Aroma Espresso Bar

Food: Very Good
Service: Ok
Ambience: Ok
This is one of my go to places for a quick bite and a coffee. They have a great café au lait which they serve in a real mug which I like and they have free wifi so you can work while eating.
My favorite item here has to be there Shakshuka it is pure tomatoey goodness with eggs on top. I highly recommend it at any of their locations.
I wish their UWS location had a little more flair like SoHo location but that does not stop me.
Overall a solid place

Chocolate lovers and coffee lovers, try aroma coffee. Absolutely delightful! Aroma espresso bar is a nice place for a quick meal, gossip with friends, or just to read.

Food is almost flavorless. Insolent and uninterested servers. A ridiculousnessly Long wait for a sandwich. And the place is filthy. A really poor choice and a sad decline for a place that used to be good and fast.

Very nice place — love the large tables at the entrance. Great place to spend time… The food is good: simple, fresh, not overpriced. I really like their salads in the summertime. It’s a good alternative to Starbucks for those who, like me, are trying to escape it.

If you had Aroma in Israel, you’d have a greater appreciation for Aroma in the city. When I first tried an iced coffee from Aroma in Israel, I received a mix between an iced coffee slushy and a frappuccino. That’s their typical iced coffee, and in the summer it’s the most refreshing drink ever! I love being able to have a reminder of Israel, right here in New York. Whenever I come here I usually just get an Iced Aroma. Their lox sandwich is also very good. I usually only get coffee from here because their food is a bit overpriced.

Smallest salad I’ve ever seen for $ 11.75! The salads use to come in big white bowls just like the menu pictures however this has changed.
Sadly this will be my last time at any aroma locations unless there is nothing left in the city to eat.

This is the best Aroma in the city. The others I’m not a huge fan of but this one is so spacious, the experience makes it enjoyable. Their tart froyo is great when they have it and their coffee is good as well. I like sitting upstairs by the window to get a nice spot for people watching on 72^nd st.

Every Time I come here, I order the same California Chicken sandwich! It’s so tasty and the egg is served perfectly over-​medium. I do eventually want to try something else but my mind and stomach won’t let it happen. The bread is phenomenal and fresh, like all their pastries. Seating is hard to come by. A lot of locals prefer it to Starbucks. A great, chill, coffee and lunch spot that also has outdoor seating upstairs!

I’ve lived in the neighborhood for a few years and this place consistently leaves me conflicted.
The food and drink is alright. It might even be good. Sometimes you’ll get a chocolate with your coffee which is a really nice touch. If the whether’s nice, they have an outdoor patio upstairs that’s pretty nice. I’d say that’s a decent reason to come here.
However, the place feels sterile. I honestly can’t say this café contributes any more to the vibrancy of the neighborhood than Starbucks. There’s a lot of white, the décor is corporate. The service also reflects this. It’s fairly indistinguishable from other chains. Overall meh.
But there’s nothing «bad» about it, they have wifi, and there really isn’t a better café with wifi option in the neighborhood that I’ve found. Pretty much the definition of 3 stars.

I had the best macchiato ever in this place! Just ask for more milk if you want more drink!

I like it better than Starbucks because it’s visually lighter, quieter, and has more and better food.

Chill atmosphere, perfect for studying or catching up with friends! They serve coffee, tea, food, pastries, wine, and beer! A little bit of everything!
I love that they give you a little piece of chocolate with each order too.

As a regular at Aroma in Israel, it was exciting to me when the chain started expanding in the US. However, the expansion leaves a lot to be desired.
First off, and my main concern, is the exorbitant price charged at this location. Their salads at $ 11.75 and sandwiches $ 9.90. For simple food at a coffee shop, that is just too high. Additionally, iced aroma small size comes out to $ 5.25 before tax!
This coffee shop also serves more of a Starbucks-​level brew, in comparison to excellent coffee shops like Joe’s Café in the area.
Although I will likely continue to go here at times because of my desire for Israeli type food and the convenient location, the establishment’s prices are not at par with the quality.
Overall, I give it ³⁄₅ stars, for several reasons. The café setting is really nice and chic. The free wifi without restrictions is great. The food and drinks are generally tasty.

Stopped by here with my wife because we were in the area and wanted to grab tea/​coffee. We ended up staying for a while since the A/​C and free wifi made it a seemingly good place to take care of some work-​related to do’s. So those are the positives.
Why this place gets 2 stars:
The service is terrible — exceptionally slow for seemingly no reason. Plus the staff is unresponsive and basically socializes with each other instead of waiting on customers.
The place isn’t clean — if you’re going to charge me $ 5+ for an iced chai latte and $ 10 for a plate of hummus, you better have a clean place… not tables that I have to clean myself and a bathroom that is SO gross (note that I’m a dude so my standards are probably on the lower side).
Really wish this place were better managed — it has an awesome location and a fun concept/​décor for a lazy weekend afternoon. Oh well!

