Tête-à-Tête Cafeteria opens in Rockville Centre

Mariia Rahmani had recently moved her insurance business from Brooklyn to Nassau County and was looking for something very specific in Rockville Centre.

"I was looking for a place to meet clients near my house," she said. "Somewhere quiet where we could sit, talk, have a cup of coffee and a pastry."

When she failed to find such a place, she decided to create her own. Tête-à-Tête Cafeteria, a chic little spot with four tables and counter seating, opened in August. The decor, midnight blue with gold and wood accents, manages to be professional and whimsical, and the menu has something for everyone, while steering clear of cafe cliches.

All the coffee drinks here are made with beans from East Coast Roast in Island Park. Beyond the basics (drip, espresso, cappuccino, latte, cortado, flat white, Americano), Rahmani has created six specialty drinks ($6.50 to $7.50) that stop short of overkill — such as espresso with pistachio cream, iced latte with lavender.

Having emigrated from Ukraine when she was 18, she is a dedicated world traveler and is always looking for caffeination inspiration, hence the Spanish Iced Latte (featuring steamed milk and condensed milk) and the Mont Blanc (cold brew topped with foam and orange zest) which she picked up in Australia. The Raf (espresso with cream, vanilla, orange and sweet spices) was a beverage she used to enjoy in Ukraine. Tea drinks (such as the apple-elderflower Garden Moment) are made with Ahmad Tea from London.

Pastries — from croissants and kouign-amanns to cupcakes and cheesecake — are from Le Petit Paris in Queens. The tight savory menu ($12 to $15) includes avocado toast; filled croissants; mozzarella, tomatoes and pesto on rosemary focaccia and a dainty sandwich of roast beef, Gruyère and whole-grain mustard.

An avowed Francophile, Rahmani gave her cafe a French name: "Tête à tête" describes an intimate conversation between two people (it literally means "head to head"). And on one wall is a representation of the prince from the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry novella "Le Petit Prince" (some of which was written in 1942 at the Delamater-Bevin Mansion in the North Shore village of Asharoken)

Rahmani said her insurance business is largely handled by her agents and that, at least for the time being, she is spending most of her time establishing the new venture. In other words, she’s got virtually no time to meet clients in a chic, intimate cafe. But when she does, she’ll know just the spot.

Tête-à-Tête Cafeteria, 239 Sunrise Hwy., Rockville Centre, 516-724-8804, tete-a-tete-cafe.com. Open Monday to Wednesday 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday and Friday 5:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday 7 a.m. to midnight, Sunday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.