Aquarela is bright and beautiful, much like the flavor of their coffee. The vividly painted café lives in Chinatown, and they have cute white outdoor tables shaded by large, blue umbrellas. Aquarela has a playful setup, with shelves of merchandise in front of the window, and a service table protecting the entrance to the café.

Aquarela has bragging rights for delicious fresh Brazilian pastries and specialty fermented coffee beans, as well as wonderful service. On an early Saturday afternoon, my companions and I strolled up to the storefront to enjoy breakfast outside in the nice weather. Of course, Jock, being Brazilian himself, absolutely lit up when we arrived. He made friendly conversation in Portuguese with the staff, speaking on our behalf often and translating whatever pertinent information we might have missed. The man at the door was more than happy to explain every drink on the menu in detail to us and recommended certain pastries, as well. We had a lovely conversation and he expressed disappointment that we were only visiting and couldn’t come back again often (though we certainly would). He even offered to take pictures of us all together, which I found to be very sweet!

♣

Our breakfast visit to Aquarela was fun, relaxing, and delightful. The drinks were delicious and unique, and per Jock, the food was a 4 out of 5 – not many options, but delicious. In fact, he enjoyed the hot sauce so much that he inquired about the brand and took a picture to order some for himself later. I tried something very strange for my first drink, and it wasn’t a hit with me, but my second was very tasty. Jock also bought a bag of coffee beans to take with us, which I later ground and brewed. The flavor was so bold, and yet, you could taste all of the subtle notes of fruit and chocolate within. I often want to sneak into the pantry and secretly brew some more!

Conclusion: Vibes: 10/10. Service: 10/10. Product: 8/10.