Cafe Arazu

Cafe Arazu has been on my list to try to a while, so I was very excited to finally go!

The location is darling, I've only been to Newburgh a few times, but this strip of businesses is really charming. Cafe Arazu fits right in as the location of an old ice house (as noted by the plaque on the front of the building). The interior is stocked full of middle eastern flair including many handmade tapestries that are actually for sale. The vibe is relaxing, a bit exotic and easily lets you forget about where you actually are.

I know for sure I'll be coming back based on the atmosphere and location alone. There is a gorgeous patio with bistro lights facing the river that even in this cold weather made me want to sit there. This is probably a wonderful place to go with friends during the summer.

There is an extensive drinks menu with options including a pots of Moroccan mint tea, chai, caramel mocha, wines, fun cocktails and beer. We went for lunch are were excited by the menu; in retrospect I wish we could have tried a bit more. It was nice to see the number of vegetarian or veg-possible options on the menu.

I ate the portabella pesto and goat cheese wrap with french fries. The wrap was quite good and the best parts were the crisp lavosh bread and the extraordinarily fresh taste of the filling. The french fries with my meal were very standard, and  I'm not sure if these are made in house. I may opt for a different side in the future. The portion size was really perfect for me, but my dining partner felt like his portion left him a bit hungry by the end of the meal. He did, however, enjoy his gyro thoroughly!

We finished our meal with desserts including a homemade chocolate torte and baklava. The baklava was above average served at a nice temperature and still crisp! The torte had a great flavor and wasn't overwhelmingly chocolaty. I loved that the torte had such a range of textures, making it very fun to eat.

We went mid afternoon, so reservations were not needed. The service in general was just a bit slow, but I think it comes with the territory at this type of establishment. Due to this pace of service, I would recommend getting an appetizer to tide you over if you are very hungry.

Manna is still my favorite for a cheap bite, but the combination of the food and atmosphere at Cafe Arazu make it date-night worthy. Honestly, Cafe Arazu is in a category by itself.

Overall, a solid dining experience that has me looking forward to my next visit.

Just had  a very late lunch there today. Got there a little past 4pm and we were told we can only order from the lunch menu since dinner does not start until 5pm (no shish kabobs for me).  Got us some appetizers and gyros and wraps. They were OK but by no means special. Nice outdoor dining with view of the river. But their tables could really use some cleaning, its pretty bad if you have to keep flies away from food and drinks on your table. Service was OK.

Great food - nice selection of middle eastern classics and other more mainstream dishes, all done very well. The atmosphere inside is charming and uniquely decorated, and the outside seating area is large, nicely shaded and landscaped beautifully. They also have an amazing bar inside, rich wood and a great beer selection. Definitely the best place to eat in Newburgh!