Caffe Driade: a coffee break with a view

If you’re like me and almost every other student at UNC, you are sleep-deprived, hungry and on the verge of crying about literally anything. It really doesn’t take much to set us off, and everyone is looking for an excuse to take a break. 

This beautiful time of the year, as we all know, is run by midterms.

So, this week I took it upon myself to waste time finding the best place for everyone to get away from all of the chaos on campus, drink some coffee and relax. I looked up and down Franklin Street and neighboring areas to try to find a place that is special, local and accessible to students.

That’s when I came across Caffe Driade. 

This quiet humble cafe is a close five-minute drive from campus, and if you have a car, this is the perfect place to meet up with a friend or get some quiet textbook reading done. 

Lydia Tolley, a junior political science and public relations major who also writes for The Daily Tar Heel, summed up my feelings about Caffe Driade's distance. 

"I would drive off campus, I don't mind," she said.

It’s also a manageable 25-minute walk from campus, which provides the perfect time for a study break to clear your mind, maybe talk with friends or call your parents (or ex-boyfriend) and tell them you love them. 

OK, maybe not your ex; sleep deprivation is creating bad ideas — sorry guys.

If none of those options sound appealing, you can just enjoy walking in the nice weather that we have left while you can.

Anyways, back to my little coffee shop find. 

The interior of Caffe Driade is small, but what you really are going for is the spacious outside patios, their amazing coffee and delicious pastries. This is what makes this place so special. 

The patio surrounds the small shop and has plenty of shaded tables for you to choose from. All of this is submerged in nature surrounded by trees, and it really takes very little for one to relax and get your #zenvibes here.

The coffee is handmade for every customer and is roasted locally, which means that the coffee is going to be strong and super fresh. The beans come from Carrboro Coffee Roasters, which means you’re supporting local small businesses (yay!). In addition, the coffee cups are big, not some unfulfilling 12 oz. cup. The coffees come with cute foam designs on top, which you can totally Instagram while #studying and make all your other friends jealous. 

If coffee isn’t your thing, don’t worry! They have over 25 tea options to choose from, including black, green, white or oolong tea.

Lastly, if you’re just as hungry as me all the time, you can raid and eat their great pastries, because they’re absolutely divine and also come from another local shop — the Sweet Little Something patisserie. I personally recommend the chocolate croissant because who doesn’t like chocolate croissants?! They really are amazing. 

Go and make the trip down East Franklin Street and visit Caffe Driade.

I promise you, you won’t regret it.

swerve@dailytarheel.com