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Aroma Italian Café & Wine Bar
Categories: Nightlife Bars Wine Bars Restaurants Italian Food Coffee & Tea Wine Bars, Italian, Coffee & Tea [Edit]
712 E Washington StOrlando, FL 32801
Neighborhood: Thornton Park
(407) 426-8989
- Hours:
Wed 4:30 pm - 11 pm
Thu-Sat 4:30 pm - 12 am
Sun 12 pm - 6 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
Barnie's offers a unique assortment of more than 50 hand-selected varietals, blends, flavored and decaffeinated coffees, as well as coffees harvested… read more »
25 reviews for Aroma Italian Café & Wine Bar
Review Highlights
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"They have live music most nights as well." In 11 reviews -
"Aroma is a fabulous family-owned wine and espresso bar." In 6 reviews -
"Lentil soup is remarkable - thick and delicious." In 4 reviews
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25 reviews in English
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Review from Jeff K.
I haven't eaten anything here, but no matter. This was an accidental find as we walked down Washington Street on our way to....
Wait, where were we going? Or were we coming from somewhere?
Honestly, I don't remember now. All I know is that when we sat down at a little 2-person table out in the front as the sun dipped below the horizon, a solo artist with an acoustic guitar playing on the front porch and a light breeze blowing through, THAT was where I wanted to be.
We ordered a couple glasses of wine. And then a couple more. At some point we had to leave to go to wherever it was we were going. It wasn't long ago, but apparently the little Aroma wine bar was the only place that night really worth remembering.Listed in: Uniquely Orlando, Best Outdoor Seating
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Review from Jeff G.
Orlando, FL
11/4/2011
So while it may not be immediately obvious (only two reviews so far) I will be attempting to establish a semblance of a Yelphold on some sort of overarching concept, if it all possible, on the Italian Fare in Orlando. I will base most of my reviews on the five star program, but will keep a tight grip on the five's, so they have meaning. Now, with that said, I would give Aroma a five, but because I have been there so many times and have got to know the owners, I think I may be skewed - hows that for fleshing out bias!
However, the meat and potatoes is this, if you want personal service, great atmosphere, to deal with owner operators who are all Italian (it is a family run venue - meaning husband, wife and adult children) ---with---of course great food, Aroma is a spot to put on your rotation. Furthermore, they have an incredible Italian wine selection (bottle and glass) that I dont even look at, I just have Gloria (owner) pick me out what she likes the most at the time, and she hasn't missed my palate yet. When I stop in, I am a creature of habit so here it is: Pepperoni pizza (not late night though - gotta watch the carbs!) and one of their homemade Cannoli. Both are excellent, but if you are able to appreciate the subtle differences of Cannolis just stop by here and try one. It is worth the stop. Lastly, the location is great - by Dexters and Wild Side's so it is a perfect stop for walking Thornton. -
Review from Dina N.
1/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Loved this place! I have been wanting to try it for a while as I love Italian food and wine bars. Aroma has an extensive wine list with wines ranging in price and offered by the glass or bottle. A few are also offered in half bottles. We went with a house red that was very smooth and reasonably priced.
I specifically wanted to try the famous lentil soup which sounded delicious. It did not disappoint and was made with fresh vegetables and packed with lentils. It was the perfect meal for a cold night.
It is so cozy inside and they were playing relaxing music. They have live music most nights as well. It is a great date spot or just a place to chill with friends, relax, and enjoy some authentic Italian food. The menu is limited but, you are sure to find something delicious on it. We started with the antipasto and, it was perfect for two people. It had: Mediterranean olives, roasted red peppers, asiago, parmigiano, and mozzarella cheese, prosciutto crudo, and salami. They serve all dishes with their delicious freshly backed ciabatta bread.
Dessert was yummy as well. We had a brownie with ice cream. It was crunchy, chocolaty, and delicious. A scrumptious ending to a perfect meal.
