Milano’s Espresso Bar

Milano’s has decent food and coffee/​tea, as well as having good and fast service. A nice place to go for a quick sandwich or caffeine fix.

THREE AND A HALF STARS
From the ashes of a failed Starbucks, as the legend goes, rises, like a blazing Phoenix… a coffee shop… uurrrr, ‘espresso bar’. As soon as you walk in you are reminded of the essence of the Green Mermaid: similar tile work, pastry case with bottom freezer, similar lighting fixtures, a superfluous half wall to separate where you’re supposed to sit and where you’re supposed to stand in line, and warm tones of paint on the wall which welcome you as if you were at home. This place is brand spanking new, and I was surprised it was even on Unilocal until I saw that the first to review was my housemate. I have been waiting for something to open up in this spot for a while, since I moved into the neighborhood it’s been a mystery of suspense to see what would take the place of a Pike’s Place Plunder.
Bottom line: Coffee is $ 2.03 for 16oz, coming out to ONE cent cheaper than comparable coffee sizes at the Green Empire, They offer WiFi, plenty seating and wall outlets and they are not BLARING music so you can actually enjoy a quiet cup by yourself or with friends. They serve various foods which can now be expected in your average coffee joint: Panninis, muffins and various other pastries. Something different is that they offer Italian Soda, which was not offered at its predecessor. It’s fairly new so it’s empty. Bottom line, it’s a run of the mill coffee joint, nothing really spectacular, the tourists haven’t found it yet, and if they did, it’s kind of a far walk to the end of Waikiki, to grab a coffee.
The BAD: I go to a lot of coffee shops, so I have my criteria for them to get 5 Stars. Milano’s does not have many wall outlets, as I look around, there are only two — which means that as more people find out about this place and start walking it, if they see there is no place for them to plug in, they are not going to bother giving patronage (for example, Glazers Coffee). They may want to consider some surge protectors to allow more power to patrons. Milano’s does have plenty of seating, but I’m surprised it’s not more comfortable seating like a couch along that superfluous wall. The WiFi is free, but a mystery to find (their connection: 07B407503433) and it is a little shotty this morning (and by ‘shotty’, I mean slow), I am sure it’s just a minor thing though and no worries.
Now the main part, the coffee (regular drip, coffee of the day)… It’s good, but that’s about it, I mean it’s not THE BEST I have ever had, and I am not claiming to be a coffee expert or even a Barista, simply — the regular drip coffee is average. You will definitely still enjoy your stay while you’re here, talking with friends or working on your thesis. They offer a plethora of other coffee choices and Italian Sodas as well as teas and blended beverages — so maybe I could try something else on a later visit.
I don’t have a RECOMMENDATION, as I usually do. Right now, at its best Milano’s is a 3 and a half Stars. The only reason I would give this place another chance is because I live no more than a block away. If I had to drive to get here, I would probably locate a place with more wall outlets and more reliable internet. I know that judgment on a coffee shop shouldn’t be reliant on internet and wall outlets, but with a place that is nearly as average as the next, the only thing to break the tie is what else the location can offer. And in this day in age, Coffee and Internet go together like Rum and Coke (the soda), you rarely want one without the other.

This place just opened. The first thing I thought was «hotel coffee bar.» Looks like some of the ones I been to at many Westin hotels on the mainland.
There is a mahogany smell that lingers. Very simple and modern feel. It is the same layout as the old Starbucks, just reinvented.
My first order was a cappachino and s breakfast bagel. The coffee was strong but good. The sandwich was tasty and simple.
They plan to have some live acoutic music toward the evening. While I was there they were just using the radio for background noise. They might want to consider something else.
Looking around, I would also suggest some newspapers and other reading material.
All of the coffee equipment is new. As far as the menu, pretty much all your standard coffee drinks as well as Italian sodas.
I am sure I will be back.