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Aroma Restaurant
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
9 reviews for Aroma Restaurant
9 reviews in English
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Review from Lisa E.
Cleveland, OH
12/1/2011
Amazing. Authentic Italian. From the moment you walk in the cozy restaurant, your senses are greeted with the most amazing smells. We ordered the swaybosa fish (very mild, similar but tastier to a sea bass, in a Francaise batter) and rack of lamb with a wine reduction. Both cooked to perfection with a side of pasta served with blush sauce. Our server recommend wines we both completely enjoyed. The chef/owner (I'm guessing) came and talked with us. I loved the entire experience and will definitely be back!
I also tried this restaurant because of http://Restaurant.com. Clearly stated that you had to order 2 meat or 2 fish (or 1 of each) dishes to use $25 coupon. -
Review from Robin K.
Avon Lake, OH
5/24/2012
This place was so bad that I signed up for Yelp to save someone else from making the mistake in eating here.
I had 2 coupons for Aroma that I bought, one from Groupon the other from http://Restaurant.com. My husband and I wanted a nice romantic dinner out so we gave Aroma a shot. It started when we got out of the car and saw a waitress smoking outside the side door, she ignored us as we walked to the front door which was not a working door and didn't say anything till we came alone side again, she put out her smoke and said "I was going to say something" ok...but you didn't!
The hostess asked if we had reservations, the place was empty, very small and very empty so I didn't think it would a problem fitting us in. Again, it seemed like we put the staff out. With sigh she sat us in the back of the room in front of the blocked front door that we just tried to enter though.
The waitress that was just out smoking asked if we wanted anything to drink, the wine list was small and unclear. All glasses were 8$ so we ordered two house Cabernet. The wine was fine.
We went over the coupons before we ordered our dinner, the Groupon was excepted but the http://Restaurant.com one was not because it was a weekend. Fine.
I love gnocchi, by far my favorite pasta, if it's on the menu I am ordering it, it was, I did. My husband wasn't as sure as I was, when the waitress came to take our order she suggested the lobster ravioli which was today's special paired with steak. We asked how much and she said she didn't know the price off hand if we got it alone and not with the steak, he said its ok sounded good and ordered the ravioli alone. She asked if we wanted a salad we both said yes and she walked away, no dressing choice folks!
The below adverage bread came with butter and both tasted so bad like fish we couldn't eat it. Was it stored in the freezer with rotting fish? No olive oil on the table, nor was it offered. You get olive oil at knock off places..come on!
The salad was iceberg lettuce with a tomato slice and balsamic dressing. I was shocked at the poor quality and joked saying it was probably a 5$ salad. Joke on me, it was!
The food came out fast. The gnocchi was good, small but good. My husbands lobster ravioli was 5 pieces of cheese ravioli with a little piece of lobster ontop, oh and the price she came up with for it 28$! There wasn't fresh Parmesan either folks, the waitress came out with some in a mason jar it looked like GFS brand parmesan or something, you know the cheap kind.
No dessert, and the bill came to 75$ after coupon! We got pizza on the way home.
Save yourself the time and money. -
Review from Mark W.
Elyria, OH
Updated - 3/8/2012
If you read all the previous revues you will get a generally accurate picture of this place and an idea of why I will think twice before returning.
I've have eaten here a few times and am no stranger to good food having managed a restaurant in Manhattan and had numerous meals while working in France and Italy. The food here never has fallen below good and I am sure is the best Italian in Lorain County, although as we know that is not saying much.
Some things are quite good as was my entree enjoyed during my last visit.
It was a seafood pasta comprised of a talapia filet and a variety of shellfish in a wine sauce and was a special that day. It was very tasty. It was not 36 dollars tasty. I would not be too surprised if I was back in Manhattan but I was sitting in a typically decorated shoebox of a space in a strip of stores in Avon Lake. It is not the high rent district.
Always,always ask the price of the specials at this place because the owner has an inflated idea of what their food is worth. Twenty six dollars ,twenty eight, maybe thirty
during the Gulf oil spill. Wait until you are in Cleveland and get equally good food for less.
Unfortunately that was not the end of the bill that insults your intelligence. I had ordered the soup of the day which was a step above average but nothing more. The menu stated six bucks for soup of the day. On the bill it became eight which was also the price of the glass of house wine I had. The prices have always been high at Aroma and good food costs money of course but I don't like getting ripped off.
