Aromes

There’s much about Aromes that warrant applause, but some aspects may need a little tweaking.
Aromes’ menu is prix-​fixe at $ 45 for 3 courses and $ 65 for 6 courses. Though the items on the menu attempt to be descriptive, you probably won’t be able to imagine how it’ll be prepared until you see it. You can feel the chef’s careful and well thought out craft, and the ingenuity of each item’s preparation. Each of courses were well presented, were reasonable portions, used quality ingredients, and were dishes I’ve never experienced at any other high-​end restaurant. To top it off, the service was just immaculate.
We went with the 6 courses for $ 65. Upon finishing, I admit I was disappointed. There was only one course with protein, with four being vegetable-​based, and one dessert course. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the distribution here since I definitely appreciate vegetables. However, amidst the creativity of those four courses, I’d say only one was a memorable hit, and the other three were difficult for my date and I to finish as a result of the taste and maybe even the choice of the vegetable base. Dessert, again, was innovative, but was mostly bland. The protein (duck breast) dish as well as the one vegetable (jerusalem artichoke) dish were the lone bright spots. I think $ 65/​person is a reasonable price if only considering the quality of the chef’s work, but the resulting concoctions led me to believe it was a little too steep. I would probably be even more disappointed if I went with the 3 courses in case I had an unfortunate roll in the dice.

Go here for the uniqueness/​experience of the food, not for the ambience, service, or portion-​size.
First, the bad:
Paper napkins? Really? Paper? Geez.
Surrounded by brick walls and sitting on almost-​banquet chairs, it’s noisy and relatively uncomfortable.
Supposed-​to-​be-​hot food served tepid (bordering on cold). Supposed-​to-​be-​cold food served (almost) room temperature (melted).
The servers add little to the experience without being asked.
The good:
Crispy French radish with sea-​salted butter.
Interesting mini, vegetable taco.
Delicious (but tepid) broccoli «risotto» with curry.
Fishy-​tasting but unique doughnut with scallop flakes and wasabi cream.
Tasty monkfish with cauliflower and lovely eggplant sauce. (Although the fish-​portion was very small and the temperature of the food was almost cold.)
Best-​quality duck breast (unlike any duck I’ve ever had). Wonderful.
Very nice artichoke ice cream, apple, and small piece of French-​toasty bread.
At $ 65 (plus corkage fee … it’s BYOB), it’s a fair price. Not cheap but not over-​priced.
More on «the bad:»
It’s a relatively small restaurant (seats about 30 people) and the kitchen is right there. There’s no excuse that hot food should be tepid, bordering on cold. My monkfish and cauliflower were practically cold. And the ice cream (a whopping tablespoon!) was practically melted. An obvious lack of coordination between the chef and the servers. Moreover, the servers should describe the food as they serve it. Even though there was a printed menu, I had to ask for more details about the food … and would never have known, for example, that the filling in the seafood doughnut was a wasabi cream. In this kind of restaurant, it’s about the food!
More on «the good:»
Very unique menu. Interesting and varied flavors. Totally the type of food that you wouldn’t cook at home. Quality ingredients. And you can tell that the chef (also the owner) put a lot of thought and time into formulating (and cooking) the food combinations.

Won’t appeal to everyone but I’m very happy to have this charming addition as an option for dinner. Plates are inventive and flavorful with beautiful presentation and service is friendly and on point. BYO is another plus. Unassuming space on a quiet block. We didn’t love all 6 courses but were impressed by most. Definitely will be back to experience it again as the menu changes weekly. The chef is talented for sure and there is no place quite like this in Baltimore.

Seriously interesting and tasty. I adore the rustic, earthy, creative yet highly refined approach. Stellar service and great folks in the kitchen too. Go with an open mind and a few bottles of wine!

What a great evening and meal. Wonderful, friendly service and divine food. Some really interesting ingredients and flavors. I highly recommend to my foodie friends and fellow adventurous eaters. The interior is very charming and homey, yet sophisticated.