I can't wait to bring friends and go back :) -
Review from Natalie C.
Orlando, FL
2/14/2011
My boyfriend and I tried this place based on yelp reviews when we first moved to Orlando. This place is awesome!
Its in a little house in Thornton Park. When we got there we found that there was a wine tasting going on and all the donations went to an AIDS foundation. We tasted some wine and then bought a bottle with our dinner. The food is absolutely amazing. It was so delicious I felt like it was made with love, ya know, authentic family recipes. Any who, the portions are huge so I had plenty of leftovers which I'm always a fan of making two meals out of one! Oh I almost forgot to mention that outside on the front patio they had live music which just enhanced the great atmosphere.
The part that made it stand out to me more than anything is the fact that it is family owned. The parents own the place and the entire staff are brothers and sisters. Everyone was so kind and helpful. We decided to buy another bottle of wine to take home for a rainy day. One of the brothers went over the wine menu in detail and wanted to make sure we went home happy. It's a great place and I would recommend it to anyone, especially for a date.Listed in: Great Date place
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Review from Alicia P.
Altamonte Springs, FL
2/12/2010 ROTD 7/12/2010
One word: MAGICAL.
Aroma is so good that I want to go back to the other places I've reviewed and bump them down a notch. That's right - it has re-set my bar.
My boyfriend and I stumbled into Aroma tonight after seeing Phantom of the Opera at Bob Carr. We were looking for someplace that still served food and thank god Dexter's was done, otherwise we would never have found Aroma.
We walked into a cute little bar area with a section clearly meant for live music, although none was playing tonight, and we were greeted by the owners - Gloria, her son, and maybe her daughter - all very sweet, very attentive, and clearly proud and loving business owners.
Now,... what was so magical? *sighs*
The lighting was low... The music was JUST the right mood... The wine list was extensive... The atmosphere,... just perfection. I cannot highly recommend this enough.
As for food: First of all, it came out FAST. I ordered the vegetarian panini featuring marinated mushrooms, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, lettuce, soft bread, cheese. Absolutely outstanding and FULL of flavor. I paired it with a pinot grigio which was also wonderful.
My boyfriend ordered the baked ziti with meatballs. It came with bread that was deliciously covered in butter. The meatballs were medium size, perfect for cutting in half with a fork and soaking up the marinara sauce. I had more than a few bites of his dinner. :)
Now their menu is not extensive, but their wine list is. All their food is made fresh right there to order. Gloria - the owner - spent a few minutes chatting with us. She asked our names, got us signed up for email alerts, and urged us to come back when they're playing live music. Her son plays guitar and her husband plays violin. On Sunday's they apparently have live music outside, and when the weather is nice I bet this place is freaking epic.
So what else do I have to say to make you guys wanna go here? It's family owned and they are SUPER attentive. The food is delish. The wine list is excellent. The atmosphere is magical. I will be back - SOON.
And in the meantime - go there yourself! You'll love it! -
Review from Allison C.
Atlanta, GA
3/6/2010
I have new favorite place for wine in my neighborhood! Aroma is a cute coffee shop/Italian restaurant/wine bar. Sometimes when businesses try to pack in so many functions you end up getting a weirdo mash-up. Not the case with Aroma--it's small size makes things automatically intimate and cohesive. The chilled out live music was awesome and perfected the classy yet mellow vibe.
The food menu is not extensive, but both my panini (the Classico) and my friend's (the Italiano) were delicious and reasonably priced. The wine list was also great and represented a good value for the money. My favorite part is the huge dessert menu--there are just as many dessert options as entree options, if not more! The cheesecake with chocolate ganache is recommended.
My only gripe is that the hours are pretty limited. It has taken me three tries to finally come when its open, but I'm glad I made it! -
Review from Colleen B.
Orlando, FL
I want to live across the street from here!! I would be here every night!
This is a sweet surprise I must say. I am not sure why it has taken me 10 years to find this place and all I can say is I will NOT ignore this place any longer.