The service was good until it got busy and then they ignored us in their rush.
I still left a good tip ,a few extra bucks isn't going to kill me but it will be a long time if I ever go back.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/21/2012
If you read all the previous revues you will get a generally accurate picture of this place and an… Read more »
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Review from vineeta r.
Brecksville, OH
1/14/2011
Checked this place out after finding it on http://restaurant.com.
Let me preface by saying we normally do not go out to eat italian food. We usually head out for asian / new american, but not italian because I have never had a really amazing italian food experience. I think the only other italian place that I have enjoyed even close to this much is Johnny's on Fulton, which tends to be heavier food.
This place is different than the rest... I think this is what real italian food is about.
The service, decor and attention to detail are all to the level of a fine dining restaurant. Very attentive servers and a warm cozy atmosphere.
The food is rustic. When it comes out it looks rustic. Things are roughly chopped, but the flavors are developed beautifully! I think my favorite item was the soup my husband ordered, basic italian wedding soup. Ive had many italian wedding / chicken broth based soups, but this one was different. You could actually taste the layering in the broth itself, which is something that I have only experienced in fine restaurants (where you end up paying for it!).
Their drinks are constructed well, I had a makers mark old fashioned which was prepared properly (rare find!).
We ordered:
1) Antipasti appetizer - like everything else, it doesn't look fancy, but its ooohhh sooo good. Some items were obviously not prepared on site, but all items were of a caliber that made them taste extra special. My favorite item were the roasted red peppers, simple, unfettered with and delicious!
2) Italian wedding soup - see above :)
3) Each entree came with a small house salad- basic veggies with rehydrated soy nuts, balsamic n' oil. Simple, yummy.
4) Veal saltimboca - can't attest to the veal (husband ate it, im not a huge veal fan), but he absolutely loved it! Came with gnocchi prepared on site and roasted veggies. Gnocchi had a nice texture.
5) Fisherman's linguini with assorted shellfish and spicy red sauce - shrimp/calamari were overcooked, however the clams and mussels were cooked properly. Not too big deal because the flavors were there and thats what really mattered to me. Would have been nice if it was all cooked properly, but again, flavors were there :)
6) Limoncello flute - i dont know if this is a regular dessert here, but it is a winner. Its a bunch of contradictions, sweet with a touch a bitterness, sour with a touch of sweetness, rich and creamy yet fluffy. Its so difficult to describe, our waiter ended up asking us if his description could be improved upon, and we couldn't :) Its a special dessert and perfect ending to a fresh meal full of bright flavors.
At this place, you will have a meal where the flavors come through, are not overly complicated and receive great service. We will be sure to stop by again. -
Review from Shawn B.
North Ridgeville, OH
9/8/2011
I learned of this place through Groupon. We purchased the Groupon for $20.00 worth of food( $10 cost) I read the fine print and nowhere was there any limitations on usage( i.e. - Dinner only) My wife and mother-in-law went in for lunch today.
They enjoyed their meal but then experienced an awkward situation as the owner would not honor the Groupon and would only honor $12 on a Groupon with the face value of $20.( we paid $10 for it) The waitress was embarrassed and apologetic. AWKWARD...
I personally called the owner and acted with a very friendly demeanor and explained that we had been misled. I gave him the opportunity to rectify this. He was also friendly but adament that he would not honor his commitment to the Groupon.
I find this to be dishonest and out of principle will NEVER return to Aroma Restaurant. To me it is all about integrity. Aroma Restaurant has set a bad example and these are bad business practices. You should not patronize this establishment. -
Review from John D.
Avon Lake, OH
12/11/2011
Portions are small for price one pays. Food is very good. I found the selection a bit scant, but the ambiance is suitable for a cozy date.
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Review from Nicole M.
10/22/2009
This is the place for old school Italian. Rustic, romantic, not kitchy decor. No canned, bottled or premade anything. Courteous, enthusiastic, solicitous service. Lots of Frank Sinatra music. It is wonderful for a quiet, relaxed family dinner, but it would also be charming for a romantic date. Other customers included very, very (very!!) well dressed older couples that all seemed to know the owner. In fact, we came to the restaurant on the recommendation of an attorney who travels all the way from the east side to eat here.
