As a lowly, jobless college student whose parents don’t respond to my weekly pleas for cash as promptly as I’d like them to, the thought of lunch at a Georgetown café makes me think about my starving wallet rather than my grumbling stomach. So in January, when Puro Café opened on Wisconsin Ave. within sight of the not-so-cheap Café Bonaparte, I expected it wouldn’t become my new go-to for a coffee pick-me-up and croissant. And after visiting the European-inspired coffee house, my suspicions were confirmed.
According to its slogan, Puro Café prides itself on being “Natural. Simple. True.” While the modern, European-style interior certainly isn’t overly complex or intricate, its look is far from organic. The décor is almost entirely a vibrant shade of white, with two red, art-nouveau style crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The seating consists of low, square chairs, with small square tables of the same height, made from frosted glass perched on rather incongruous hunks of brown wood. While trance plays in the background, a large flat-screen television shows models strutting the runway in the latest European fashions.
As a café, one would think the star section of the menu would be the coffee selection. And Puro holds true to its moniker, offering the standard espresso and latte selections, with the only extraordinary item being the “Nutellino,” a Nutella-infused latte. While the coffee beverages are gratifying and impeccably prepared, one thing stands out as disappointing—perhaps mimicking the teeny tables and tiny chairs, the beverages are tragically small. A $3.25 macchiato is a mere shot of espresso with a small dollop of steamed milk on top, served in a white mug that looked straight out of Munchkin Land.
Maintaining its air of simplicity, Puro’s food menu boasts a small but sufficient selection of salads, paninis, flatbreads, and soup. The price, however, seems almost unnatural. The arugula, walnuts, and fig salad was refreshing and satisfying, and the portion size was perfect for lunchtime—for its $10.75 price tag. From the carnivore’s menu, the chicken panini was classic and conventional, but the tenderness of the chicken and delicious sourdough bread brought it far beyond the grilled chicken sandwich you’d find at any old restaurant. But once again, the sandwich’s taste was soured by its cost, which was upwards of thirteen dollars.
Aside from the cringe-worthy prices, the eating experience was hindered by the practical consequences of the restaurant’s minimalist furnishings. The small table could hardly accommodate the trays and glasses of two people. The very low height of the chairs and table made eating uncomfortable. The knee-high tables force anyone taller than five-foot to hunch over uncomfortably and awkwardly try to avoid kneeing the glass off its tree stump.
At the end of my meal, once I’d finished my thimbleful of coffee and my dining partner and I had polished off our shared dessert panini (basically a grilled berry sandwich, but surprisingly appetizing), Puro Café had made its mark on my well-being—my taste buds may have been happy, but proved no math for my achy shoulders and depressingly light pockets.