Our excellent experience started with a midweek call to ask if the restaurant was kid-​friendly. I believe I spoke with the chef (based on the French accent alone), and was assured that not only was I welcome to bring my kid in, he would make her something off-​menu if need be. We made a reservation online and requested an extra chair for the baby’s car seat, and our request was graciously granted. Despite this remarkable hospitality, I wouldn’t recommend taking kids (unless they will sleep through the meal as our newborn did): the food is complex and deserving of attention, not the rushed type of meal we typically have when our toddler is along, and kids will struggle with the pace.
The food was inventive and delicious. Highlights of the meal included a scallop chip, corn, and pistachio miso dish and a phenomenal miso crème brûlée, generously offered by the chef. Each plate of the fixed menu exceeded our expectations, and the six courses constituted a nicely portioned meal.
Service was casual but attentive without being intrusive. We poured our own water and wine (my preference), but it was clear our table was monitored, and dirty plates did not sit for more than a moment or two. The pacing of the meal was relaxed without dragging.
I would highly recommend Aromes as a great option for an intimate dinner.

Finally had the opportunity to dine here tonight and was floored by essentially every one of the six courses.
The thoughtful incorporation of unconventional ingredients with a flair for unique preparations and textures defines every dish. One feat of textural wizardry involved flash fried scallop chicaronnes. Another creative plate combined braised lamb tongue served in a crêpe made from sweet milk skin. This restaurant easily sets itself apart from other restaurants in the city. The most inspired cuisine Baltimore has to offer and my new favorite.

The food here is phenomenal. The texture and flavor is very unique and it’ll be hard to find a place in MD/​VA area that can match its unique flavor.
The portions are small. The very welcoming friendly waiter will explained it to you and you are there. It’s European style cuisine. The three course… I don’t know they even offer it. It leaves them open for bad reviews for those who will leave there starving. JUST GET THE 6 COURSE.
It would have been a 5 star review if they had two more course of the same portions and just charged more. I think people spending $ 65 for dinner will cough up $ 20 – 30 more for a little more food.
Overall great addition to the Baltimore food scene.
BYOB. Awesome.

We came here late eve in the middle of the week. Even though there were two tables, one larger group of 6 and one three top, the noise level was EXTREMELY LOUD for such a small amount of ppl. We almost considered leaving just as we sat down. We both had the 3 course. The food was great and my husband in particular really like their nouveau cuisine concept. The plating could have been better. Maybe it was because it was late? We want to come back and do the six courses next time but please fix your noise issues. It was crazy loud which did not make for good ambience for a couple dining out since we had to shout to hear each other over other patrons.

This is one of those places that you just have to go to for the experience. It was wonderful. The 6 course menu is a must, because the plates are delicate. I’m no foodie, just love eating, but everything was impeccable. We went early in the evening because my husband and I had the afternoon off from work and it was delightfully quiet and service was phenomenal. Sometimes when you’re one of only a few tables, service can be imposing, but this was not the case here, even with delivering 6 courses. The chef was experimenting with some ice cream and we got an extra dessert. I loved it! A wonderful experience. Very Top Chef without any pretension. Awesome.

Aromes is a delightful new dining experience in Baltimore. Offering fresh, locally sourced food combined to accentuate interesting flavors and textures– and beautifully presented. Portion size allows you to enjoy a variety of tastes over 6 courses .
This restaurant reminds me of Rupert’s in DC in all the best ways.
Bring your own wine– check in advance for the weekly menu for pairings.
Great to have this in Baltimore!

