Yemeni coffee, poured properly.
Single-origin Yemeni beans, cardamom and ginger the way they are meant to be used, and a matcha bar that has become its own reason to come.
Coffee with an address.
Yemen is where coffee was first cultivated for drinking, and the beans still taste like nowhere else: winey, fruit-forward, and heavy in the cup. Arwa builds its menu around that rather than hiding it. The Sampler exists so you can taste four preparations side by side and find out which one is yours, which is a better introduction than any description on a board.
The matcha bar nobody expected.
Date, pistachio, banana, strawberry, mango, Biscoff. What started as a couple of options turned into half the reason people drive over, and the cold-foam builds are the ones that get photographed. They are made the same way as the coffee: to order, one at a time, no pre-batching.
Find us on North 56th Street.
Arwa is at 8633 N 56th St in Temple Terrace, minutes from USF and the University area, and a short drive from Tampa, Thonotosassa and Mango. Sit in with a pot, or call ahead on (863) 202-6710 and take it with you.
“Coffee was first drunk in Yemen. We would rather serve it that way than explain it.”
You asked, we answered.
What makes Yemeni coffee different?
Yemen is where coffee was first cultivated for drinking, and the beans are still grown on terraces at altitude and dried whole in the sun. The cup comes out fruity and winey with a heavy body, quite unlike the clean, bright profile most American cafes pour. Arwa builds its menu around that rather than smoothing it out.
What is the Sampler?
Four different preparations on a branded flight board, poured side by side so you can taste the range in one sitting. It is $15 and it is the fastest way to work out which Arwa drink is yours.
What is Khaliat Alnahl?
Honey comb: a tray of soft pull-apart buns, each one filled and glazed with honey, named for the beehive shape they bake into. Arwa makes them in house and they sell out most days.
Is there a matcha menu?
A large one, and it is half the reason people make the drive. Date, pistachio, banana, strawberry, mango and Biscoff all have their own build, several finished with cold foam. Every one is made when you ask for it, never pre-batched.
Can I buy the beans to take home?
Yes. Arwa sells its own coffee by the bag, along with the branded glasses and the flight board, so the setup you had in the shop is one you can put on your own counter.
Yemeni coffee, made to order.
Coffee, matcha and fresh pastries in Temple Terrace.