Safwa Coffee & Teahouse — Restaurant in Franklin Township

Unbeknown to me a chance encounter at the New Brunswick Islamic Center summer camp, sometime in the middle of 2018, with a blond hair grey-eyed boy would soon lead to a long and lasting friendship. That's right folks, I've known Hamza Catovic for quite sometime now, and so naturally when I heard he was serving at the recently established Safwa Coffee and Teahouse, I knew I simply had to stop by. When I arrived, the austere nature of the white double doors immediately hooked me, and upon setting foot between them, and underneath that warmly lit honey-colored sign, I was left speechless. Absolutely gobsmacked, positively flummoxed if you will. PERFECTION! What other word to describe such a place? The white marble tables accompanied by lavender centerpieces was a bold statement. The ears of wheat backlit with warm lighting on either side over which gorgeous symmetrical mirrors adorned the walls contributed to a light and hearty ambiance. And to top it all off, a stunning arch set equidistant from the door and sales register payed homage to the grandiose architecture employed by Muslim builders throughout history. Need I say more? Upon reaching the till, I was greeted with a genuine smile and "hello" from my friend mentioned previously. His service left nothing to be desired, as he pointed my attention towards the drink he thought most appropriate for my temperament: the summer exclusive, Mango Matcha, a personal favorite of his. The drink itself I received a short while later, an impressive turnaround time for such a bustling cafe. Upon raising the drink to my lips I immediately noticed the superb accuracy in temperature that had been achieved for an iced drink, it was cold enough to be refreshing, yet not overly so that it made my teeth ache. The flavor explosion that occurred within my mouth was nothing short of exquisite, the smooth and creamy texture of the matcha complimented its counterpart, while the earthy green tones cut through the sweetness of the mango allowing for one to enjoy both distinct flavors to their fullest. All of these thoughts flooded through my mind as I exited Safwa that evening. Dear reader, if you haven't yet been to Safwa Coffee and Teahouse, I envy your ignorance, as ever since that fateful night my yearning has only grown, such that now I can scarcely stomach any...

I found this place on Instagram and was following their journey the past couple months and I have to say they definitely went all out. From the moment you enter the space you can tell that they carefully thought of every detail. From the design as a whole to the smallest details like what cup and plate they use everything gives off a luxury yet very welcoming and comforting feel. To start off on the drinks side, their coffee was out of this world. I’ve been to plenty of coffee shops around the country and world and I have to say the coffee that is produced here is TOP TIER. I’d recommend getting the Spanish latte with the cold foam, this drink will turn even the people that are disgusted by coffee into coffee fans. I had also tried their matcha which was completely out of this world. I usually hate getting matcha from places as in my opinion most places can’t make a good matcha, but I was blown away at the level of quality and smoothness the matcha had. In terms of the food also, that was something I was completely surprised about. I had tired their San Sebastián cheesecake, pastrami sandwich, and tres leche and let me tell you something. As someone that hates cheesecake due to the richness that you taste, this cheesecake was a complete surprise to me. And then the chocolate sauce that they give you with the cake just elevates the taste and experience 10 fold. In terms of the tres leche, in my opinion it’s one of the best I’ve ever had in my life! The dash of cinnamon that they add to it just elevates the flavor of the cake so much! And finally the pastrami sandwich was so flavorfully I was amazed. Overall this spot does not disappoint 1 bit. From the design to the cups and plating, everything was a 10/10 for me and I will be 100%...

Safwa Cafe has easily become one of my favorite hidden gems. It all started when my best friend and I decided to try it out one afternoon and from the very first sip and bite, we were completely sold. Their Tres Leches cake is out of this world: soft, rich, perfectly soaked without being soggy, and bursting with that creamy, comforting flavor you wish every Tres Leches had. It’s honestly the kind of dessert you think about days later.

But the real game-changer for me was the Spanish Iced Latte. I’ve had plenty of iced lattes before, but there’s something about Safwa’s it’s incredibly smooth, not overly sweet, and somehow manages to feel indulgent without being heavy. It became an instant favorite.

I loved it all so much that I started bringing my husband with me and here’s the catch: he’s never been a coffee person. In fact, he usually avoids coffee shops altogether. But after one visit to Safwa Cafe (and a few sips of my Spanish Latte that turned into “Let me just get my own”), he’s now just as obsessed as I am. We’ve come back multiple times since then, and every visit has been consistently excellent — the quality, the flavors, the atmosphere, everything.

If you’re even remotely considering it, just go. Get the Tres Leches. Get the Spanish Iced Latte. And prepare to find yourself coming back again… and...