Cafe Aroma Latino

After having been in the west end of Halifax for a few years now, I’ve been meaning to try out this quaint Latin American restaurant for even longer, and recently righted my past indiscretions and came by on a warm winter day.
The interior is split between a small grocery section, and seating for the restaurant. The grocery section has a respectable spread of canned and packaged Latin American staples, as well as dried whole peppers like the ancho and chipotle peppers I purchased here once before. Looking for some Mexican sodas? Get your Jarritos fix here!
The restaurant area sits around 25 at a selection of small, but cool, little tables that have glass-​covered insets filled with different dried beans in each of four quarters. Lots of plants and Latino art gave the place a cozy feel.
Their menu is pretty small, with nine non-​dessert items to chose from. There’s signs on the tables and windows with some other options like tostadas, their Mexican breakfast, and Argentinian empanadas, so figuring out what you can order is a bit haphazard. For what is on the menu, their are very helpful descriptions of the ingredients and pictures to match, with items coming from all across Central and South America. Everything is quite shareable and priced at $ 2 – 4 each, that seems to be encouraged here. As such, for our first round my wife and I ordered two Colombian empanadas, a doblada, an arepa, and a chuchito, as well as guava and mango juices to drink.
Our plate of new-​to-​us foods was soon before us, and we eagerly split up the spoils. My favourite of the day were the Colombian empanadas — their cornmeal shells were wonderfully crispy on the outside, and the chicken, onions and olives had a mild but enjoyable flavour. Not being a fan of olives, I was a little worried at first, but they aren’t over done and added just a bit of saltiness and olive-​y funk. They came with chimichurri, a parsley-​based sauce, which lent some herby tang to them as well.
I found the doblada to be quite similar to the empanadas, but filled with beef and topped with salsa and onions. The flavour was nice, but I preferred the crispiness of the empanadas. A bit less flashy than the other items, the unassuming arepa is effectively a white cornmeal and cheese pancake. It had a somewhat gooey consistency like solidified porridge, but it wasn’t as bad as that sounds. With a nice char from the flat top, I enjoyed it, but wasn’t wowed.
The churchito is another dumpling-​like item, with chicken in a corn flour dough that’s cooked in a corn husk, and topped with tomato sauce and a sprinkling of cheese. I wasn’t a huge fan of the dough’s grainy consistency, which is good in good ol’ cornbread, but less so for something like this that just falls apart when you get into it. That said, it was tasty.
We needed just a couple more things to get a filling lunch in, so we ordered two Argentinian empanadas, as well as a black bean pupusa — a refried bean patty topped with pickled cabbage and a tomato sauce.
These empanadas were quite different from their Colombian cousins that we just had. The neatly braided dough was wheat flour-​based instead of corn meal, and the filling had a much more pronounced flavour that made them my wife’s favourite item of the meal. I was fairly indifferent on the pupusal; it had a bit of tartness from the pickled cabbage and tomato sauce, and the refried bean patty was fine, but not nearly as noteworthy as some of the other items we had tried.
Oh, and trying all these cool foods put me back a mere $ 30.
Café Aroma is an under-​appreciated purveyor of some great food that is truly unique to Halifax, and really adds to its cultural diversity. I may not be able to come back with my limited time left in the city, but you definitely need to come here and load up on empanadas.

Worse service Ive ever had, food is microwaved to order. I have no idea how this place is still open as theres rarely anyone inside.

Oh this sweet little place… what a great flavour to add to a Sunday afternoon.
We got the Mexican breakfast, two tortillas, two eggs, black beans and and feta with a café con leche.
Service was very quick. The food was great, simple, I prefer more flavour in my beans but it was enjoyable.
The server forgot to bring out our café con leche at first, but it was incredible. They make it from scratch with coffee, milk, and various spices. It was perfect.
We ordered the quesadilla dessert, a warm cheese and corn blend cake. It was satisfactory, it is a dry and crumbly cake that my boyfriend enjoyed more than I did.
I would definitely go back to this place, love the atmosphere and music!

A lovely cozy spot for a light meal or coffee. The owner & staff are friendly and get to know you quickly as a regular. Not eating deep fried food, I found the options a bit slim. I go for the soup! Soup changes every week. They are all homemade and delicious. My favorite is cilantro!

20 minutes of my life I will never get back…

Love it!
Food was delicious!!!
The restaurant is cozy and well decorated
The staff was very friendly and helpful.
In my case being Latina, It is priceless to find a store where I could get products from Latinoamérica and more other than at Pete’s (nothing wrong with Pete’s :-)
Good variety and pricewise: good as well.
I will be there often for sure!
Gracias

I recently enjoyed a lovely little breakfast here with my fiancé and a good friend. The space is good for small groups like that.
I ordered off the breakfast menu, which is small and affordable. I honestly can’t remember what I got. but I liked it. I wasn’t blown away, but it was way different than my normal breakfast go-​tos and tasty enough. The coffee, which was included, was absolutely delicious. I’m looking forward to returning for lunch.

