I was very impressed with the wide variety of pastries available. I've had both savory and sweet…read morepastry options and will say that I prefer the sweet ones (Apple turnover, danish) instead. The only savory option I enjoyed was the loaded hash brown which tasted great and was super filling. The vibes are cafeteria style self-serve combined with cafe style where you can sit and enjoy your items. I will say that it can be quite crowded in the morning so I'd recommend coming early if you're hoping to snag a spot to sit. The cashiers were very nice as well!

A gem located in a random shopping center in Alexandria, VA. Perfect to meet friends and colleagues…read moreright outside of 395. The pastries are amazing! Really fresh and very well presentation. The concept is that you grab a tray and tongs and select the pastries, sandwiches or bread and go to the cashier. Very efficient and the employees keep it very clean and organized. I love the croissants (super fresh!) and the croissant donut. Coffee is really good. The whole cakes and slices look and taste amazing. I haven't tried the bread, but they look delicious. The only reason I don't give a 5 review is that it's a little overprice, but worth it!

We dropped in for some coffee and desserts after a heavy lunch nearby. I'm so glad we found this…read moreplace! The decor is cute, service is great, and no complaints about drinks or desserts. I loved everything! Here's what we really enjoyed: * Magnolia Cream Crepe - I used to have this at a local Thai food festival and never found a place that served it till now. It comes with five crispy crepes that are folded like thin cookie cups, filled with a light cream. * mango sticky rice - tastes exactly as expected, sweet coconut cream sticky rice topped with ripe mangoes. * affogato Lots of pretty picturesque walls and decor for photo ops. The plate settings are pretty and dessert presentations, even down to the menu screams "take a photo"! So don't mind me that I took plenty! Even the bathroom is cool with their Dyson faucet and dryer.

Simple but splendid. The coffee was decent and could have been a bit smoother but great nonethelessread more

Friend and I went here for brunch and really enjoyed it…read more Between the two of us, we ordered: - a pumpkin pie latte - a veggie lover omelet - eggs florentine - coffee cake Everything we got was quite good, and the service/atmosphere was wonderful too. Not to mention, it felt so fairly-priced compared to most places in Old Town! We spent about $50 between the two of us, which included a 20% tip on our bill. Hard to beat in this area honestly, especially given the quality of the food and service. I look forward to coming back and am so glad to finally have an answer to "where do you recommend going for brunch in Old Town?" -- a question that I've historically struggled with when people asked!

We stopped into HomeGrown on King Street for breakfast while visiting Alexandria. First impressions…read morewere very positive--the restaurant is clean, modern, and has a welcoming atmosphere. The staff was friendly, and the menu had several items that sounded interesting. Unfortunately, the experience didn't quite live up to the setting. I ordered the biscuits and gravy, which came with eggs and breakfast potatoes. The meal itself was good, and I liked that the eggs were included since that's not always the case with biscuits and gravy. I also ordered a Bloody Mary that was advertised on the menu as being garnished with bacon, celery and a pickle spear. When it arrived, there was no bacon, celery or pickle spear, and I was told they were out. Not a huge deal, but it would have been nice to know before ordering. The biggest issue was service timing. There were four of us dining together, and three meals arrived while the fourth entrée didn't show up for about ten more minutes. Since nobody wanted to eat while one person sat without food, our meals cooled off while we waited. Ironically, the delayed meal was a BLT--which did have bacon on it and even a pickle spear.... I finished my first Bloody Mary and ordered a second. After waiting 15-20 minutes with no drink arriving, our check was brought to the table and I ended up canceling it. My wife's meal was the biggest disappointment. It was served with corn chips that were extremely stale, which really hurt the overall dish. HomeGrown has a lot of potential. The atmosphere is great, the staff was pleasant, and parts of the meal were enjoyable. However, between the service delays, missing menu items, stale chips, and drink issues, there is definitely room for improvement.

A beautiful cafe with a drink menu containing familiar and diverse items, a small and…read morestraightforward sandwich menu, and several tasty-looking desserts. The bathroom is clean and passcode-protected. The aesthetic is pretty and elegant. The man behind the counter was polite and patient, answering a couple of silly questions for me with a smile. They were out of most of their sandwiches when I happened to pop in, but despite settling for my 3rd choice on the menu, it was still a tasty, satisfying lunch. I am not close enough to visit frequently, but I would certainly come back here with friends.

I've been falling in love with the Alexandria, VA area, recently. Either I have been sleeping or…read moreits coming around. Either way I just found Lily's Chocolate & Coffee while venturing up and down King Street, and well with the help of Yelp because this was a plan to visit later in October. But, I decided my kiddos needed a treat. Located on a corner you walk into hues of pink, florals and the smell of chocolate and coffee. I became immediately distracted by the toppings and melted chocolate. But, when I snapped out of it, I was able to place my order. I opted for the Dubai chocolate inspiration over strawberries. If I remember correctly it was around $20 five or take. The cafe is so cute. It is small and if crowded be prepared to navigate that. There is bathrooms inside but, I do not know if it is for customers or not, as they were locked when we were there. The staff were just starting for the day. But they were helpful, kind and ready to roll. Once we received our order we sat down and dug right in. The strawberries were fresh, large and draped over in chocolate, pistachio cream and katifia. This is not my first time having Dubai chocolate or Dubai inspired chocolate. I thoroughly enjoy it over strawberries. There is just something about chocolate ad strawberries. Overall a wonderful place. I highly recommend visiting

Yum! Delicious gelato at Pitango Gelato & Coffee in Old Town Alexandria…read more We found Pitango on Yelp and are so glad we did. There was a small line, but it was well worth the wait! I tried a taste of one flavor but ended up getting a regular of Stracciatella & Chocolate Sorbet, a great combination.

