Simona Cafe — Restaurant in Arlington

As a regular, this is my favorite coffeeshop in Arlington* (it still has a lot of room for improvement). The coffee and food are top-tier; without a doubt it’s the best spot in town if that’s all you care for. The newer baristas aren’t quite as good as Charlie but they’re getting there. The baristas in general do a great job given they have to manage register, bar, and even kitchen at times. This means you might have to be a little patient for a drink.

I think the atmosphere is okay. The decor and seating is spartan (not very comfortable) but gets the job done. The outdoor patio is nice when it’s warm, especially with the new ropes they put on the perimeter it feels like a proper space. I get that it’s a very small and limited space but it could be cozier. It’s not very inviting but I guess it’s a nice enough place to meet up and chat with friends or read a book.

Speaking of inviting, that brings me to my main gripe with this place and what I perceive to be the greatest opportunity for improvement. The wifi is horrendous. DO NOT expect to come here and be able to get any meaningful work done! Your device gets a pitiful hour before being locked out for 6 hours. The speeds are okay during that window at least. To me, this epitomizes the message the store seems to convey: drink your coffee and get out. Again, I get that the space is small and it’s important to encourage people to leave so that new people have somewhere to sit. But even on weekdays and outside of peak hours this dumb rule applies. Maybe the owner doesn’t want people to do work at this shop, which is valid - it’s not a wework. But clearly they’re trying to extract as much profit from this place as possible given the skeleton crews they employ and cheap furnishings. I simply don’t understand why they’re not more generous with wifi. A 2 - 4 hour time limit would make more sense but 1 hour is just ridiculous. That’s an incredibly large competitive disadvantage I can’t wrap my head around. Thanks...

It felt like a beautiful fall afternoon. Where only a cup of mocha would make it better. I walked to a quaint coffee house at a corner of two roads in a V, across trees in orange and red. 8 green chairs and 2 brown benches put up in small circles under a canopy. There was a cute patio with string lights across, allowing just enough warm sunlight through horizontal patterns. Plants breathing in as they had been there forever. Murmurs and faint conversations followed.

I opened a glass door to enter as a bell above me rang. There were 3 baristas behind a counter creating art , soaking in some music. There was a huge menu on a chalk wall which I chose not to read. I knew what I wanted.

I walked to the girl with a huge smile behind a billing screen on the other side of the counter,

“I feel special”, I said.

“We have these 3 special drinks available today”, she said.

I looked at the 3 drinks and it just didn’t click.

“Do you like Matcha”, she asked.

“I like matcha”, I answered.

“We have a matcha inspired tea.”

“I like tea, but today feels like a coffee kind of fall afternoon. Can you make me a mocha?!”, I asked.

“Hmmm… Let’s get you a special Mocha! Maybe a baklava latte but fused for chocolate”

I liked what was going on in an artist’s head. Today felt special. I wanted that original piece. I wanted this artist’s monalisa.

The Baristas – an ensemble of 3 – had a quick discussion. They ran thru the flavor profile of this new drink. With precision, he blended coffee, with oat milk & chocolate. I stood by and  watched, my drink being made with special detail. And to finish it my drink had a latte art specialist. I breathed in anticipation.

They placed my mug on a glass counter.

“Here is your drink, let us know how you like it.”

I carefully threaded the coffee mug with two hands to my lips & took a sip.

“It tastes like a beautiful...

I love this place and am a regular here.

Food/drink: The food and drinks are always delicious. The fancy grilled cheese is a must--the focaccia is fantastic! Their breakfast sandwiches are generously portioned. The seasonal drink menu always has something unusual that somehow ends up tasting incredible (e.g., pomegranate matcha spritz, strawberry basil espresso spritz). Their lattes and matcha are very good, too. They have a wine and beer menu as well, though I'm less familiar with it.

Price: Compared to other nearby places of comparable quality, I think the prices are very reasonable. They use fresh ingredients in their food, so I don't mind paying for it. Much more reasonably priced than another nearby cafe that I won't mention by name.

Staff: The employees are very friendly, attentive, and work efficiently. The manager/owner seems to manage shifts well by arranging to have more folks clocked in during the busier hours. I always enjoy chatting with Sebastian. :)

Ambience: Plenty of seating for the space. I love the outdoor section with the wooden enclosure--perfect for when it rains, and iirc, they use heat lamps to keep it warm when it's cold! Music is not too loud, and they usually play something mellow. Cozy, pleasant aesthetics, and an always-clean bathroom.

My only minor critique is that the WiFi could be better. It does the trick, though, and there is an Xfinity hotspot available as well if you are a Comcast customer.

All in all, highly recommend this place! I bring all of my out-of-town...