Every piece of this place is gorgeous, welcoming and just full of character. They have a lovely open seating area outside with a porch that houses live music each day. It is a perfect setting for having a glass of wine and just relaxing. It feels like you are watching a loving family celebrate live, food and family but they are opening their house for you to join.
When you walk in there is a nice seating area with a gorgeous bar in the first room. It leads to a second room that is more private. The bar is just the center of the area and is so gorgeous. The first thing Alexis N. and I said was... OMG it smells amazing. Everything seems to be fresh and just made with heart. I went with the Riesling and it was amazing. To start I had the house salad and it was so refreshing! I went with baked ziti and added meatballs and it was perfect. It came with fresh toasted garlic brushed bread and it was perfectly accommodating. The meatballs were not as tasty as my mothers (or Harmoni) but I have high standards for meatballs ;o) They were so good that I finished all of them though ;o)
The only snag was the waitress we had who was not very personable, however, I understand off days and she was not terrible... just kinda seemed out of it so I did not hold this against them.
I absolutely adore this place and suggest that if you want some nice wine, a relaxing, welcoming place and AMAZING Italian food... do yourself a favor and head here!! -
Review from Dave T.
6/8/2008
Hmmm, more than a coffehouse to where they should add the words "and bistro" to the name.
They serve coffee, Pannini sandwiches, desserts, and more.
They also seem to have a bar scene serving beer and wine.
Most of all the atmosphere is killer. Like being at an Italian coffee shop (and bistro), sitting on the side of the street watching people go by.
The desserts are especially good.
They also have live music and is family owned (a plus)
Say hi to TJ
Dafe -
Review from Danny H.
Orlando, FL
10/21/2010
Unfortunately we missed the live entertainment, as they were setting up as we were leaving from our early dinner. I definitely recommend going back when the entertainment is going on and sitting outside if the weather permits.
The location is phenomenal, and if you're lucky to get one of their 4 parking spaces behind the location, then you are in for a treat!!
My family was a little intrigued by Aroma, due to it actually being an old house, but were pleasantly surprised once our appetizer (bruschetta) and wine arrived. After the appetizer course I decided on getting the lasagna, and it was fantastic. The wine selection is top notch, and while the menu isn't very extensive, everything I tried was so good, it more than made up for the relatively small amount of choices.
For dessert we shared a piece of the cheesecake, and much like dinner, was excellent. It wasn't too creamy or rich, but nice and fluffy.
Aroma is definitely deserving of my 5 star rating. -
Review from Brittany B.
Wilmington, NC
7/19/2011
Great place for an intimate dining experience. Family owned and fun.
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Review from Margie C.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
8/18/2011 3 photos
We stopped at Aroma to hear the live band. It is a cute wine bar with a nice wine selection.
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Review from Alexis N.
Dallas, TX
I first want to say that this place has the PERFECT name. The minute we walked in, I literally said, "It smells amazing in here!!"
It's a great location, and a cozy, relaxing atmosphere. The inside has a couple separate sections of seating, and there is a great patio out front, where they have live music in the evenings.
Their wine list is great! Extensive, and some things I've never seen other places - like the chocolate wine! Yummmm...
Everything on their food menu looks amazing. However, I think they have just as many dessert items as entrees - which is GREAT for your sweet tooth, but this also means their menu is a little limited. I ate the antipasto misto plate, which was HUGE, had 3 yummy cheeses, 2 meats, yummy green and kalamata olives, a bit of salad and some toasted bread! It seemed pricey when I ordered, but it was definitely worth it!
I've been wanting to try this place for a long time, and I'm so glad I finally did! I will definitely be back!! -
Review from Alex L.
Orlando, FL
11/21/2010 1 Check-in Here
I am quite sad to write this review, but I had an AWFUL experience here a few weeks ago.