I can understand why. The food was really special. The appetizers and main dishes were made with care and thought. The fritti appetizer-- here zucchini, artichoke hearts and shrimp-- was coated with an eggy, well seasoned batter. The bread on the table was pleasantly crusty with a soft, dense middle.
I had the salmon puttansesca special. The sauce was the best puttanesca I have ever tasted. The ingredients were fresh and not overcooked, yet the flavors were still well blended. I could discern the garlic, anchovies, bright green capers and Italian olives, yet all the flavors melded with each bite. The salmon was nicely seared. The pasta and steamed vegetable accompaniments seemed like mere afterthoughts-- innoffensive.
Mon cher chou had the gnocchi. Here they serve it with a spicy red sauce instead of the usual whie wine or cream sauce. Although the sauce was very good, I think I like a lighter sauce better with heavy gnocchi, BUT the gnocchi themselves were light, pillowy and delicious.
The chef and waiter were very accommodating of children. The chef offered, without being asked, to make anything she liked with the ingredients of anything on the menu. How kind! She ended up having pasta and meatballs, no sauce (yeah, I know). The meatballs were firm and flavorful without the excess filler found at so many other restaurants.
Dessert. Ahh dessert. Herself had a dish of chocolate gelato with biscotti. I didn't get to try this. She wasn't giving up a drop! Mon cher chou and I split a divine bit of tiramisu. That was a well balanced! The marscapone, lady fingers and coffee liquor were in complete harmony-- with none overpowering another. Molto bene!
My one real complaint was the parmesan. The water had a silver dish of the pre-ground stuff. Ick. Sawdust! I would sacrifice a little charm for some freshly shaved parmesan from one of those grinders. It tastes so much better-- night and day. I will be back, though, to try the lamb and the seafood.
NB, this place is very hard to find. It is in a strip mall across from the power plant on Lake Road. Look for the big white theatre sign advertising ice cream, coffee and massages (seriously!). Aroma is on the very corner.Listed in: See and be Seen
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Review from Rebekka K.
Washtenaw, MI
2/18/2010
Let me preface my review by saying that I think they were having an off night when my party of 3 went Valentine's Day weekend. My husband had previously dined at Aroma and had a much better experience the first time.
Anyways...here goes. We started by ordering a bottle of wine. They didn't have our first choice so the waitress brought out a comparable, more expensive bottle and offered it to us for the price of the original one we ordered, which was gracious of them. We began with the calamari posillipo -delicious and the best part of the meal.
Things started to fall apart with our entrees. Between the 3 of us, we had the beef filet tenderloin with blue cheese sauce, the veal saltimbocca, which was a special that day and the breaded halibut, also a special. The beef was cooked well but it was drenched with a totally over-salted blue cheese sauce. The halibut was ok, but over-breaded and nothing special - capers, lemon juice, etc. The veal was also over-breaded. I think we all enjoyed the side of homemade ricotta ravioli better than our main dishes.
The grand finale was cannoli. I LOVE cannoli and my ears perked up when the waitress mentioned it, but this dish was all over the place and wasn't the authentically simple pastry I was looking for. The filling was a mix of ricotta and chocolate cream with a vaguely familiar flavor of...garlic. Something somewhere along the line was tainted with garlic. I don't think this was an intentional addition -maybe just a cooking utensil or bowl was carrying the flavor. But all 3 of us detected it. The cannoli was chocolate-coated and then drizzled with strawberry sauce. It was way too complicated and kinda disappointing.
The service was great, though and the ambiance quite nice. I'd go back and give them another shot - just maybe order something different next time. -
Review from Steve Z.
Lorain, OH
10/19/2010
Overpriced especially for the atmosphere and location near old buildings and a powerplant. The "patio" has a nice view of the parking lot and dumpster.
The waiter was good but $8.50 for a vodka cranberry. Are you kidding??
The food was ok, but about par with Olive Garden and twice the price. We had Gnocchi and ravioli stuffed with crab. The ravioli was good but cost $26, the gnocchi was average. Don't go here if your hungry or a big eater you don't get much and salad costs extra with a pasta dinner.
