Upon entering Zeleno Cafe, you are greeted with the strong smells of coffee and acai bowls. The cafe is full of bright pink and blue hues, and decorated with green leaves. Located on Connecticut Ave on Dupont Circle, the newly opened cafe will take you back to a California beach. 

The location of this cafe is perfect. After picking up your food you can head to DuPont’s center, to sit on a bench and enjoy your food. You could also grab a coffee and stroll around the neighborhood. 

Hopefully by this summer, in a post-COVID-19 world, I would recommend sitting indoors as the inside of the shop has the cutest seating that would serve as a great studying corner or reading nook. 

Zeleno Cafe serves a range of food, from smoothies and acai bowls to toasts and funky flavored lattes. The menu caters to everyone, with an array of vegan and vegetarian options.

Zeleno’s specialty is their “rainbow” acai bowls which can be layered with both overnight oats and chia seed pudding. I was pleasantly surprised with their rainbow bowl, topped with blueberries, bananas, strawberries and granola. 

The acai bowl was presented with bright fruit and an edible flower on top. The bowls are around $12 which is extremely pricy, however, they are a significantly larger portion than a regular acai bowl. 

One thing that was disappointing was their granola. The granola included an assortment of nuts and tasted very different from your general store-bought granola. It is an acquired taste, one that I did not enjoy. 

The presentation of the food is very pleasing to the eye, and all the workers are super sweet. 

Another interesting thing about their menu is their fun drinks. The drink that caught my eye was the Bibi drink. The Bibi drink resembles a latte, but beet flavored. Its bright pink hue matches the theme of the shop. 

In addition to their acai bowls and drinks, I thoroughly enjoyed their toasts. My favorite is the peach ricotta toast. This toast has the perfect balance of sweet and savory and pairs really well with the beet latte or a cup of cold brew. 

Zeleno is a great cafe to stop by for a quick snack or lunch if you happen to find yourself in Dupont Circle.