Stopped by as I was walking to car and they have a best flavors. I sampled the cantaloupe flavor…read moreand it was so refreshing and gave me all the summer feels. I also tried the dark chocolate which didn't pair well with the cantaloupe but I would recommend it to someone that prefers less sweet flavors. It was a rich chocolate flavor. Service was good. The line wasn't too long at the time and I was taken care of quickly. There are chairs and tables to eat there. Pitango also has coffee which I've never tried but looked good.

Via Volcan has the best cup of black coffee in all DMV. I drive from Fairfax to Old Town and…read morealways stop for coffee. It should be served at the next Peace treaty.... The taste will make us all recognize we are all human...... and appreciate a great cup of coffee!! The barista is kind and friendly.

We were looking forward to our visit to Via Volcán to get a caffeine fix after having lunch in the…read morearea, and we decided to stop by. Unfortunately, whoever the individual was on shift today was just a total piss poor person - she seemed to have an issue with our party, as she automatically assumed we just came there to 'squat' without ordering anything (if you have been to this place before, there isn't much seating and this isn't where you'd want to sit for a bit anyway); when I called her out and stated that I already knew our party's orders, she backtracked. She then continued to make a snide comment on the number of drinks we were ordering - what's with the passive aggressiveness? I didn't know that there was some rule that each person was required to order something. Like, are you okay? I just had a bad feeling about all of this, and we should have just walked out instead of giving our money to support this business - to add to it all, the coffees that we did receive (latte with soy milk, and the mocha) were just poorly made and not strong at all; they were both watered down and bitter at the same time... come on! UGH, the regret, but it was a choice. Shame on you, Via Volcán! You might want to heavily reconsider who you employ and train them better - this individual is really hurting your business! What a miserable person. Street parking can be found in the area. +NASTY employee +watered down/bitter coffee +street parking in the area

Some of the best gelati we have ever had!…read more They let you get two flavors in a small! I got dark chocolate and cinnamon. My wife got stracciatella (vanilla with hardened chocolate fudge) and Caramel Toffee. This little, quiet, coffee and gelati shop was very unique with the setting and decor. Dogs are welcome! They server let us sample different gelati and was very informative of all of their flavors. He gave generous portions! We will definitely be back!

Quick take: At the end of the King Street pedestrian area…read more My go to gelato is Stracciatella. This scoop of Stracciatella was delicious! I wanted a second scoop. A very talented artist also drew a huge portrait of a Halloween witch. I would definitely recommend this spot after the walk up King Street.

One of the best espressos I have ever had! Also, also one of the most expensive espressos I've ever…read morehad at over five dollars. It seems unnecessarily expensive even accounting for its location.

Tried the cold decaf latte and it's delicious. I really like the ambience, it's clean and there's…read moreample seating around on a Sunday afternoon. Love that this NYC import is springing up around DMV area.

Talk about creative latte flavors! I can't imagine how/when I'll be able to try them all because…read morethey have what's posted on the regular menu and then the "off menu" staff creations and everything literally sounds great. The brew is strong; the staff are super friendly and helpful; and you've probably never had a latte like this before

I am suspect of all the very positive reviews. Too many things went wrong for me to thing that…read morethis was just an off day. I had coffee with an espresso shot and it was good. I was looking or a great breakfast sammy and this place was disappointing. It came up as the #3 of the list of "best breakfast sandwiches around me". Like Starbucks, the breakfast sammy are pre-made and heated. This doesn't qualify. The decor is sterile like a Starbucks got together with Coldstone and launched a Hawaiian coffee shop. The Coldstone reference is that employees "greet" people when they arrive and announce tips. They do it in a half-hearted manner like they are bothered. I'd be bothered too working hard and being forced to do inauthentic customer service. I had to wait 15 minutes for the coffee. I heard one of the employees apologizing to another customer. I would have appreciated him saying something like this to me, "we are shorthanded, can you wait 15 minutes for your coffee?" The barista was calling out customer names when she finished a drink. In my case, she left it in front of a guy who had a large order. It wasn't until he left that I waded over to find my unannounced coffee. Keep in mind that I like offbeat coffee shops that don't feel like a chain. I also have high standards when it come to breakfast sammy's.

Visited La Pluma on a sunny day, they have great outdoor seating and even better service! I really…read moreenjoyed the space and the latte, I also tried an empanada, it's not the best I've ever tried in the area, but it's not bad at all. I will definitely be back as the weather gets warmer, I would love to try more things off their menu! Highly recommend!

I'll definitely be back. This breakfast definitely hit the spot. The food was moderately seasoned,…read morebut I do enjoy how the individual items paired well together. I do wish the hot chocolate had a richer chocolate taste. The service wasn't bad. They were packed when we attended. But I don't recall waiting a substantial amount of time.