Greeted warmly from the moment we walked in. The menu is small but thoughtfully curated, and…read moreeverything we ordered was delicious. The round croissant with everything bagel seasoning was such a unique standout. My toddler loved the little play kitchen area, which made the whole experience even more enjoyable. The owner was incredibly warm and welcoming. We'll definitely be back!

Ercan (Alex) and the team have great service and the food/coffee is amazing. This is a must-visit…read morespot and today I had a big family order of croissant sandwiches with turkey sausage, egg and cheese along with lattes. The order is always to perfection so always look forward my next visit.

Easy to miss even though we were looking, we ended up parking next door and walking over. They have…read morea gravel lot and are set far back so it sort of looks like a house. We did not see it driving south. Hopefully I now know where it is, I guess maybe we'll see. Inside, there are 6 tables and some of them are 2-3 seaters. We got lucky and there was a (single) table free. This was around 1 on a weekend, so perhaps end of lunch rush but if so I'd dread trying to plan to eat here actually during a meal time. Suggest having a backup plan just in case if that's you. You order at the counter but there were menus at the free table so you can peruse then come and order (and also hold your table). There are also menus at the counter. The menu is pretty broad for a cafe. It has a ton of sweet stuff, a ton of breakfast stuff, some "ethnic" stuff and some sandwhich stuff and a few soups. They also have a diverse number of smoothies and other sweets and coffee and other caffinated beverages. Before I forget, the water is 50 cents and is one of those little bottles...so basically no free water. The pastries are behind glass counters and presumably would be fast to go in and point and grab something. We ordered a "mango" crepe, soup and sandwhich (lobster bisque and ham and cheese), nutella crepe and an order of cucumber toast. SO also had a cold caffinated drink, I believe a cold brew latte. The food is very slow. Folks came in and ordered to go just smoothies and pastries, and while they mercifully got served before us, but I'm not sure I would have had their patience for just that. There is, for example, a boba place further down route 1. I guess by the time you get there and order and are served it might be faster, just depends where you are from and how bad your craving is. Anyway, I was low key starting to worry we got forgotten as everyone else was leaving but we got everything. It came in shifts, our crepes and drinks first then our meals second. I guess that's the right order by the time of day but lightly weird to have sweet before savory. Anyway, we weren't anywhere close to done by the time they second came out so all good. The food was all very good. The sandwhich was not big, maybe the size of a hamburger or even jr bacon cheeseburger (ala Wendys) but the soup was big and I had a crepe to eat too anyway. One of our neighbors said the mango crepe wasn't sweet, SO said it was super sweet, so your milage may vary depending on your tooth. The nutella crepe was jammed full of nutella so 0 complaints there. The toast did not look visually great (I didn't eat any) but SO said it was what advertised so maybe just not my type of food. I thought it was sort of small but it was also a few bucks less than the bigger dishes so...maybe fine? Fine with them anyway :) The worst part of the meal IMO was the water, hopefully they consider giving free tap in a bigger glass in the future. There is one bathroom which the staff shares with the patrons. I guess your milage may vary there too but it was never awkward. It's a pretty big bathroom...my guess is the place was actually a house that they converted to the restaurant, the front order area being the living room, the 2 eating rooms being bedrooms, and the kitchen being...the kitchen :P The placement of the bathroom would suck for a house anyway, so maybe they made the right call :P Overall, my experience was good but we did get a seat. I can imagine a lower rating if we didn't. I'd go there again but I would not take a large party and I'm not sure it's worth the drive from where we are to go out of our way. But that doesn't detract from my rating, that's just my choice. One more thing to add: the menu linked to Yelp is not complete. The photos taken are their active menu as of this review. Appreciate the person who took the time to post that.

A yelp find that was delicious. Very unassuming from the outside but the inside is cute and the…read morefood I had was awesome. They have a sampler of their different toasts that was so cool looking and all were delicious. The iced mocha was good and they were very nice to interact with.

This is my second time here, and Cortado Cafe is quickly becoming a favorite. My first visit, I…read moretried the butter chicken and tres leches crepes and was so impressed I'd been thinking about coming back ever since. A week later, I'm back. This time I ordered the mushroom crepe, added a few eggs, and it was so damn good I literally stopped eating to write this review . The staff are kind, the space is clean and inviting, and the smooth jazz perfectly complements the atmosphere--especially if you want somewhere relaxing to read. And most importantly, the food is fantastic. I'll definitely be back very soon.

My friend recommended we stop in this busy cafe for a drink. I love that they had designated some…read more"laptop free" tables between 10am and 2pm on weekends because it was indeed very busy and most of the seating was taken. I enjoyed a latte and my friend had tea served in a very ornate silver teapot with a tiny glass. My friend ordered a savory crepe (Norwegian, with smoked salmon, capers, dill cream cheese and red onions). The sweet crepes sound delicious as well -- biscoff, tres leches, Dubai chocolate, tiramisu.... Lots of great menu items, friendly, bright, fresh.

They have friendly service, an excellent variety of drinks, and a nice atmosphere! I especially…read morelike their mocha frap.

Yum! I've been to two other java loco locations and this one…read morehas a lot more lattes than the others I have been to. I tried the biscoff cookie latte and it has a very robust coffee flavor that is truly what you want when you order an iced coffee. The cold foam and biscoff crumbles add a great touch. Perfectly sweet to me but if you do not like sweet coffee at all then do not get this. I also had a egg and cheese bagel not pictured but it was freshly made.

