We chose Cafe Aroma for a birthday dinner and were so happy we did!…read more The bread with garlic in olive oil was a perfect light starter. My husband also enjoyed an old fashioned that was excellent. For dinner he husband ordered the ragu, and I had the penne in creamy basil (without shrimp). Both dishes came out quickly, were well prepared, and completely satisfying. Service was extremely friendly and attentive without being overbearing. We reserved the patio so we could bring our pup, and the staff immediately offered her water, pets, and even a treat. I always appreciate a restaurant that makes dogs feel welcome rather than like an inconvenience. The patio also had a lovely ambiance, with white tablecloths and the same polished table settings as indoors. My only minor note was the live music. The singer was fairly loud and close to the tables, which made conversation difficult. Instrumental music might fit the early dinner atmosphere a little better. If you prefer a quieter meal, dining indoors may be the better choice. Overall, a great birthday dinner and a wonderful experience!

I read a bunch of the 1-star reviews. I read some of the…read more4-star reviews. I have to go with 5-star tho. OVERVIEW of 5 : Seated without reservation (*make one! We got lucky*) Server was amazing Food expediter was super nice Food was delicious Elegant, fine dining experience Music was my mountain playlist (and not too loud) View of mountains for me. View of architecture for my wife. PARKING: Parking can be difficult in the small lot, but there's parking along the street too. INSIDE: It was perfect weather. 68ºF at 6pm after a warm day. They have "indoor/patio" style seating which may be difficult for some to access by multiple steps. We were seated at the top, a table away from the music, along the window side. They have heat lamps - but temps were perfect (lots of people and hot food warmed everyone up). I wanted to walk around the restaurant. The tiered architecture is interesting. FOOD: High End Vegan! Yes - I'm guilty of wanting to give them 5 stars just looking at their vegan menu. (And omnivore selection) Yes - I appreciate the care that it takes to prepare a plate. BUT This food was just delicious by itself. Even in a cardboard box, this food would've been amazing. VEGAN "cheese" appetizer (great for 2-3 people) Nut cheese was warm and tangy. This is NOT just cashews and nooch in a blender. It is spiced with something that brings a little heat. *you will want to lick the bowl. PRO TIP: The welcome bread with ... oh shit.... WELCOME BREAD / Garlic Olive Oil This crusty bread served with microplaned garlic + olive oil is fantastic. Garlic Fiend? You're gonna love this. Not a fan of garlic? What's wrong with you?! I mean... just serve from the oil side. Save some bread for your vegan cheese.... VEGAN CHEESE (cont.) Order the gluten free bread (a little more like Uti's toasted dinner roll) with your vegan cheese app. Omnivores at your table will be surprised how well this vegan cheese and wine pair with each other. TROUT I think my wife got the trout. She loved it. Light and delicate. VEGAN KIMCHI TOFU I've had kimchi. I've had tofu. We all have. This was prepared on a bed of roasty veg that was a great match to the salty kimchi. I don't know if there was a marinade preparation (sesame paste?) with the tofu, or it was made locally, or both, but this firm tofu was excellent. Sweet. Nutty. Salty. Fresh tasting and filling. The vegan menu here isn't just an "alternate version" of an omnivore dish. It is its own thing. DESSERT MISTAKE = not getting it. We thought there would be dessert in town, but we got out late. Town had closed. MUSIC Tonight's music was a pair of musicians playing CS&N, Neil Young, Bob Seger... acoustic session: Guitar, Violin, Mandolin. Quiet & sentimental performance was a perfect accompaniment to a long hike day. THERE ARE 1-STAR REVIEWS of this place. They have their reasons. I've only been here once. But I experienced NONE of the things they've mentioned. Moreover, we experienced even better than what other 5-star reviews suggested. This is an elegant spot, framed by a perfect day in Idyllwild. If I come back to the town, I will want to try other restaurants, but I'll definitely come back here. Not *just* because of their vegan options, but definitely *for* their vegan options.

Is it a must anytime you go somewhere and there's an ice cream shop? Of course in my opinion, you…read morecan never have too much ice cream. Anytime we make a day trip up to Idyllwild, this place is always a definite favorite. Summer in the mountains with ice cream dripping down your hands. The good old days when you were younger but now it's in a cup...lol... Messy and sticky fingers hits differently these days when you're older. Saturday afternoon and there was a line at this place. Good for them and thats usually a good sign whenever you go somewhere. We've been a few times and each has been great. It's a little ice cream shop along the main strip of town. Their downtown area where all the restaurants, shops, wineries and so on. Always a line when we come but it does move fast. The menus on the front counter wall so you can check it out before you get to the front. After you order, there's a pager that's given to you. Pick up is around the side when your pager goes off. It's not a big ice cream parlor, with 2 small tables and chair in-front of the ordering counter and a couple of bigger tables on the side of the building. We went with the sampler tray I believe it's called. Four different flavors in individual cups for 12.00. It was a little wait as it seemed like there was only one worker on deck. She was taking orders and scooping the ice cream. The other person could be on break or lunch. Anyways, it was ok. The four flavors were quite nice but one was just ok. Our least favorite, the coconut which was an additional 1.00 added to the order. The others three was excellent. Of course I would forget the all the flavors but remember the one we didn't like. Ice cream was great, the one we enjoyed. It was nice to just have a seat and enjoy the treat. Everyone that was there was doing the same, enjoying their treats. It's like a staple here in the mountain. I didn't know if there's any other ice cream shop in town but this one is worth it and alway a must for us when in town. Until next time.

