Allora Coffee & Bites: Jolt of Java (and More) at The Waypointe

With the likes of Barcelona Wine Bar, Colony Grill, and ramen newcomer Haruki all filling vacancies at The Waypointe in Central Norwalk, it’s only fitting that potential visitors have a place to get caffeinated, too.

Allora Coffee & Bites—located at the development’s Orchard Street side—can provide you with a pick me up in the form of a classic cup of an exclusive house blend, a refreshing and equally jolting cold brew, or a foamy vanilla latte, complete with a fancy leaf decoration, all super fresh and roasted weekly by Redding Roasters out of Bethel.

The idea for a simple menu of well-made coffee drinks came from the husband and wife team of Reid and Kim Steinberg. Allora, though, was derived from Kim’s background. Her dad was born in Italy. She studied abroad in Florence. And as it reads on their website, she has fond memories of the smell of espresso being prepared on the stove as a child, and her parents showed their hospitality by offering a cup of coffee to a neighbor, post dinner, at a gathering, and to one another.

The local theme continues! A focal point of Allora’s space—and your next coffee/Instagram post— is this mural created by Newtown artist Toni Miraldi of Mural Envy.

The Steinbergs wanted to bring that same warmth to their business, not only with fast, friendly service, but with a simple aesthetic design that’s inviting, and reminiscent of Italian coffee shops.

“We spent a year developing this idea and got a coffee consultation from Jake Leonti at F+B Therapy. Officially, we opened in January,” Reid says. “We’re Stamford residents, so we’ve been going to Lorca for a while. Our daughter even worked for Leyla at Lorca. We became so interested in the coffee business.”

Speaking of business, the Steinbergs have a few others. They own the F45 gyms in Stamford and the one in Norwalk that’s right next door to Allora. With the gym connection (and Kim is a certified personal trainer), it makes sense for Allora to have a handful of “health drinks.” A health chai latte, honey matcha latte, an extensive tea menu, and a mushroom mocha latte that provides an energy boost, are some of those options.

Manager/chef Manny Romano presenting prosciutto toast

But if you did want a cheat day bite, you can get that in the form of a spicy Italian sausage, egg, and fontina panini or a hunk of Flour Water Salt Bread’s crumb cake. “We have Flour Water Salt Bread’s sourdough for all our toasts, too,” Reid says. “We stalked Rob VanKeuren for a while. We’re both big fans of his stuff.”

Avocado toast with cilantro, fennel, raddish and lemon juice on Flour Water Salt Bread’s sourdough

As for the toasts, created by manager Manny Romano, expect fresh and seasonal. “In Italy, everything is seasonal,” Kim and Reid both explain. “We want you to taste every single ingredient, and let the ingredients speak for themselves. Think tomatoes in the peak of summer and homemade strawberry compote.”

Prospective java sippers and toast snackers should expect speedy service, too. Allora has had an online ordering system since they opened, making their COVID-19 pivot plan an easy one. “We built this place for online ordering anyway, via Toast, so it was a seamless transition at the height of quarantine,” says Kim. “Our idea from the start was to have quick service and a neighborhood feel.”

Allora Coffee & Bites
515 West Avenue (on Orchard Street); Norwalk
203.838.0045; www.alloracoffee.com