Idido's Coffee and Social House — Restaurant in Arlington

My spin instructor Natalie told me she loves hanging out at Idido's. I didn't even know it was there. Now, it's my favorite cafe.

Before, I would need to either bike to Northside Social or Java Shack in Clarendon or ride to Peregrine on the Hill.

I never cottoned to Rappahannock Coffee and one never wants to make a Starbucks your local. Idido's Coffee is perfect. Lots of room, great Wi-Fi, friendly people, delicious coffee as well as lots of other beverages. There's also breakfast croissants and pastries, both sweet and savory, and I think they serve lunch and salads and whatnot. All within 4 min (0.8 mi) of my front door.

I mean, I have only been there three times so far, but so far, do good.

One of everyone's favorite details is the courtesy fruit-infused water that's not only delicious but one patron said, "I think it has restorative qualities."

The space isn't huge and only has room for 9 or 10 people to work or hang out or chill. Four cushy chairs, a couch which is a tight two-person space, and maybe seven bar-style seating, once group against the window and once at the coffee bar. So, if you want to work there, choose your timing.

I have only had an espresso and a series of light-roasted coffee and they were both perfect. Since I don't do sugar or creme, I didn't notice that. The menu is Italian/French cafe comprehensive. Any fancy coffee drink you want is up there.

Prices are reasonable and if you decide to drink your coffee there, be sure to ask for a proper cup of mug instead of plastic, cardboard, and paper....

Ordered the omelette and while I’ve never had an “omelette” like this before, it wasn’t a deal breaker. The taste was fine but I couldn’t eat it because the eggs were extremely soft and it was soggy. So basically, the texture was terrible. They should’ve just scrambled the entire thing and call it that. I was going to switch to something else but was told they could “fix” it. The guy mentioned something about a price difference which led me to believe they preferred not to give refunds of any amount. In any case, I explained the issue (cook the eggs harder) and it seemed like a no brainer. What I got back was the same thing just less soggy. Less tomatoes? I tried and forced maybe 4 bites but couldn’t eat it. Not a problem, I asked to just get a ($4 cheaper) smoothie and forgo the price difference. They could keep the difference in cost. They came back and I was told that the owner said because they made it twice, if I wanted a smoothie, I’d have to pay for it. I didn’t want a smoothie but figured I get something for my $13. There was not even an offer of a refund. The staff was nice enough but the customer service left a bad taste in my mouth and the owner’s decision (who I never saw or spoke with) to put a poorly corrected meal over customer appreciation made this a terrible experience. So, not wishing ill on this place or suggesting others not to go, but just be mindful. But if you like a soft, open-faced “omelette” you don’t have to chew, then this...

Popular on Yelp is an Ethiopian-owned coffee shop along Columbia Pike in Arlington, Virginia. It's within development so it feels a little commercial, but they make good use of the space given. Here's my experience visiting on a Friday morning:

1. Coffee: They have a full coffee menu, brewing Ethiopian beans. I ordered a large vanilla latte and it was strong and flavorful, not too sweet. For non-coffee drinkers, they have tea and two different kinds of smoothies. My five-year-old daughter loved their strawberry mango smoothie.

2. Food: They have a variety of pastries made fresh, cakes and other snacks. Seeing a blueberry scone and a cinnamon scone, made fresh daily. My cinnamon scone wasn't too dry and had a good cinnamon crunch.

3. Service: There was a line around 10 a.m. so expect to wait, but the service is so nice. The staff seem passionate about what they do and the joy is contagious.

4. Space: It's small, but there are two areas of seats and couches. An old map of D.C. decorates one of the walls. There's a restroom in the back.

5. Neighborhood: There are many shops and restaurants from around the world nearby along Columbia Pike. My favorite taco spot in the D.C. area (Tortas Y Tacos La Chiquita) is just a few...