactose-free) and frozen yogurt are lighter options. • Prices: $–$$ • Hours: Mon. 3:30–11 p.m.; Tu.–Sat. 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m.; Sun. noon–11 p.m. • Bar: No • Credit Cards: Visa, MC, Disc., Campus Access • Outdoor Seating: Yes

Featuring an urban design with a cozy, warm atmosphere, this café is a nice place to enjoy a pastry while you chat, read, or work on a laptop. The made-from-scratch pastries are an early customer favorite. Menu items include a chicken salad sandwich on baguette, bacon and eggs, and waffles on Wednesday. • Prices: $ • Hours: 7:30 a.m.–7 p.m. daily • Bar: No • Credit Cards: Visa, MC, AMEX, Disc. • Outdoor Seating: Yes

Nat’s Bakery and Cafe, located in Fountain Square Mall, offers breakfast wraps and sandwiches, lunch and dinner entrees such as salads, paninis, and cold cut sandwiches, sweet treats such as cupcakes, and specialty coffee beverages. • Prices: $ • Hours: Mon.–Fri. 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Closed Sun. • Bar: No • Outdoor Seating: No

Now located just off the downtown Square, PopKorn! Kernels with a Twist offers over 30 sweet and savory popcorn varieties flavored with real foods like cheeses, peppers, nuts, and banana chips. Two flavors are vegan, and 80% of PopKorn! products are gluten free. Try Midwest Delight (cheddar and caramel) or Celebration (white chocolate with sprinkles). Prices: $–$$ • Hours: Thu.–Sat. 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; Closed Sun.–Wed. • Bar: No. • Outdoor Seating: No

This funky café is Bloomington’s first all-vegan bakery. They whip up dozens of fun cupcake flavors, such as Sweet Coconut Curry and Chai Latte. The types of cupcakes available change daily. They also offer a varying assortment of baked goodies, such as doughnuts, cookies, and cinnamon rolls. Many of their treats are gluten-free, or can be specially ordered that way for an extra charge. • Prices: $–$$$$ • Hours: Tu.–Sat. 9 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sun. 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; Closed Mon.• Bar: No • Credit Cards: Visa, MC, AMEX, Disc. • Outdoor Seating: Yes

Serving up the best latte in town, Soma works magic with coffee beans and an espresso machine. A prime downtown location and another in Jordan Square means more to love. Constant traffic means the coffee is always fresh. • Prices: $ • Hours: East Kirkwood Mon.–Fri. 6:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sat. 7 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sun. 8 a.m.–10 p.m.; East 3rd Street Mon.–Fri. 6 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sat.–Sun. 7 a.m.–9 p.m. • Bar: No • Credit Cards: Visa, MC, AMEX, Disc., Campus Access • Outdoor Seating: Yes • Fair Labor Decal

Drive to the North Walnut location of Square Donuts to get your morning doughnut fix straight through your car window. Yeast doughnuts are light, airy confections that make it far too easy to go back for seconds. Night owls can score freshly fried doughnuts through the pickup window starting at 1 a.m. • Prices: $ • Hours: Tu.–Sun. 6 a.m.–2 p.m. and midnight–4 a.m. at North Walnut location.; Closed Mon.• Bar: No • Credit Cards: Visa, MC, AMEX, Disc. • Outdoor Seating: Yes

Introduce yourself to the wide world of Mexican baked goods at Trigos Bakery on Bloomington’s west side. The compact and sweet-smelling storefront displays traditional Mexican pastries baked each morning by owner Ivan Heredia. Daily selections vary, but you’re likely to find cookies, croissants, muffins, and especially conchas, slightly sweet pastry buns decorated like shells. • Prices: $ • Hours: Mon.–Tu. 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Wed.–Th. 9 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. • Bar: No • Credit Cards: Visa, MC, AMEX, Disc. • Outdoor Seating: No