Review - Almaz Cafe

140 S. 20th St.
215.557.0108
Website, Yelp, Google Maps
M - F: 8am - 10pm, Sat: 9am - 10pm, Sun: 10am - 6pm

Going on six years, Almaz has been at its 20th and Walnut location longer than I've been working in Philly, but I had only been there once before this review. So recently on a weekday evening, I met up with a few girlfriends for coffee there. It was hot and humid outside and not that much better inside despite the air conditioning unit.

We took a table on the lower level since we were told that upstairs was reserved for dining. I ordered a cappuccino and my friends ordered from their fresh fruit smoothie menu. All our drinks were great, but especially the mango smoothie. And it definitely helped to beat the heat. The owner took our orders and was super-friendly. He was patient with us even as one of us waffled on whether she wanted a cookie. (She did. It was freshly baked on the premises. He was kind enough to give her the biggest one from the jar.)

The decor is not much to look at. It's not very well-lit and can be a bit cramped. But the food and drinks more than make up for it.

I saw other patrons ordering dinner and the look of the Ethiopian dishes made my mouth water. I'll definitely be stopping by in the near future to try something from the main dinner menu and maybe get another one of those mango smoothies.

Coffee: 4 beans
Atmosphere 3 1/2 beans