Chattanooga has quite a few quality restaurants, bakeries and ice cream shops you can visit for a sweet treat. We built a guide to cover some of our favorites worth stopping by after a date night, when your parents are in town, or just for the sake of exploration.
Check out some of our European themed merchants, get a hold of some warm hot chocolate and sweets at the Hot Chocolatier or stop by for a scoop or two of ice cream at a local favorite, Clumpies.
Are we missing your favorite? Reach out with the details and reasoning and we’ll get back to you.
Confections.
The Hot Chocolatier.
Does a sip of hot chocolate bring up any feelings of nostalgia for you? If it does you might be interested in on a cold winter’s day there’s a business in town you may want to know about, The Hot Chocolatier. They serve an array of various confections, hot drinks, pastries and sandwiches. On their shelves you’ll also find thoughfully wrapped creations that would make for an excellent gift for most occassions. These gifts can also be purchased online, if you’re crunched for time.
With two locations, one in St Elmo and the other on Market Street near the Choo Choo. The Hot Chocolatier is relatively accessible to most residents and vistors to the area. The staff is as warm as their hot chocolate, if you’re looking for a place to go to get out of the house for a bit or even to work they have tablespace and wifi, plus note outdoor seating when the weather is cooperating.
The Hot Chocolatier has been beloved by the Chattanooga community since their inception in 2008. They never experienced this more than in 2024. Facing significant hardship due to increased rent and permitting delays during a relocation the owners launched a GoFundMe Campaign and were able to raise more than $19,000 from more than 250 donors. With the backing of the community, resilience from the owners, and dedication from their team, The Hot Chocolatier continues to be able serve Chattanooga the creative confections they crave.

A touch of Europe.
Adelle’s Crêperie.
Open Tuesday - Sunday from 8:30AM to 2PM, this European style crêperie serves a collection of both sweet and savory crepes.
In European culture sweet crepes are often eaten for dessert often made with chocolate, fruit, whipped cream, or some combination of ingredients. If you’re looking to enjoy a lighter sweet crepe for breakfast try crepes with a jam spread.
Adelle’s sweet crepe menu consists of dishes like “The Royale” which features nutella, stawberries, and chocholate drizzle and “The Bee’s Knees” consisting of nutella, bananas, cinnamon maple sprinkle, and honey drizzle. These we’re two cherry picked dishes, there are other sweet crepes and you can also create your own. Adelle’s full menu
If you’re dining with your kids or just want something simple, they also offer a classic butter and sugar crepe. A French staple.
Rembrandt’s Coffee House.
This coffee house is modeled after a European café with its handmade pastries, cobblestone paths, and hand crafted espresso based coffee drinks.
Rembrandt offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Their outdoor patio seating is particularly enjoyable in the spring when the Arts District comes to life with fresh blooming flowers or in the fall when the foliage adds some charm to the area.
Following the European this coffee house is walkable to many other shops, restaurants and attractions in its disrict like Hunter Museum, Walnut Street Bridge, Tennessee Riverwalk, and Coolidge Park.
Rembrandt’s also offers a selection of locally made chocolates, which might go well will that afternoon or evening cup of coffee.
The shops name, Rembrandt, fits well with the artistic theme of the district. Rembrandt was a famous dutch painter in the 1600’s.
If you’re visiting on a weekend, you might see a live music or a local artist set up close by, which can also add to the European-style atmosphere.
Ice cream.
Clumpies Ice Cream.
A Chattanooga small business that’s considered a regional staple my many. Their handmade ice cream orgin story dates back to 1999 where they were using the finest fresh cream and milk ingredients to self pasteurize their products. The shop was purchased by Rock City Inc in 2013 and has since expanded to 3 total locations plus a food truck.
They make their ice cream in small batches, roughly 9 gallons per batch. This helps them pay more attention to detail and try out different experimental batches when testing new flavors.
Clumpies runs is parlors in three Chattanooga commerce locations. The flagship store is located in Northshore surrounded by various shops and restaurants. Their second storefront opened in Saint Elmo at the base of the popular Lookout Mountain, right next to the Incline Railway. Most recently they’ve opened a store near the Chattanooga Choo Choo on Market Street.
In any of these locations you can parlay your parlor party with local shopping, dinner, or drinks. You can also do those things in any order you choose, don’t let us tell you how to live your life. For the busy, they’ve also opened an online shop in recent years for local deliveries.
Clumpies offers seasonal and limited edition flavors Raspberry Stracciatella and Chocolate Lava Cake during Valentine’s season, and Chai Latte and Coffee Cake in the fall.
The Ice Cream Shop.
Located near the south end of Chattanooga’s Walnut Street Walking Bridge, The Ice Cream shop offers over 17,000 flavor combinations, making sure there’s something for everyone in the family.
These combinations are created from over 40 different fresh ingredients including fruits, chocolates, and nuts.
Continuing on their patron accessibility, the shop offers dairy free alternatives like sobert and vanilla oat milk ice cream.
If someone in your group finds doesn’t find the idea of ice cream appealing they also have freshly brewed coffee, hot chocolate, and tea.
The Ice Cream Shop is pet friendly, so bring Fido and get them their own treat like the Frosted Paws puppy ice cream.
This shop is open Monday to Saturday from 7AM to 11PM.
Baked Goods.
Cupcake Kitchen.
7 days a week Cupcake Kitchen bakes over 20 cupcake flavors on-site.
Their menu includes classics like vanilla and chocolate but also features more unique options Almond Raspberry and Tiramisu for patrons seeking a novel experience.
The Cupcake Collection offers a ‘rotating selection of seasonal flavors’, one being their King Cake cupcakes available for purchase during the Mardis Gras seaon.
Being considerate of those with dietary restrictions the shop offers gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan cupcakes for those who need or desire these options.
Outside of their titled dessert option Cupcake Kithen also offers cookies, canolis, and cheescakes if you’ve got a different sweet craving.
Julie Darling Donuts.
Opened in 2009, this donut shop uses a small-batch approach to baking, making sure donuts are made fresh every morning for their handmade treats.
Since their donuts are made fresh each morning it’s best to try and get their early. They make limited batches to avoid waste and may run out if you’re visiting later in the day. The store is open from 7AM to 1PM Monday through Saturday.
Their menu stands out with it’s novel, creative flavors like Samoa, Red Velvet, and Cheescake filled donuts.
Sometimes on the weekend they’ll serve specialty donuts that aren’t on the regular menu, making each weekend visit a chance to try something new.
The store has an fun 1950’s retro atmosphere and also has a Free Little Library, for those looking to leisure one afternoon. Sometimes they offer free donuts or coffee in exchange for a book, keep an eye out for these occassions on their facebook page.
Breakdown and Wrap Up.
Business Name | Type | Signature Items |
---|---|---|
The Hot Chocolatier | Chocolate & Confections | Hot Chocolate, Handmade Chocolates |
Adelle’s Crêperie | Crêperie | Sweet & Savory Crêpes |
Rembrandt’s Coffee House | Café | Handcrafted Espresso Drinks, Pastries |
Clumpies Ice Cream | Ice Cream | Handmade Small-Batch Ice Cream |
The Ice Cream Shop | Ice Cream | 17,000 Ice Cream Flavor Combinations |
Cupcake Kitchen | Bakery | Cupcakes, Seasonal Flavors |
Julie Darling Donuts | Donut Shop | Creative Donuts, Ice Cream Donut Sandwiches |
Chattanooga as a number of fun and novel places to adventure to for that sweet tooth fix. We hope some of the places we spotlighted today have you ready to get out and try something new or visit an old favorite.