An interesting add to what’s quickly becoming a food hub for the city. Eclectic but still rough around the edges is how I would describe the establishment. Possibly 3 ½ stars would be more accurate at this time, but I’ll settle for a 4 star rating right now as the hits far outnumber the misses.
As everyone says, go with the 6 courses unless you eat like a bird and enjoy watching other people find a divine treasure that you may have missed. The food presentation is exceptional all the way around. The menu changes nightly which I imagine would keep frequent customers coming back. It’s new so there are still a few kinks to iron out, and honestly it is expensive. $ 65 for 6 courses sounds reasonable, but add in the $ 5/​bottle corkage fee, and well I expected a little more for $ 150 (before tip). The restaurant is a bit minimalist which on some level I found nice if not chic, but the kitchen’s bright white light provided an annoying contrast which seemed to be more of a distraction that took away from the cooling color tones and softer lighting of the rest of the place. There was music being played out of an iPod speaker placed in front of the kitchen. Rarely could you hear maybe because the place was a bit noisy, or maybe because well it was an iPod docking station trying to fill a crowded room! The service was good possibly one could argue very good but I feel like that is a stretch since you really did not have a dedicated server. I know it is BYOB and all, but that doesn’t mean I should have to pour the wine at our table. In addition, the menu is intricate so spending a minute, without the patron asking, to go through it top to bottom certainly would have been nice. As the meal went on, we actually had 3 different servers. I guess this improves efficiency but again a bit of a distraction and you don’t develop a rapport with your server. My last knock on the place was the cutlery. The knives are a bit dull and made cutting the food particularly the asparagus burdensome.
On to the food, after all we were there to eat. As others have said, the chef has a way of mingling flavors while creating both artful and delicious plates. On our night there, the soon to be Mrs. and I began our meal with white asparagus that was pretty and in comparison to other dishes, really just okay. The mushroom and celeriac ravioli was second. This was outstanding, incredible, delectable, fabulous, and believe it or not, it wasn’t the best dish we had on the night. The ravioli was delicate yet ever-​so-​slightly firm. They were swimming in a coffee froth that gave the slightest hint of garlic. This created a dish that was both light and aromatic yet bordered on comfort food. Such a dichotomy in food is rare to achieve. Salmon with lemon verbena and wild lettuce was the next dish to appear. Again, this was good but not great especially in comparison. With the subtle flavors of the complimenting sauces were completely overshadowed by the somewhat fishy flavor of the salmon. The fish was incredibly fresh and perfectly cooked, but the skin was left on and the flavor overpowered the rest of the dish. Fourth in line was the potato nest with dulse ice cream, bottargo, and lime ash: a home run! The savory ice cream rested on top of the neatly nested grouping of shredded potatoes. The bottarga and lime ash rounded out this incredible treat. Finally duck with five spices, parsnip, and maitake, this was another culinary delight. I find parsnip particularly in purée form to be highly underrated and underutilized. The soon to be Mrs. thinks me crazy, and well she is right but not on this! It was a binding agent which bridged a wonderful gap without having to reintroduce the potato in another form after just having eaten one in the previous dish. Thoughtful and inventive with an authentic Cantonese influence, this was the most substantive of the plates we enjoyed. The crème de la crème was literally the crème… fraiche panna cotta, caramel and Ossetra caviar desert. Yup that’s right, caviar and it made the desert! I’ve never been a huge fan of caviar on its own so I’m probably not the best judge of its overall quality but this desert was simply amazing. I would order this if it was a menu staple every time I visited, it was that good. Really I can’t write any more about this because describing it makes me sad it is not in front of me right now. Seriously, one of the best deserts I’ve ever eaten and I’m kind of a fatty so there.
Final Thoughts:
Ambiance: *** good but still room for a few improvements
Service: **** even though we had to pour our own wine, I liked our main server so I’m rounding up
Food: ***** 2 solid plates, 1 very good, and 3 exceptional dishes
Value: *** really not a tremendous value by any stretch-​delicious but a bit pricey especially for a BYOB in rowhome.

Overview: One of the best dinners I have ever had in Baltimore. Every dish was thoughtfully crafted and perfectly executed. The chef’s passion for cooking truly translated into his dishes. French influenced, but with elements from all over the world and several whimsical elements that nod towards molecular gastronomy.
Drinks: BYOB so be sure to bring a nice bottle of wine, champagne or beer.
Dinner: You can select a 3 course option and chose 3 of the 6 dishes on the menu or go for the full Monty (all 6 dishes). Word of advice — GET ALL 6. The menu changes weekly, but I feel obligated to touch on each dish in case they end up in a more regular rotation.
First course: Kale chips with smoked kale purée and vinegar dust. Perfect amount of earthiness, smoke and loved the tartness from the inventive vinegar dust.
Second: One of my favorites — the white asparagus served that were lightly charred and cooked to perfection.
Third: Beef tartar, which had been slightly seared so not totally raw like the traditional french preparation (served alongside a delightful horseradish snow and some lemon dressing).
Fourth: Sweet potato pancake with kelp purée and bottarga. I was truly looking forward to the sweet potato pancake with bottarga, but I’m not entirely sure the sweet potato was the best vehicle for its strong companion. If I had to knock one dish, this one would be it, but it was still delicious.
Fifth: Filet mignon with a carrot purée, roasted carrots and a marrow custard. The filet was cooked to perfection — you could cut this with a butter knife and the custard was insanely good. The carrot purée might have been a bit overboard (too much soft textured items on one dish).
Sixth/​Dessert: A Jewish artichoke icecream with a caramelized yogurt crumb crumb topping. MINDBLOWN. It may sound a tad off putting, but don’t let the name deceive you. I’ve had Jewish artichokes in Rome and this icecream took me back across the Atlantic. The yogurt crumb was a bit too bitter for my liking.
Overall: You may puzzle over the name of the restaurant — Aromes — which is french for Aroma; However, you won’t be confused as to why this place deserves 5 stars.

