Fifth Vessel Coffee

Fifth Vessel Coffee basically functions as a chic extension of the UH Downtown campus. The small coffee shop has massive windows, high ceilings, warm wood and leather seats, and piles of books and dried flowers—more reminiscent of a painfully curated artist’s loft than a cafe. The coffee and snacks are pretty stylish, too. Specialty drinks like peach milk matcha lattes and chestnut syrup cortados and fun plates of whipped ricotta and smash berry toasts or croque madame sandwiches fill the menu. While the wifi is strong, there aren’t very many outlets. So, maybe writing an entire term paper or legal brief here last-minute isn’t the move, but a couple hours of clicking through emails over coffee might just feel like the chicest thing you’ve done all day.

photo credit: Richard Casteel