Worst service and attitude I’ve seen in years.
Messy space. Noisy and bitchy employees. We stood at the counter for 15 minutes waiting in Caesar salads. The woman behind the counter finally tells us that they are out of romaine lettuce. When I questioned her, the answer? «I don’t know. That’s what they told me.»
They also gave us a small iced coffee instead of the large we ordered. What did they do? Pour the small one onto a larger cup. Then they brewed the sloppiness espresso shot I’ve ever seen and poured it on top.
No apology. No eye contact. Nothing.

I absolutely love Aroma! I come here often to order an Iced Aroma. It is way better than an iced cappuccino from Tim Hortons or a Frappuccino from Starbucks! It is reasonably priced too!
Their food and other coffee drinks are amazing and reasonably priced as well! They also offer alcoholic beverages. The ambiance is very chill on the inside. They have a TV and free wifi so you will always find people working on their computers or tablets at the tables in the front. Their hours are very good too!
The workers are all so friendly and willing to help out when I come in. I once was given a chocolate chip cookie for free because I was a pleasant customer and was making conversation with the workers.
The line is usually never really long– I’ve went in on many occasions and walked right up to the counter to order.
Just a heads up, there is a $ 5.00 minimum if you want to use a card to pay with.

Aroma es un bar/​restó al que fui muchas veces porque se puede conseguir una comida muy sana a un precio razonable (entre 9 y 12 dólares más o menos). El local es muy amplio con un segundo piso donde hay más mesas, y muy tranquilo para quedarte leyendo un buen rato mientras comés o tomás un café, te inspira a quedarte no como la mayoría de los lugares de NY que sentís todo más express.
El local tiene una amplia variedad de ensaladas, sandwiches y sopas, a demás de pastelería (a veces hasta alfajores de maicena), frutas, cafés, croissant sandwiches, todo es excelentes. La ensalada warm grilled chicken tiene un lugar en mi corazón. Hay varios combos también de ensalada + sopa, medio sandwich + sopa, café + croissant, etc. También tengo que decir que personal es super amable, y después de ir un par de veces ya me sugerían cosas en base a lo que había pedido, un 10.
Si no te va lo de sentarte en el bar podés hacer como yo hacía: pedilo para llevar y hacete un picnic en Central Park, que está a un par de pasos.

Aroma is an average, step up from fast food spot that will continue to get my business for a few reasons. It’s a good place to get work done, especially when it’s warm and the upstairs patio is open. It also works when you are with others and need a menu that will please whomever you’re with; even the pickiest of eaters can find something here. Recently I stopped here with a friend to get sandwiches on the way to the park. Sadly, when we got to the park, we noticed our order was quite screwed up.
I ordered a half California Chicken (Grilled Chicken, Avocado, Mozzarella Cheese, Lettuce, Over-​Medium Egg and Aroma Sauce) on multigrain with the bread toasted well. I’ve had this sandwich many times and it’s one of my go-​to items here. My friend ordered the Grilled Chicken (Grilled Chicken, Roasted Peppers, Mozzarella Cheese, Arugula and Aroma Sauce) on white bread also toasted well. Fast forward to opening the bag…
The Grilled Chicken was on multigrain and the California on white and neither sandwich was toasted at all. Unfortunately, my friend who wanted the grilled chicken doesn’t eat avocado so this mixup was quite problematic. Furthermore, I love how Aroma gives out complimentary little chocolates, but once again they forgot to include them in the to go bag. The bottom line is Aroma can be good, but they don’t always get the order quite right.
Side note — Here are some other menu items I like: iced aroma light which is similar to a Frappuccino, halumi salad, pasta cream, and frozen yogurt.

The place is very modern and kept very clean. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a seat, but usually something opens up before your order is ready. They have a wide selection of food and great coffee. They give out these little chocolates with their coffees which tastes great as a closer when I’m done with my cup.
They also offer lots of gluten free options, including gluten free bread for sandwiches. Their gluten free bread does tend to fall apart a bit near the end, but is definitely one of the better gf breads I’ve had.
The staff is nice and works quick. The only issue is that their delivery can take a really really really long time so it may be better to actually just go there to get your order.

Israel chain coffee shop, so you know they have delicious gourmet coffee. The turkish coffee is great, although they give you more than a regular serving. If you’re looking for a caffeine fix, Aroma is here to deliver.
*You can’t go wrong with ordering a soy cappuccino, except for the price $ 5.00+ for a medium.
As per the food, they have very limited vegetarian/​vegan options. This used to be my go to coffee shop when I was in the uws, but I still can’t justify having lunch here when there are so many better options.
Nonetheless this is a great location to study: music is bumping but not distracting, there are plenty of seating areas on the lower and second level, the staff is quite efficient with keeping the location clean, and most importantly the free uninterrupted wifi access. You’ll be sure to get work done!

Neighborhood Espresso + Smoothie Bar + Food
Lounge + Outdoor Space Upstairs + Free Wifi
Love the fresh ingredients, usually get a smoothie with blueberries bananas, kale, and almond milk. Yep, they have almond milk. Always makes me happy. Met the owner once, nice guy, very considerate. Also came to a friend’s performance here late night upstairs, everyone had a great time.
The Scene: Professional, Modern, Casual
Destination Rating: 5
Date Rating: 3
Hob Nob Potential: 3
Note: Many people working on their laptops and phones during the day, and or reading in the evening.