My husband and I had a very nice time at Aromes with their 6 course menu. I teetered between a 3 star and 4 star because of a few issues but I felt that the chef’s excellent technique was not something to be dismissed.
Each dish was very lovely and unique in it’s own right. For me the best dish was desert because it was probably the most bold and original in flavor. If anything I felt that each dish was TOO subtle but perhaps that is because I tend to enjoy bold flavors.
Each plate was bold in design, technique, and construct but not necessarily flavor. For example, our 4^th dish was a frozen monkfish liver which I thought had the potential to be really fun but honestly I couldn’t taste the monkfish at all. The dish was overwhelmed by the buttery crust underneath.
I also wish that service would talk about each dish in detail when they bring it out. If we had a question the staff were VERY knowledgeable but I felt that I had to probe about everything. I think it would have made a big difference to the feel of the evening had everyone delivering a dish discussed it at the time.
I am definitely interested in returning at some point but I wasn’t overly wow-​ed. I think Aromes is succeeding at what it is trying to do but that might not be what I was in the mood for last night.

What a fabulous dining experience we enjoyed here tonight! Every course was delicious, creative, and appealing to all the senses. As others have posted here, go with the six-​course option; it is really worth trying everything the chef has to offer. I can’t pick a favorite dish, but would call out the oysters, the gnocchi, and the cucumber and vanilla ice cream dessert as especially memorable. It is BYOB, which is fine though I had to run across the street to buy a bottle of wine once I realized they don’t have a liquor license. One modest suggestion – shielding the harsh lights from the kitchen would improve the ambience of the dining area.
Aromes is a wonderful addition to the Hampden, and Baltimore, dining scene. We are fortunate to have a restaurant and chef of this caliber in our backyard.

I’m giving this place 3 stars right now, but I see all the beginnings of an amazing 5 star restaurant in place. I’m being very critical in my review, but only because it’s such an ambitious restaurant. I know I’m nitpicking.
My friend and I ordered the full 6 dish course, but first came out bread with seaweed butter to start. And let me just say presentation is impeccable here. Every course was beautiful when it came out– even the bread. However, the seaweed butter didn’t taste like much of anything– not even butter– and the texture of the bread was a little soft for me.
First course was a beet/​plum dish– slightly under seasoned, so a bit bland.
Second course was a sweet potato dish that was one of the highlights of the dinner. Perfectly balanced with peppers, parmesan, and brown butter. Great mix of savory with a little sweet.
The carrot soup dish was also under seasoned– there was even a pile of dried sage (or thyme, I can’t remember) that one could incorporate as much or as little as wanted– I incorporated the whole thing and still couldn’t really taste any herbaciousness.
The scallop chicharrones were the big underwhelming dish of the night with little puff potatoes that added nothing to the dish. A fantastic concept, but in execution just tasted like an elevated fried fish jerky with these potato air pockets.
The beef short ribs were cooked to perfection– barely needed a knife, perfect amount of fat content. The dish was delicious, however if you ate the beef by itself, again, no real flavor which is disappointing especially when it seems like such an excellent, well-​prepared cut of meat. Definitely leaned heavily on the oyster sauce in that one.
The dessert was a dulse panna cotta with beet root granite and lemon curd– and it was amazing. There was this great umami flavor coming from the panna cotta that played off the sweet of the granita with the tartness of the lemon curd really well. I could have easily had a second and third helping and was my favorite course of the evening.
All in all– I think this place is really going to do well eventually– I think the flavors could be bolder in general (though total disclosure– French food is not my favorite style in the first place), the dishes aren’t all quite there, but the ones that are are stellar and you have to give them props for doing such a local/​fresh menu with perhaps the best presentation style in Baltimore. And for $ 65 a person, I think it’s extremely reasonable. Baltimore needs more places like this, I really want to see this place do well, will probably be back in a month or two to see how they’re doing.