A few friends and I stopped in for some dinner after a concert we had attended. We walked in and the front dinning area was full-ish and we had 4 people and there were only tables for 2 left. So we went back to sit in the back dinning area.
Initially we were helped with our drink order in a timely manner, but the bringing of the drinks was another story... They delivered the drinks at different times, and (one of my pet peeves) they auctioned off the drinks. Listen you took the order, so you should know who got what. When we were ready to order our dinner someone else took our order which was kind of weird. It took FOREVER for our salads to come, which was kind of annoying because there couldnt have been more than 5 other people dinning aside from us. It really wasn't that busy.
After we received our salads it was another 20 minutes before we received our dinners, which were again auctioned off. I ordered a sandwich with mozzarella, tomato, basil, and prosciutto. I asked for no basil, and for it to be hot. It came with basil and cold. It was literally 15 minutes before we could get anyones attention. I have been a server in several different establishments and was always taught to visit the table after their first bite. Rather than check on us, we saw our server bring a beer back to the kitchen. REALLY? You have time to bring beer back to the cook or manager or whoever, but not check on your table???
The food itself was pretty good, but the service we were getting was so awful that it ruined the meal.
After finishing dinner, we did want dessert. We had to wait another long while to get anyones attention after they cleared our table. We saw the waitress who brought the beer to the kitchen emerge, and stumble! I'm fairly sure she was drunk. We tried to get her attention as she walked by, but we were unsuccessful- as I called for her attention, she kept walking.
This was by far the worst experience I've had at a restaurant. We were shuffled between 3 different servers and it truly did ruin what could have been a good meal. -
Review from Bunny S.
11/2/2009
Charming!
We too walked by on a Sunday afternoon while visiting Orlando. Lentil soup is remarkable - thick and delicious. So are the peach bellinis (delicious, not thick). Panini are nicely prepared (not earth-shattering, but totally solid). Good value for money. Interesting wine list.
Service was gracious and accommodating. And the musicians were playing during our visit too... surprisingly good vocals and the violin is an unusual treat. As Nobbi writes, "delightful" is the word! -
Review from Natalie C.
Orlando, FL
Updated - 3/28/2009 1 photo
Being that I had only been to Aroma for coffee and muffins, I was shocked to see they have a full dinner menu. I was also happily shocked to see live music and all of their tables filled. I arrived to meet friends after having dinner and dessert at another restaurant so I sat and just enjoyed the atmosphere.
But from what I saw on the menu, they are doing a lot more than paninis these days. They now offer homemade treats like lentil soup, various salads, pastas and a hefty dessert/wine menu. My friend and her husband ordered the Caprese Panini and spaghetti with homemade meatballs. Both were very pleased with their dinners and decided to go ahead and split Aroma's "Chocolate 'O.'" It consists of a warm chocolate homemade brownie and vanilla ice cream. Which was devoured before my very eyes--an obvious sign that it was just too good to be true.
The service, athough very good, was also very slow. It isn't a large place but there seemed to be only a few servers for the packed tables. It is the type of place where you expect to have a slow and relaxing meal though. The live tunes and people watching helps the time pass.
Bottome line: I can't wait to take my boyfriend there so we can sample some of their cuisine for ourselves.Listed in: Top Restaurants
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/1/2008
Aroma is a lovely and welcoming place. Because there are only a handful of tables on both the patio… Read more »
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Review from Brenda H.
Updated - 2/8/2011
I have to do an update. My date has informed me that he wasn't a huge fan of the spaghetti and meatballs after all. Quite the opposite, actually. Sooo... I'll have to drop the rating down a bit as per suggestion. I do want to try out the appetizers and give them another shot another time, but it's pretty hard to mess up spaghetti, so... I don't know.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/6/2011
This is the cutest place to take a date. It's a great mom-and-pop local restaurant with fresh… Read more »
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Review from Kate H.
Orlando, FL
5/22/2010
I've walked by Aroma a million times, and have even tried to partake a couple of times, but they had been closed. Long story short, this was my first visit and I have to admit I was quite impressed.
