Aura Coffee Roasters

Aura Coffee Roasters is on West Elizabeth Avenue in Linden, about 15 minutes from Newark airport. It's a calm room with simple décor and soft music, plenty of seating, solid wifi and lots of outlets. Street parking's easy, and the train station's close. Dogs can come in to order. Their site says they serve 100% Ethiopian freshly roasted beans.

They make their own maple and strawberry syrups. The Honey Lavender Iced Latte and the Love Potion 9 are the drinks to try, and the maple latte and matcha latte are everyday picks. For food, the tuna pesto panini is the one to know, the chipotle eggwich covers mornings, and the blueberry muffins are a good grab. Their site lists waffles, French toast, smoothies and cold brew too.

Regulars get greeted by name, and writers use it as a quiet place to work in the afternoons.