Cafés offer caffeine jolts, study breaks

Tea & Poets, inside Sunset Place, offers a full-service tea and coffee bar along with plenty of space to study or meet up with friends. Hallee Meltzer // Photo Editor
Tea & Poets, inside Sunset Place, offers a full-service tea and coffee bar along with plenty of space to study or meet up with friends. Hallee Meltzer // Photo Editor
Tea & Poets, inside Sunset Place, offers a full-service tea and coffee bar along with plenty of space to study or meet up with friends. Hallee Meltzer // Photo Editor

Miami has experienced a coffee boom since the opening of Panther Coffee in 2011. With cafes springing up across the city, there are dozens of potential study spots just a short walk or drive from UM. Over the summer, several newcomers made their mark on the scene.

Check out these up-and-coming establishments for your caffeine fix before they’re on everyone else’s radar!

Only a few minutes away from campus is Tea & Poets (5701 Sunset Drive #126), which moved into the former Delia’s storefront in Sunset Place in July. The shop features a full-service tea and coffee bar, including specialty blends and daily specials, and it’s also home to an artisan craft market of local vendors. Free Wi-Fi and ample seating makes this a great spot for a day of studying; but if you’re looking to procrastinate, Tea & Poets hosts frequent events, like charity yoga, open mics and paint nights, all of which offer a break from schoolwork.

Adventurous coffee lovers should seek out All Day (1035 N. Miami Ave.) in downtown Miami. This hipster haven, founded by a Panther Coffee alumna Camila Ramos, has a contemporary, minimalist aesthetic with hanging branches for decoration and the coffee menu displayed in green neon. This menu features not only trendy staples like cold brew but also nitrogen-infused coffee, “royal tea” made from dried coffee fruit and a seasonal specialty – currently a rosemary limeade cold brew. As the name implies, breakfast is always served, so enjoy tres leches French toast, a sandwich with house-made pastrami or a skillet of baked eggs while you catch up on reading for class.

White Star Cafe is a quiet place to study and snack, featuring a selection of organic, gluten-free and non-GMO foods. Evelyn Choi // Staff Photographer
White Star Cafe is a quiet place to study and snack, featuring a selection of organic, gluten-free and non-GMO foods. Evelyn Choi // Staff Photographer

Another new arrival to Sunset, White Star Cafe (8755 Sunset Drive), should appeal to Canes with dietary restrictions. Fuel your studies with its extensive selection of gluten-free desserts or with heartier fare made with an emphasis on organic, non-GMO ingredients. Even the coffee is fair trade, and lattes can be made with a variety of dairy-free milk options.

A bonus option for tea lovers, Miami institution JoJo Tea has opened a tasting room just outside Little Havana (951 SW. 42nd Ave., Suite 305). On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, it hosts 90-minute tea tastings, taking visitors through a variety of flavors and the stories behind their harvests. Make a reservation, and de-stress after all your hard work.