Aroma Coffee — Restaurant in Hastings

Visited here four times and haven't reviewed until now. Very acceptable coffee and enjoyable bagels. Crispy bacon and cream cheese my personal choice although it's not particularly crispy but saved by the quality of bacon they use. Haven't explored much of the menu but seems to have something for everyone. Staff and service..... Whilst the service is prompt and efficient I always have the impression that this is a family affair and they've all just had an argument! A smile seems to be hard to come by along with post meal attention...... All visits have seen my empty plate remain in front of me until I left, without any staff clearing or asking me if I would like anything else (the sticky toffee pudding and one more coffee has gone begging three times now). Some basic staff hospitality training is all that is needed here. Will continue to visit as it is relaxed and comfortable with good food (my limited experience) in the hope that the staff will strive for that little bit extra that makes a visit memorable for the right reasons.

UPDATE 1 YEAR ON. After an extended closure after lockdown and extensive refurbishment I am happy to report that while the food and coffee remain excellent value they are now fully equipped with a team of polite and attentive staff who seem to have that hospitality training I previously mentioned. Prompt table service is now the norm and a friendly smile is readily available. Well done Aroma, that extra...

First visit today. Staff were friendly and attentive. The coffee and hot chocolate we ordered were really lovely quality. We ordered breakfasts. I was quite specific about how I wanted my egg cooked. Unfortunately it wasn't as I had requested. I asked for it to be cooked a bit longer. Another egg was brought but that was less cooked than the previous one. The guy offered to cook it more but I just wanted to eat and potentially enjoy the breakfast I had ordered. So I just wanted to leave it as I had run out of patience. The spread used on the toast made it inedible. It was a real shame as the rest of the breakfast ingredients were really good quality.The presentation was good, the beans were hot etc. When I went to pay my bill the person taking the money (who hadn't been part of the original ordering taking team etc) asked me if everything was OK. I asked her if she wanted me to be honest and she nodded. I explained about the issues. I also mentioned the issue of folks smoking by the door and it drifting into the cafe which was quite unpleasant for non smokers. Basically she just glazed over and didn't appear to be listening. My feeling is if you don't want to know don't ask in the first place. It wasn't all negative and I have tried to be as fair as possible and highlight the positives as well as the not so...

My husband and I decided to take our son out for a breakfast this morning (for background information, my son is 10, he is non verbal and has autism). I was very nervous because we were not sure how he would react to it. My son was anxious when he first stepped into the cafe, he calmed down a bit once we found him a seat near the window. We were so glad the staff came to take our order as soon as we sat down, the service was fast and efficient. The food and drink came out within 15 minutes after we sat down. The breakfast was good and we all enjoyed it. At one point my son decided to leave the table and ran from one end of the cafe to the other, I was very nervous but all the staff at the cafe was very understanding. The lady who owns the cafe was very kind, she came to our table and gave my son a packet of wafer. I was actually very touched by her kindness. I accept it that not everyone understands autism or any disability that they haven't got to deal with in their lives but a little kindness goes a long way. Sometimes just a smile or a small gesture of kindness is so very important to us, it's a real comfort to know that they see and acknowledge my son. I would give this cafe more than 5 stars if I could. Thank you very much and we will definitely come back again...