Cup near window

Most Princeton students seem to only go out to Nassau Street on special occasions. The locally owned restaurants are often pricey, and why go out to dinner in the first place when we have so much free food on campus? These concerns are certainly valid, and making regular ventures to Nassau Street can be a hassle or slowly siphon money out of your wallet.

However, one way to get off campus more often and study or talk with friends in a new and interesting place is to explore the various locally owned coffee shops around Princeton. You could spend the around the same amount of money as you would at Starbucks or on-campus cafés with all the perks of exploring a bit more outside the orange bubble.To give you the full range of options, I've taken it upon myself to nurture my already thriving caffeine addiction over the next few weeks and review some of my favorite venues. Today: Rojo's Roastery.

Exterior

Rojo's is easy to miss. Tucked in a little store between Thomas Sweet and the Bent Spoon in Palmer Square, countless Princetonians walk pass this gem of a coffee shop. When I walk into the store, the first things I appreciate are always the well-designed, contemporary interior and the whir of a high-end espresso machine.

Coffee?

In terms of espresso drinks, Rojo's baristas are very well-trained, and consequently this is probably the best coffee you might find on Nassau Street. You will not encounter the easy press-a-button espresso machines in this roastery. Rojo's espresso is pulled with care and lattes and cappuccinos are made with microfoam rather than with the typical dry foam (meaning the drinks have a smoother, richer texture). If you want plain coffee or tea they have both, but their strong-suit is definitely the pour-over coffee, if you’re willing to wait a few extra minutes of brewing time.

Brewing Details

The only downside of all these options is that Rojo's coffee is significantly more expensive than other coffee options on Nassau – but if you're willing to pay NYC prices for high quality coffee, Rojo's is the place to go.My personal recommendation is definitely one of the classic espresso drinks – as a freshman friend of mine put it, "the espresso is so good it's basically an insult to add milk to it."

Ambience?

The vibe of Rojo's is well-suited to its coffee: high-quality, minimalist, and vaguely European. There are only three small tables available to sit at and one long bar to stand at (reminiscent of an Italian espresso bar), and the interior design is contemporary and warm, with beautiful displays of quirky pour-over pots and espresso machines. Expect the baristas to be friendly and chat as they make your drink, especially if you come in during a slower time of the day. Generally, the store is fairly quiet with soft alternative music in the background. This makes Rojo's good for light studying, creative work, or talking with one or two friends.

Food?

I would not recommend going to Rojo's for the sole purpose of getting food, but if you want a sweet treat to accompany your drink it does have some very good options. Freshly baked muffins and cookies are sold, along with delicious dark chocolate, granola, and other such small bites. Still, coffee is clearly the focus of the store, so I'd say plan on going to Rojo's for some espresso, and maybe consider treating yourself to something sweet while you're there.

Menu

Amenities?

In my opinion, the only real downsides to Rojo's lie in its amenities (or lack thereof). They do not have wi-fi and there are no bathrooms (although they can point you to ones across the street). Also, at busy times of the day, there is very little seating. Moral of the story - Rojo's Roastery is not a coffee shop to spread out and study for hours, but a great place to go to get off campus with a friend or a good book.

Overall, in my opinion Rojo's Roastery sells the best coffee on Nassau Street. If you're looking to appreciate a high-quality espresso or explore a fun, tucked-away café in Princeton I wholeheartedly recommend it.

RATING:8/10

Doesn’t sound like your scene? No problem - reviews of other local coffee shops with more extensive study and food options are on their way!

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