Aroma Espresso Bar

Well HELLO and Happy Halloween! My favorite Halloween candy has always been something chocolate-y, so no surprise here that I now prefer cocoa in my kahve ( 🙂 ). Last Halloween I was feeling the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, and feel incredibly lucky that this Halloween, Hurricane Sandy has left central CT relatively untouched. I am thinking of those loved ones (and loved ones of loved ones) in the NY and NJ areas who have been really affected by the storm. Just last weekend I was right in Manhattan and East Rutherford, sampling mochas and watching the Giants. So I dedicate this post to NYC – hope you get better soon!

Last weekend I went to NYC to visit some good friends and of course, to try a mocha. I went with my friend Ashley to a place near her apartment, called Aroma Espresso Bar, located right in Midtown.  Aroma is apparently one of the largest espresso bars in Israel, and recently opened a few chains in the US. Ashley told me they serve their mochas with a SIDE of chocolate. Sold.   http://www.aroma.us/

Taste: 5

I am a fan of coffee, and chocolate, and of course, the two combined. Aroma Espresso Bar does this combination quite well. I knew I was in the right place when I ordered my mocha latte and the barista asked me if the mocha was ‘for here’ or ‘to go’; when I answered ‘for here’, she immediately grabbed a ceramic cup and saucer. AND THEN when I told her I prefer no whip cream on my mocha and inquired as to whether or not they typically serve whip cream atop their mochas, she looked at me like I was cuhhhrazy for asking. 🙂 No whip cream on mochas, ever. Ok, so the taste. I was told to mix the mocha when I got to the table because all of the cocoa was sitting at the bottom; they melted milk chocolate into the bottom of my cup. Done. Pretty decent taste balance between sweet – bitter – smooth <cocoa, espresso, milk>. To counterbalance the sweetness of their mocha, my drink came with a mini wrapped chocolate! Mmmm. Although the quality of the ingredients were wonderful, this drink was a good basic mocha. I would have loved a WOW factor – more steamed milk, perhaps?

Appearance: 5

How beautiful and simple is this?! Yes I love a fancy design, but the rich colors of the cocoa contrasted with the crisp white cup and saucer (extra points for a cup AND saucer) makes this look so delicious, no? I would have loved to have seen a bit of a sleeker looking cup to match the modern decor in the store.

Ambiance: 5

The decor is minimalst, tasteful, and modern. Nice service, even for NYC – friendly baristas and speedy service. Good looking pastries; I have my eye on you next time, chocolate croissant. Lots of places to sit, though no comfy spots you would want to cozy up in on a cold winter’s day. It is so quiet in this store – I would have loved to have seen a few more mocha-goers, or at least heard some fun tunes. This may seem like a nice option for a business meeting/coffee meeting, as it is quiet with ample seating space. No bathrooms though, boo. I personally would not like to hang out in this place, it is almost too ‘cold’ looking for my taste, like a museum without anything super interesting to look at (sorry for the grammar, English majors). I recommend heading to Aroma for a bite to eat (deals on sandwiches in the afternoons), grab a mocha to go, and walk over to Bryant Park for some people watching.

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