Ara Coffee

I stumbled on Ara entirely by chance, and I am SO happy I did. What an absolutely delightful spot! Friendly service, delicious coffee and pastries (I had a latte and banana bread), cool jazz music, and a very warm and welcoming ambience that feels a lot like small family-owned coffee shops in South Korea and Japan. Definitely a place I’d love to come back to, to do some reading or get some work done on my laptop.

I’m not a fan of matcha but was recommended to try the dirty matcha latte by the owner and was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it! Took a photo of the empty cup when I remembered all the half drank matchas I have left in my life. Incredibly friendly staff and very proud of what they’re making, which is so nice to see nowadays.

Tucked away around the corner from Rutherford Station, this coffee shop is one great convenience to commuters. Ara has a somewhat limited menu, but covers the basics adequately. The atmosphere is calm and relaxing, and the service, no matter which shift you come, is always pleasant and accommodating. The coffee is quite good, and even in the late afternoon, the baked goods are very delectable. They'll even ask if you want a baked good microwaved for late afternoon consumption. One giant plus for Ara is that they are open later in the day than most coffee shops (till 7 most days), which is a boon to late day coffee consumers like me.

Nothing bad to say about this place at all. You walk in and immediately know you’re going to have good coffee & amazing conversation. This is definitely one of those beautiful family owned businesses that can take all my money especially for their dirty matchas *chefs kisses*. Homemade gluten free and vegan pastries that are too die for, moist and gooey. The shop smells of baked goods as they’re made fresh and laid out to cool. Wish there were more places like this one by me.

I randomly walked into this café ❤️ It was so cute and cozy, and the sunlight was shining in beautifully inside. Even the owner lady was so kind and lovely ❤️ You could feel her touch in every corner of the place—it was such a warm and comforting café. She even promised to give me banana bread as a cheat dessert after my competition!