Good food. Messy management.
I’ve always enjoyed the food here, but with my most recent visit I found two reasons to consider shutting them down, possibly.
One, a customer was allowed to bring his dog. This was not a service dog. It was a small pet dog. And it was barking. Isn’t there a public health regulation about bringing pets into a restaurant? What other public health regulations are being violated in the kitchen? I’m not saying any are. But who knows?
Second, possibly false advertising. Coffee is included in the price of breakfast and it is clearly stated on the menu that no substitutions are allowed. I asked for decaf and was charged $ 2.50. The waitress did not inform me that there would be an extra charge.
In Halifax, or anywhere else for that matter, when the menu says coffee is included in the price of a meal, don’t you assume that includes decaf? Not at this restaurant. And they don’t even tell you that you’ll be charged extra. And $ 2.50? Geez.
As well, I was not given the coffee that was included in my breakfast. After I left the restaurant I had to return and request my coffee to go, as my friend felt like having the coffee. I was begrudgingly given what I paid for! They acted as though they were doing me a favour.
I think these are two huge reasons to be careful when dining here. How else do they interpret public health regulations and menu disclaimers? While the food is good here, so much else is a mess.
Another thing to mention is that the waitress was no waitress. She brought my friend her plate of food, then went back to the kitchen and immediately brought out mine. Two plates. Two trips. Didn’t explain the decaf thing. Allowed the guy to bring in his dog. That’s not a waitress, ya know. That’s your friend’s mother.
Still, I give them two stars instead of one because I’ve had good experiences there, and these are problems that can be solved, and I’m sure they would want to. And also because I’m not all hyped up on caffeine. Woof.

After reading Rhia P.‘s brunch review for this spot, I decided it was time I finally paid a visit. I work close by, but never got around to trying it out.
I planned on a leisurely solo Sunday brunch before hitting up the Halifax Crafters Market. My day got away from me unfortunately, and I arrived after the 1pm breakfast cutoff. I asked my server if I could still order from the breakfast menu — worth a shot, right? She checked with the kitchen and sure enough — they had no problem with that.
I ordered the Campasino Breakfast and my server quickly returned with a cup of coffee con leche. It certainly hit the spot and required no sugar, which is always a good indicator of quality coffee! My meal arrived soon after, and I was very impressed. The Campasino Breakfast is a delicious scramble of chorizo sausage, diced potatoes and eggs, served with fried plantains, two tortillas and salsa. The chorizo provided just the right amount of spice to the scramble, which was balanced very nicely by the sweet plantains. I think the best word to describe my meal is delightful. And super affordable — all that for $ 8.75, including the coffee? Yes.
I loved the atmosphere here — warm, colourful and inviting! The tables all have seeds, herbs, spices, coffee beans and more under glass tops — makes for a unique dining experience. It’s versatile spot — drop in for a quick bite or sit back and enjoy the surroundings for a little while. In fact the table next to me did just that. After finishing their meals, they were so impressed that when the server came back to clear their plates, they asked if they could order seconds.
I can’t say enough good things about my server — she was very helpful, friendly and attentive. I can’t wait to come back for brunch and to try the regular menu too.

Oh my! I loved this place for lunches and suppers and snacks — but dudes, you gotta go for brunch!
About $ 9 gets you one of three huge plate of eggs and assorted sides, and a cup of café con leche.
I had the fried eggs over tortillas with black beans and feta, the husband the pupusas with an egg-​and-​potato scramble, plantains and chorizo. We were both in heaven.
Add a glass of delicious tropical juice for just a few dollars more and pretend the chill of autumn is far, far away.

Awesome joint. Good coffee, helpful waitress and the kind of place you can go and actually say, «gimme one of everything» and you’ll be quite alright sharing that with 1 or 2 people. The items on the menu range from 2 $ to 5 $ and include, tamales, empenadas, tacos, quesedillas and bunch of things I don’t remember how to spell or pronounce.
The food was fresh, service fast and the price was right.

Um. Hi there, new favourite cheap lunch. A pleasure to meet you, indeed!
After first bookmarking Café Aroma Latino back in January, I FINALLY made it in to see what all the fuss was about. The place is incredibly easy to find since it shares the famous intersection with Fred and Gus’ Pub.
The place is pretty small and split between a specialty market with all the ingredients you need to make most of the dishes on the menu at home. Probably not for beginners… but great to know there’s a one-​stop shop for the brave hobby chefs out there!
I ordered from the small window on the restaurant side of the house, taking the advice of the staff on which items to try and how much to order. You basically take your pick from a variety of small items that you can mix and match to create your perfect lunchtime combo. Most of the dishes can be made vegetarian and they’re happy to point them out for you.
I went with two veggie dobladas (deep-​fried pockets stuffed with veggies, parsley, and peas), and two veggie empanadas (stuffed with cheeses, rice and other goodness) for a total cost of about eight bucks.
It was cooked right in front of me, taking only about five minutes before I was on my way with a hot, delicious, satisfying lunch complete with a sauce for each portion. So good, so different, so great to see in Halifax!

