Aroma Espresso Bar (Bay and Dundas)

Cafe: Aroma Espresso Bar
Address: 562 Bay St.
Phone Number: 416-792-7760
Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7 AM - 9 PM, Sat-Sun 8 AM - 9 PM
Website: www.aroma.ca

Study Appropriate?: Yes
Wi-Fi?: Yes
Stamp Cards?: No

Interior

Menu

Drinks - Soy/Almond/Lactose-Free Options?: Yes to all

Food - Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-Free Options?: Yes to all 

See the full menu at www.aroma.ca/menu/beverages/

Regular Ice Lemon-Mint, $3.70; Personal Steak Sandwich (replaced meat with tofu) $5.30

Personal Mediterranean Sandwich, $4.50

Personal Halumi Grilled Cheese Sandwich, $6

Personal Portobello Sandwich, $4.95

Small Matcha Green Tea Latte, $3.95

Medium White Aroma Coffee, $3.85

Large Ice Aroma, $4.70

Irish Cream Latte with Bailey's $7.55; Brownie, $2.75; Bureka Treat, $5.45

Medium Berry Iced Tea, $2.75; Power Breakfast Combo, $11.45

Whole Steak Sandwich, $10.90; Heinken, $5.95; Mill St. Original Organic, $5.95; Chocolate Croissant, $2.70; Date Pastry, $2.45

Review

Drink of Choice: Ice Aroma, $4.30

I was contacted by Aroma to check out their new tofu alternative food options. All the meat in the sandwiches now can be replaced with tofu for free. Being a fan of Aroma Espresso Bar already, I excitedly agreed. Since I'm currently a Ryerson student, the closest store location (excluding the one in the Eaton Centre) is at Bay and Dundas. I decided to take two separate trips to this location.

To start off with the location, it was pretty packed when I came in for the first time around 5 PM. The first thing I did was scour for outlets because I needed to get some work done. Unfortunately, there were very few outlets available and since it was full, I was unable to get to one. I actually debated for five minutes if I should stay at this location or trek elsewhere, just so I could have access to an outlet. However, it was a long day and I decided to stay. To my pleasant surprise, I ran into an old co-worker who was working for Aroma! We had some nice chit-chat while I was being indecisive with my order. I ended up getting the Steak sandwich and had the meat be replaced with tofu. All meat in the sandwiches can be replaced with tofu for free. Along with my order I chose the Ice Lemon-Mint, which I thought was perfect for the hot weather.

I definitely recommend the Steak (replaced with Tofu option) sandwich. It was rich with healthy and delicious ingredients, perfect for vegetarians. Although it was delicious, I had a feeling I would love the original steak version more. For the Ice Lemon-Mint, I initially enjoyed it. Then I started to realize how sour it was. It had an interesting taste because of the lemon and mint combination. I can't really describe the taste except how you would expect lemon and mint to taste like together. It's a refreshing drink to have once in awhile but if you have low tolerance for anything sour, you should avoid it.

The second trip I took, I decided to try out the Ice Aroma drink and the Mediterranean sandwich. The Mediterranean sandwich was from their vegetarian sandwich menu. It's a simple and wholesome sandwich. I prefer the Steak sandwich because I like having more flavours and meat. However, I still think it's a great option for vegetarians. My favourite item out of these two trips was definitely the Ice Aroma! If you love Starbucks Frappuccino, you should try the Ice Aroma. It's similar to the Coffee Frappuccino. I have a sweet tooth so the Ice Aroma was a perfect pick. I hope to one day try their other iced drinks, especially the Ice Aroma Float! 

Overall, I think Aroma Espresso Bar is a great alternative to most coffee chains. They have a great selection of healthy menu options at affordable prices. Their cafes are growing rapidly across Toronto so you will probably find one near you soon! The Bay and Dundas location is great for not only Ryerson students but for anyone in the general area to grab lunch at or to have an Ice Aroma with a couple of friends. I think you should definitely stop by in the summer for a sweet and cool drink.  

Thank you to Aroma Espresso Bar for the Aroma Cash so I could purchase the drinks and food for this review!