Situated in an old house in Thornton Park, Aroma has a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. The service was prompt, but otherwise was very uninterested in our table.
We split two desserts: the Torta Della Nonna (my fav) and the Chocolate Marquise (fancy name for chocolate mousse). The Torta had a base of short pastry (fancy name for crust), lemony pastry cream, pine nuts and almonds. Even though it was dusted with powered sugar, it wasn't overly sweet. Which pretty much balanced out with the freaky chocolaty Marquise. Silky smooth and dusted this time with cocoa powder, this is a dessert to be taken seriously. And in moderation. Yikes.
We also split a bottle of Pricipessa Gavi. I've always been a fan of Gavi. Made from the Cortese grape and hailing from Piedmont, it's a nice alternative to Pinot Grigio. Less acid, more balanced with hint of almonds. Which is why it pretty much rocked with the Torta. -
Review from Brad U.
Apopka, FL
3/30/2011
Service was nearly non-existent. Food was good, but nothing out of the ordinary. We had high hopes, but the staff almost seemed not to care whether we enjoyed ourselves or not.
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Review from Nobbi L.
4/6/2009 7 photos
What a great discovery! We were walking by on a Sunday afternoon, and there was a two man band playing. It turns out this is a family run business and the band was father and son. Great musicians, guitar and violin plus vocals. Great wine list and some nice snacks and desserts. I had a yummy lentil soup. We got to speak with both owners, Gloria and her husband Jeff. Just delightful people. Orlando is lucky to have such community members.
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Review from laura l.
Orlando, FL
1/31/2011
I really wanted to like this place...Service here was slow. The waitress dropped the menus and left. Then the vegetariano I ordered (marinated eggpllant, roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts) came out with mushrooms, artichoke hearts and tomatoes. I told the waitress about it and she told me that maybe they were out and substituted other vegetables. The owner came over and tells me "he told me he put peppers on it." I actually had to show her that there were no peppers or eggplant on it and then she decided to take it off my bill. Gee, thanks! The live entertainment was good although a bit loud. I don't recommend this place.
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Review from Aliya J.
7/26/2010 1 Check-in Here
One of my favorite places in Orlando. I owe one of my girlfriends for introducing me to this charming place. The owners are super friendly, the food is good... and the best part is the ambiance. You feel as if you are just hanging out on your good friend's front patio. Love it! The soups and cheese selection are pretty great. They even have live music! Win!
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Review from Lauren E.
Winter Park, Orlando, FL
12/13/2009
Aroma is a fabulous family-owned wine and espresso bar. The live music is amazing and the food is tasty. I'm really impressed with the wine list and the staff knows it well. I really can't recommend Aroma enough, whether you go for a relaxing afternoon or a laid-back evening out.
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Review from Sunit S.
Winter Park, FL
9/5/2010
Great place... friendly family owned wine bar/cafe. Live music is awesome. Food is fresh and the menu offers something for all tastes. Check it out.... a true neighborhood gem.
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Review from Keith B.
Orlando, FL
12/2/2009
Love the place as have been there multiple times and when we come home from Brasil, well be going back. Jeff and JJ, miss you guys and your art...as stated before, Orlando is lucky to have you all in the neighborhood. See you soon. BTW, the best Espresso and brownies in O Town! As well as a nice higher end beer selection...ode to Chimay! The antipasta plate was our favorite on a night with drinks...cant wait to get back.
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Review from Nuria M.
Austin, TX
12/21/2009
Wish this had existed when I lived in Orlando! Went back to visit a friend and she took me here, such a pretty, cozy little Italian bistro with a really nice list of wines by the glass and owners who seem to know all their customers and truly care about the level of satisfaction. We had already eaten but friends at the bar shared their cheese plate and it was quite sumptuous, with excellent bread, olives and grapes. Next time I definitely want to dine there.