The food here is good, but it feels like it’s missing a touch of something. You can get lots of empanadas, enchiladas, and other items like that, but they come alone. I wish there was an option to have a side green salad with it in order to make it a more rounded meal option. If you’re picking up a snack for the afternoon, it’s great.

Its a café, per say, but it isn’t the typical fare that sets the appeal. Café Aroma Latino has its own flare that emphasizes zesty lunch and brunch specials over traditional side treats and coffee delights.
Spicy sammies and platter type dishes are plentiful, and always made with a personal touch. Of course they do have coffee and tea, but as Lacy mentioned, some of the specialty drinks are a bit on the wee side, and for those on a strict coffee stop, this may not be the best place.
The quaint and cool atmosphere further stresses individuality and a lovely time. Look beyond these slightly drab exteriors and get warm with yummy comfort foods and a sweet time.

My mother and I were looking for coffee and sweeties earlier this week. I’d had a tetanus shot the day before and felt like my arm had become a sack of potatoes attached to my torso. I needed some comfort, so we decided that Aroma Latino with all its quaintness was the perfect destination.
Our server was lovely and friendly, and the space as always, was as cute as can be. I opted for a chamomile tea while my mother wanted a heaping latte. Only issue is that this specialty resto only has two varieties of tea and they don’t serve lattes. So my mom went with a café au lait, but unfortunately for her it was darn near thimble sized. Aroma Latino only has small mugs, so if you’re looking for a large, comforting bevie, this isn’t the place.
My mom ordered a dessert (I forget what it was called). It ended up being tasty, but seriously dry. We enjoyed our time at this darling North End eatery, but I was less thrilled with the snacks this time than on my previous visit. I shall be back again, though!

I have gone by this place numerous times, and to be honest it is very easy to miss if you are driving. But well worth parking and heading in.
I opted for a large coffee that day, it was one of our cold nasty days here in Halifax. The staff was very friendly and greeted me with a smile.
I did not need Internet connection, but I did have my laptop to do some work with. I can’ wait to go back and try out the brunch. I was not wanting a meal that day, just a nice place to sit and enjoy a great coffee.

The best part about Café Aroma Latino is brunch! Guatemalean dishes with a unique flare will definitely get me coming back to this place. Try the deep fried tacos as well!
Of note also: the attached grocery section. Necessary cooking items like chillies and spices imported as well as yerba mate, biscuits, etc all, also imported.

Before moving here, when I was actually in the city proper I would generally stay at Juno Tower, and on the obligatory trip to the LC one weekend last summer, I noticed this place — but never got around to trying it. So last night, after work and on my way to my second job, as it were, I stopped in for a quick bite to eat, and I have to tell you, I haven’t had pupusas so good since I was actually in El Salvador, with the possible exception of a little joint in London, Ontario run by Salvadoreños.
The café’s menu features a number of Latin American goodies, and they also stock a number of grocery items that aren’t easy to find, like masa harina, yerba mate, and a variety of other items that are of interest to me. See, I lived briefly in Costa Rica a few years ago, and I found as I travelled exploring the rest of Central America that they have some of the greatest cuisine in the world — simple, cheap, filling, good food. Many of the key ingredients are hard to find — that’s why you need to find places like this.
So, I’ll definitely be making more visits to the café — next up I’m trying their tamales, another one of my favourites for a quick convenient meal.

Finding pupusas in Halifax is no easy feat, but it can be done. A friend took me to this spot, and from the way the exterior looks I have never imagined that inside is an authentic pan-​Latin American restaurant. I had a hard time choosing what to order, between the Salvadorian pupusas (flat fried bread stuffed with beans, cheese or meat), the tacos which come in a crispy, fried shell, or the tasty sounding soup of the day.
Most items on the menu are small, so you can nibble on a bunch of different things in one sitting. This also makes it perfect if you’re just in the mood for a quick snack — it’s real, homemade food but I didn’t have to wait long after placing my order before I was served a hot plate.
Coffee here is also supposed to be great. I’ll have to stop by for a cup soon.

Shhhhh… here’s a secret to surviving a Halifax winter… head over to Café Aroma Latino and get a little bit of Latin America. Even if you don’t eat anything (which would be silly, I admit), you’ll warm up in an instant just from the décor and be transported to sunny climes.
And if you’ve ever been to Latin America, then you’ll really enjoy their brunches and snacks. Personally, I’m addicted to their coffee, which they roast themselves and you can purchase beans to take home along with other Latin ingredients and ready made goodies.