I live in the South Bay and I was delighted to recently discover an Italian cafe that offers coffee, pastries and savory items. Named Roman Aroma, it is located on Catalina Ave in South Redondo Beach just south of the Redondo Beach post office.
I typically drink black coffee. For me that means, I will order the Americano. I was impressed that they served that in a ceramic coffee cup because it adds to the presentation and helps our environment. It had a bold flavor yet it was extremely smooth. The small pastry I ordered was fresh, flakey and had a nice balance of fruit. .
Cappuccino
Caprese sandwich with fresh tomatoes, basil and mozarella
Roman Aroma works with the customer loyalty program, Five Stars. After a few visits, I earned a free cappuccino and so I felt foolish not to pass up a free drink. I paired this up with a caprese sandwich and I thoroughly enjoyed both. The cappuccino was smooth and the caprese was made with fresh tomato, basil and a large amount of fresh mozzarella.
Besides pastries, they also have fruit tarts, croissants, babba, tiramisu and pies. It is quite the feast for the eyes just to look at their display case.
Caramel Mousse
Cream filled cannoli
The caramel mousse consists of a chocolate mousse drizzled with a delicious caramel sauce. The hit for me and others is their cannoli. Unlike a traditional cannoli, this is a flakey shell that is shaped like a seashell filled with a whipped cream based mixture. It is a natural to pair that with an Italian coffee drink. They also make their cannoli available with a chocolate filling.
Quite a few gelatos are available. Some I saw were lemon, passion fruit, blood orange, cappuccino and chocolate.
While it is not obvious, parking is available behind their building. They share a lot with the Green Street Auto Spa. As you walk from the parking lot, you enter a landscaped patio that is filled with tables and chairs. It’s an ideal place for a short business meeting.
Roman Aroma is definitely a hidden gem in the South Bay. If you don’t know about them, I encourage you to pay them a visit.
Roman Aroma 901 N. Catalina #100, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
www.romanaroma.com/