Manhattan

Roja Dove does not do minimalism. Manhattan, the 2022 Eau de Parfum from Roja Parfums, carries over twenty listed ingredients and wears every one of them. It is an oriental spicy composition that channels the tobacco-vanilla-spice category but takes a different route than the fragrances it is most often compared to. The Manhattan price in Bangladesh through Aromatica starts at 1,215 BDT for a 3ml decant.

Fragrance Notes

Top: Lavender, Basil, Bergamot

Heart: Coconut, Heliotrope, May Rose, Violet, Jasmine

Base: Tobacco, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Clove, Pine, Benzoin, Vetiver, Ginger, Patchouli, Cedar, Pink Pepper, Musk, Oakmoss

The Scent

The opening is brighter and more aromatic than you would expect from a tobacco fragrance. Bergamot and lavender lead, with basil adding a green, slightly herbal lift that feels almost fougere-adjacent for the first few minutes. This top is clean and confident, setting up a contrast with the warmer, darker notes waiting below. As the heart develops, the coconut and heliotrope become the defining pair. Coconut here does not smell tropical or beachy. It acts as a smoothing agent, adding a creamy, almost white-chocolate texture that wraps around the florals and makes everything feel rounder. Heliotrope amplifies this with its own powdery, almond-like sweetness. Rose and jasmine are present but subdued, lending a floral depth that stops the heart from reading purely gourmand. The base is where Manhattan separates itself from Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, the fragrance it draws the most comparisons to. Where Tobacco Vanille sits heavy, dark, and close, Manhattan is airier, more powdery, and more complex in its dry-down. The tobacco is smooth and pipe-like rather than sharp. Vanilla provides sweetness but shares space with benzoin's balsamic warmth and pine's unexpected green-resinous edge. That pine note is unusual in this genre, and multiple reviewers singled it out as the detail that makes Manhattan's dry-down feel distinct. Cedar, vetiver, and oakmoss structure the finish with a woody-earthy frame. Cinnamon, clove, ginger, and pink pepper thread through the entire composition as supporting spices rather than focal points. They add warmth and gentle bite without ever making the fragrance feel hot or aggressive. One Fragrantica reviewer described the overall effect as sitting in a 1920s Manhattan cocktail lounge: smoky, warm, sophisticated, with just enough sweetness to keep you comfortable. Longevity is strong at 8+ hours, though projection settles to a moderate skin scent after the first hour or two. This is a fragrance that rewards proximity. Compared to Enigma, Manhattan is less dense. Compared to Herod, it is sweeter and more powdery. It occupies its own space within the tobacco-vanilla-spice family, and for a Roja fragrance, the EDP concentration makes it one of the more accessible entry points to the house.

When to Wear

Fall and winter, evenings. Cocktail bars, dinners, formal events where warmth and sophistication read well. The moderate projection after the initial hour makes it wearable in closer settings too. Explore the Spices collection at Aromatica for more in this territory.

Who Is It For

Someone who enjoys tobacco-vanilla fragrances but wants something more polished and airy than Tobacco Vanille. If you find TF's version too heavy or cloying, Manhattan is the refined alternative.

If you enjoy the tobacco-vanilla genre, Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille is the most direct comparison and worth testing side by side. Browse the full Roja Parfums collection at Aromatica.

Available as an authentic decant in Bangladesh at Aromatica in 3ml, 5ml, 9ml, and 15ml.