My advice — give this place a while to figure it out before coming. First off, don’t pay attention to the menu they have on their website, it’s not what you will see when you arrive. I’m fine with that, and prefer restaurants with changing menus. However, if you only have the option to pick 3 courses, or six courses from a menu that only has six options the website should state that and update the menu daily. Your two options are 3 courses for $ 45, or 6 courses for $ 65. The menu is so limited, that we thought it must have just been for restaurant week. nope that’s the menu.
The only «substantial» course (this is a word our waiter used to describe it as well) was beef. Luckily we all eat beef and were able to get a larger dish with our courses.
We rolled with it, thinking «everything we get is going to be amazing.»
Each dish was bland and very small. The flavors sometimes worked but the dish was never balanced. The onion broth and vanilla bean literally tasted like a dessert. Everything needed contrasting flavors and salt! I did not eat the oysters, but the person next to me said it was one of the worst oysters of his life and too salty. The substantial beef plate was the most tastey, but still not worth the overall experience.
It’s BYOB which i love. But they did not chill our white wine, and left it on the end of the table. They also did not offer glasses for beer. At the end of the meal we watched both servers polish spoons for about 10 minutes while we sat there with no food, and out of booze. We ended up leaving and going to get late night fries at Corner because we were STILL hungry (including those who had all six courses).
A few of us were very excited to try the new French restaurant, and were very disappointed with most everything. We eat out about everywhere and definitely didnt think that this was just «different» or «ambitious». The way I see it, is if you are having me pay $ 15 for two bites of food, when in a competitive dining neighborhood like Hampden (Corner and Grano are very close.) … then the flavors better work. Hope they figure it out

Review to follow — just posting photos for now.

Aromes is by far the most ambitious restaurant in Baltimore. The chef, Steve Monnier is a complete master. You can choose from the three-​course or six-​course tasting menu. I highly recommend the six-​course. Each dish is artfully prepared. Monnier clearly tests each dish to make sure it’s perfect. My favorite of the evening was scallop chicharonnes over risotto with an old-​bay mayonnaise.
Although Monnier is French, this food is new American. He uses local ingredients and does do some elaborate molecular gastronomy although it’s not flashy or overdone. His sensibility is highly refined. Each dish balanced and impeccably prepared. Although our tasting menu did not include any meat, the meal was not at all lacking.
I think the biggest difference between what Monnier is doing and what Bryan Voltaggio tries to do is elegance. I feel like Voltaggio and many new American male chefs think about dominating food. Their masculine approach to cooking seems to be about bending food to one’s will. Monnier allows each ingredient to express itself in the way it has always wanted.
I could not have been more satisfied with our meal at Aromes. The service was impeccable. Our server, Gille served the food proudly. It was clear he had played a role in its creation. After our meal, we were offered their homemade digestif, a gin infused delight. They aren’t interested in turnover but rather ensuring that their diners have an unforgettable eating experience.
My one suggestion to readers would be to go before you have to make a reservation a month out.
And to top it all off, it’s BYOB.

Without question this is the most ambitious restaurant in Baltimore. The real deal. The question is whether Baltimore will support it. The chef is a talented, experienced young Frenchman who moved from a longstanding position in Los Angeles to be close to his wife’s family. His food is extremely refined and nuanced. His palate tends toward a simple purity and long, unfolding finish. The person in the region who cooks with the same accomplishment is Brian Voltaggio, but Brian’s food is more in-​your-​face than this.
The stand out of our meal was the scallop chicharrones over risotto. Large scallops are dried, then pounded, then flash fried so that they amazingly resemble fried pork skin. They are draped over a simple risotto of rice, cream, and butter. All of the food feels original and completely accomplished.
It’s hard to say, however, that this was better than the fresh oyster topped with a foam of green apple and sorrel.
Aromes is byob which is, of course, a blessing. If you haven’t been I would suggest coming with a full but poised French white or a relatively light-​bodied French red. Burgundy, Champagne, Loire are good matches for the food. (The chef is originally from Champagne.)
Aromes prefers that you order a five course tasting menu for $ 65. This food should be approached with appreciation that someone of this talent has chosen to land in Baltimore. It is an enjoyable and wonderful meal. As of now, it is lacking in any of the compromises restaurants make to survive in this conservative town. Let’s hope it continues and raises the level of food appreciation in this city.