where jess ate

A couple years ago, I had never heard of Aroma Espresso Bar . With its rapid expansion, Aroma’s are popping up all across the GTA these days. The driving force behind their success boils down to their products. While we all know that they serve some pretty darn good coffee, I’ve recently discovered that their food options are just as great.

Aroma Espresso Bar (@aromaespresso) was founded in 1994 and was the first espresso bar in Israel. It’s first Canadian location arrived in Toronto’s Annex in 2007. Several years later, there are now 18 locations in the GTA and over 150 locations worldwide.

They aim to serve gourmet coffee and provide fresh and healthy food options. If you take a look at their extensive menu, you’ll see that they do just that. Their caffeinated options include the usual suspects like cappuccinos, americanos and brewed coffee. They also have affogato (vanilla ice cream topped with espresso) on their menu which I’ll have to try one day.

Aroma serves all-day breakfast which includes breakfast sandwiches, muesli and french toast to name a few. They also have quite the selection of sandwiches (available in half portions or full portions), salads and pastries (including their signature bureka, a savoury Bulgarian pastry with feta). Combos are also available for those who like variety.

Aroma really prides themselves on the quality of the products served. They carefully research and sample beans from around the world to come up with their own signature blends. Roasting is done in-house as is their freshly baked bread.

I’ve dropped by several Aroma locations in the past few weeks and am incredibly impressed by their versatility. You can drop by in the morning for a quick cup o’ joe and pastry or during lunch to grab a tasty sandwich. Their offerings also make a really nice light dinner too! Like I said, super versatile.

Here’s a look at some of their offerings:

Portobello Sandwich – grilled portobello mushrooms, sundried tomato spread, feta, alfalfa sprouts, basil ($4.50 personal/$8.40 whole)

Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich – chicken, aroma sauce, mozzarella, grilled peppers, arugula ($5.30 personal/$9.60 whole)

Shakshuka – 2 eggs in a warm tomato sauce served with tahini, bread and butter ($9.60)

Sweet Potato Lentil Salad – arugula, red onion, black lentils, roasted sweet potato, granola, goat cheese served with lemon & olive oil dressing ($7.30)

Quinoa Salad – quinoa, tomato, cucumber, grilled eggplant, red onion, fresh mint, served with herb dressing ($6.20)

Classic Caesar – romaine lettuce, garlic croutons, parmesan cheese, served with caesar dressing ($5.30)

Cheese Danish – fluffy pastry filled with soft cheese

I can guarantee you’ll always find a long line at an Aroma during the lunch rush. There’s a reason why they’re so popular with the lunch crowd. I fell in love with their sandwiches. I’ve had the portobello sandwich a couple times and it’s one of my go-to’s. I’m one heck of a carnivore but there’s just something about this vegetarian sandwich that keeps me coming back for more.

A close second favourite has gotta be the grilled chicken breast sandwich. Just look at that beauty of a sandwich. The chicken was wonderfully moist and I loved that they used slices of mozzarella instead of the shredded variety.

While the shakshuka is on their breakfast menu, it’s available all day. It actually makes for a great lunch or dinner too as it’s quite hearty. Served with some of their house-made bread, I licked every bit of that delicious tomato sauce up.

Aroma’s salads are also a very popular choice. I love how fresh all of the ingredients tasted – the quinoa salad in particular just made me feel so healthy (as if it negated all the poutine I had the night before).

Oh, and do yourself a favour and try the cheese danish. They’ll heat it up for you and it’s a little taste of heaven. A nice flakey pastry filled with sweet creamy cheese. What a treat!

Whether you’re looking for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even an afternoon snack, Aroma’s extensive menu has got you covered!

*This was a complimentary meal. The opinions in the post, as always, are my own.*