Lines long but fast. Ice Cream Cookies and Cream 7/10…read more Churros 3/10 tasty but Texture isn't there.

Cute little bakery located in idyllwild! The food/bakery items are on the pricier side.. however we…read moredid enjoy the live music and the garden like patio. It was a nice stop after a morning of hiking in the area. Overall the food itself was a little too expensive for what it was.. my mom and her friend had the soup of the day which was basically just chili and cheese (nothing really special) while my husband had a simple BLT (also nothing really special) and I had the blueberry pie (which was cute but really just a pie). We spent over 50 dollars on those items which is honestly WAY overpiced in my opinion but then again we still enjoyed our time. Cute place in general :)

We ordered the soup and sandwich combo. Sandwich was basic but tasty the soup was cheddar and…read morebroccoli pretty good. Service was good, lots going on for a small place. Pretty small place but did have outdoor seating. We did also order hot coffee that was good as well.

These are not the donuts you get in the cities. These are made from recipes handed down…read moregenerations. They are made fresh daily. The chocolate vegan and the apple fritters are Amazingly moist and so yummy. They also have an amazing lunch menu. I recommend the hamburger special. It comes with fries and a drink. They are very reasonably priced and great food. That why this is a go to place for the locals. They just added soft serve ice cream that I cant wait to try!

Amelia's Donuts is one of those rare spots that overdelivers on every level. The donuts are hands…read moredown some of the best I've ever had, perfectly balanced, fresh, and clearly made with a lot of care. But what really surprised me was the burger. It's honestly one of the best around. Juicy, flavorful, and done right with no shortcuts. What makes this place even more special is Amelia herself. Her story, her hustle, and the passion she puts into everything you see and taste is inspiring. You can feel that this isn't just a business, it's something she truly built and believes in. Places like this are what make the food scene so great. If you haven't been yet, you're missing out.

This is one of my favorite stops on my motorcycle rides through the mountains. The coffee is…read moreexcellent--you can really taste the quality. It's rich, smooth, and always hits the spot. The staff is friendly, the shop is clean and cool inside, and the atmosphere is relaxing. It's the perfect place to take a break, enjoy a great cup of coffee, and soak in the mountain air. I'll definitely keep coming back.

This is a great little spot near the circle with a welcoming atmosphere and consistently friendly…read moreservice. This was our second visit, and both experiences were just as enjoyable as the first. This time, we ordered a chai latte and a protein smoothie, and both were fresh, flavorful, and really hit the spot. It's always nice to find a place that's just as consistent on a return visit. Thanks again for another great experience. We look forward to stopping by again the next time we're in the area!

Great Place to hang our and have excellent food. Live entertainment with the jazz band was a plus…read more Only complaint was it took a while to get the check. Maybe shift change. Check it out!

We had the pleasure of dining here for lunch today. My husband, toddler and I very much enjoyed the…read morelive music. It was two older gentleman, one playing a saxophone and the other the piano. They both had amazing voices and it added to our overall experience. In a world with music playing over a speaker from a playlist on repeat. It was very refreshing! They even took song requests. And don't get me started on the food!! We stopped by for a quick snack and compliments to the chef. I ordered calamari to start and it came with a tangy tartar sauce which was AMAZING (I don't usually eat tartar sauce). My husband was surprised he had to share the tarter sauces this time hahaha! And the Diavolo pizza was flavorful! Our waiter Kevin was very attentive and nice. We will definitely be stopping by again (on a weekend) next time we are in town.

Great service and great food, very accommodating for gluten free allergy's, would come again.read more

This place has amazing service, food and beer. The outdoor seating is amazing looking out to the…read moreforest and fresh air. I have the Pesto Chicken sandwich and it was the best I have ever had. Good portions and I chose the sweet potato fries with it. Highly recommend this place. All around best experience.

My review is solely on the arcade and I'm going to have to disagree with the previous reviews on…read morethe arcade. My family and I really enjoyed our time here. Although there aren't many machines we had fun with the ones they had. Hardly any machines were out of service and yes the tickets had to be counted but we made it easy by folding our tickets in 5. Of course we did not expect a Dave and busters experience but with what they had we managed to have a great time. Also the owner seemed so friendly she even gave my nephew free tickets. As for the empanadas we were not lucky enough to try them but we would have loved too. I'm always happy to support small businesses especially when they involve having a good time with our family.

Terrible service. Very rude lady working there. Absolute waste of time and money. Avoid this place…read moreat all costs