Cafe Zara & Coffee House — Restaurant in East Providence

Found Cafe Zara by just passing by at work. From the outside it looks a little deceiving tucked away between two other businesses. However once inside, you'll be pleasantly surprised. A few small outdoor tables sit outside (probably seasonal). Once inside there is an abundance of seating in different varieties. Window. Alone. By the wall. Etc. There is a staircase kind of in the middle of the room that goes down. Unsure if it's extra seating or storage as it was closed when I visited. The atmosphere is super warm and relaxing. Light music at a good appropriate level.

The menu is appropriate. Standard coffee beverages with a variety of alternative milk options and flavorings. Some very good food options all made fresh and what looked to be fresh pastries. My ordered coffee was truly amazing. As with all good coffee shops, I wish they'd opt to use coffee ice cubes instead of water based ones. However I don't take this into consideration for my review. The coffee sweetened to the right level to not drown out the actual coffee but enough to enhance all the notes in the coffee. Opted to also order a lunch sandwich. Food was also phenomenal. Good portion size that wasn't too much but enough to be a meal or split amongst 2 or for later. The price was a little below average for what I'd expect to spend. 2 coffees and a sandwich only cost $18. Wait time for food and coffee was totally acceptable at about 7 minutes.

The staff was professional but cold. They were 100% polite and on point but just seemed to be invested in work fully. I'd love to see them interact with the customers a little more. Or even each other. They all seemed to just be in their own world. Again, they did nothing wrong. Just seemed out of place for the rest of the warm and inviting environment.

Overall I'm really happy with my experience there. I would definitely go again and put this in my top list for coffee shops in RI. I'd highly recommend checking it out to anyone who wants a good coffee, whether to go or to...

This was my first—and likely last—visit to this cafe. I came in knowing I wanted an everything bagel, my usual go-to, but was in the mood for something sweet. I asked the cashier, who I later learned was the manager, about their cream cheese options. She seemed disinterested and low-energy, and told me they only had plain or scallion cream cheese—neither of which satisfied my sweet craving. So, I opted for Nutella instead.

A few minutes later, my name was called, but when I looked at the bagel, it clearly had scallion cream cheese on it. I hadn’t even touched the plate when I informed the staff that I had ordered it with Nutella. They took it back and said they would remake it.

When my order was ready again, the manager personally confronted me at the counter, insisting that I had originally asked for scallion cream cheese. I found this exchange unnecessary and somewhat hostile. I asked why she felt the need to challenge me on such a simple and inexpensive order.

Unfortunately, this interaction left a bad impression. My only regret was tipping at the register before seeing how things would unfold. I wouldn’t recommend this cafe, as they seem unwilling to take responsibility for mistakes and treat customers in a...

Love this place and love the set up. Good drinks, even better sandwiches and it was ready quick as well. A really cute cafe I had a Chai latte and a Chouriço baguette. They had themes for stuff like Lisbon Breakfast and the RI Latte. They have a table with condiments to add if needed as well like various hot sauces, mayo etc A great spot to stop for lunch but it was super busy when I came; 12 noon on a Wednesday. I had to wait for someone else to get up and leave in order to get a spot to sit. A perfect spot to work on a laptop; free Wi-Fi and a lot of spots after the lunch rush (1pm onwards) but not that many outlets, so come charged or come early to get a good spot My only complaint was that they asked if I wanted it for here or to go and I assumed that meant if I wanted my tea drink in a here or to go cup and they put it in a take away paper cup instead of a mug but next time i come, I’ll remember that and specify. Also some of the seats are nice and the rest are plain metal chairs I walked here so I’m unsure of the parking situation but I’d assume it’s fine because there were a lot of in-and-out customers at lunch time. They have mimosas in various flavors (but I don’t believe they serve any...