Plenty of free street parking. It's a small place but had lots of seating options. It had a…read moreseparate smaller room with sets of 2 chairs at tables and a larger room with a small couch, sets of 2 chairs at tables and a few bar height chairs at the bar. The music was a little louder here and because it was pop and R&B songs I knew, I found myself singing along in my head. Great for a vibe, not so much to get work done. I started in the larger room, then relocated to the smaller room which is set up more for working but the music was louder back there. I stayed for a couple of hours and despite the music felt pretty productive. The energy was good and I wouldn't return either to work again or to grab something to eat and just sit. I got a $2 Perrier to support the establishment.

Cute coffee shop, had just what I needed free wifi and a place to work. I got a cinnamon vanilla…read moreiced latte, it was good but I tasted vanilla. The service was cordial and efficient. I got my latte very quickly and got to work.

Really cute coffee shop with plenty of seating, which makes it a great spot to sit and get some…read morework done. They had a really nice variety of food and drink options, and I was pleased with the service as well. My only complaint was the cleanliness. A lot of the tables were noticeably dirty and could have used a good wipe-down, especially since there were plenty of people coming in to sit and work. Overall though, I enjoyed the atmosphere and would definitely consider coming back!

I stopped at St. Elmo's to grab a muffin and coffee while I was in the area for a real estate…read moreconference. The place was busy, with a small wait, which I understood. Unfortunately, as I was taking out my wallet to pay, the cashier pulled the tip jar away from me as though I was going to steal it. I found that incredibly insulting and unnecessary. This location may be convenient because there aren't many other choices nearby, but I won't be returning. If you're in the area, I'd recommend going to Harris Teeter down the block instead. Customer service and treating people with basic respect matter, and this experience left a very bad impression.

Delicate Hot Chocolate…read more I have long been an admirer of fine hot chocolate. Traditionally, I would visit Starbucks or a contemporary coffeehouse, only to receive what often felt like mocha syrup blended with steamed milk--pleasant, perhaps, but rarely memorable. This morning marked my first visit to Tatte Bakery & Café in Old Town Alexandria where the hot chocolate proved to be an unexpected delight. The associate explained that it was prepared with semisweet chocolate and warm milk. Intrigued, I ordered a small and chose to enjoy it outdoors. The price was refreshingly reasonable, while the bakery's bright interior and refined ambiance created an inviting first impression. My drink arrived within approximately five minutes, presented elegantly in a cup and saucer. The temperature was perfectly warm--comforting without being excessively hot--and the overall presentation was quietly sophisticated but has room for improvement. Then came the taste.... The texture was exceptionally silky and smooth, with no grainy residue, excessive sweetness, or bitter aftertaste. It was rich without being heavy and indulgent without becoming overwhelming. Even better, it left behind no awkward crown of foam. I have enjoyed hot chocolate in Sicily, where the experience was quite literally a cup of melted chocolate--decadent, dense, and almost dessert-like. Tatte's interpretation was more delicate and restrained, yet equally satisfying in its own way. Tatte has now earned first place in my personal ranking. There is, however, still an opportunity to elevate the service experience. A cloth napkin and small spoon presented alongside the drink would add a more polished touch, while a subtle soupçon of finely shaved chocolate would enhance both the visual presentation and the final sip. Overall, I award Tatte's hot chocolate an A-. I look forward to seeing whether it can achieve an even higher distinction upon my next visit.

Let's face it. I like Tatte a latte!…read more Beautiful pastry case, inviting treats, Parisian-style cafe. It's a bit inconvenient that you pay at the counter but pick up hot drinks at the bar. When it's crowded you can barely hear your name. We stopped in the late afternoon and it was cool and empty. I had a delicious matcha latte and some lovely baked treat. Thanks a latte, Tatte!

Dropped in with my husband and one of my best friends for Saturday coffee and breakfast. I chose…read morethis place because I saw they had beef patties (pretty good) and other food items. My husband enjoyed his hot caramel latte (soy milk)...he's a native New Yorker who hates Starbucks as a reference. My best friend got an iced salted caramel vanilla latte (almond milk)...she loved the taste. I had the sugar daddy (hot w/almond milk) and it was the perfect drink as I was cramping (think hot chocolate & coffee combined). The barista was patient with us even though there was a line. She answered all our questions and gave good recommendations. And of course did a great job making the coffee! The building looks small at first but there is a good amount of seating both inside and outside and looked great for solo stop ins or small groups/families. We'll definitely be back !

I LOVE KILLER ESP! This has been a go to place since I started working in Old Town Alexandria back…read more2017! I cant believe I'm just doing my first review. To begin, this place is super cute; everyone is beyond friendly; from drinks to food, I haven't had anything that I dont like there; a great place to come in to do some work and enjoy your crafted beverage. If you haven't ate, their beef paddy's are my goto! Before becoming pescatarian I used to get their beef patty with my nutella latte. (I need to try the veggie now) Today, I got an Iced Pistachio Matcha drink off their Spring Menu. It was amazing! If you are in the Old Town Alexandria area, make sure you stop by x grab a drink x grab a snack baked freshly everyday!