Coterie Market is slowly becoming one of my favorite cafes in Gainesville. It’s cute, whimsical, and full of trinkets, but above all, it’s comforting. There’s something very down-to-earth about the cafe—with its unfinished walls, array of colors, and cozy interior – that feels very real and human, like it’s not trying to sell you a perfect package. I feel like I have to dress up for other shops, but Coterie Market will have me the way I am at any particular moment, and I can’t help but appreciate that.
Coterie Market also comes with a story. Founded by Kate Yeung and Braden Ramirez, this cafe is the product of their search for what cafes the world has to offer. Upon their return, they imbued all their findings into a cafe that truly feels timeless, where influences from all around the world can be seen in trinket selection, tasted in their menus, and felt in their space.
It’s also community-driven, I’m serious. Unlike other cafés that might make a vague effort at engagement to look good for 30 seconds in a reel, Coterie Market actually seeks to collaborate with the community. If you check out their Instagram, you’ll see they’re always doing something; whether it’s a cake potluck, trinket exchange, or arts and crafts night, Coterie Market is always hosting something for the community.
Enough about the vibe, I know what you’re really here for – the menu. The highlight of their menu is its creativity and classy choices. The February menu sported some really interesting drinks, the Strawberry Matcha, Ube Chai, Milo Dinosaur, and Watermelon Mint Lemonade. The pastry menu got an update as well, adding a strawberry cream croissant and pink M&M cookie.
I would’ve ordered the whole menu if I could, but alas, I am a broke college student, so here’s my thoughts on what I got. The strawberry matcha wasn’t my favorite compared to some of their other delicious drinks, but the ube chai was enjoyable. And the Milo Dinosaur, was very neat. I love food/drink items with names completely unrelated to their contents so that one really stuck out to me. It’s a take on a popular Singaporean beverage, like a chocolate malt, resulting in an elevated iced mocha. It’s got little chocolate malt crumbles on top, which I adore, with a thick, yummy layer of cold foam. It was certainly my favorite.
Moving onto the food, Coterie Market’s pastries are adorable. Ranging from cute croissant sandwiches, to tartlets and pretzels, the shop offers a respectably diverse and aesthetic food menu. While I’m quite the self-proclaimed pastry snob, I can comfortably say that everything I ate was enjoyable. I ordered their February editions, plus some staples, to get the fullest understanding.
My favorite was definitely the strawberry cream croissant. Light, but not too airy and rich, but not too sweet, the cream was tasty, and paired with the strawberries, it made a pretty picture. The runner up was their French onion brie puff pastry, which was a yummy mix of crunchy and cheesy. For a french onion tart, it held, and it was great to have such a filling, savory option on the menu to complement the sweets. The M&M cookie was a little too moist for me and the sugar pretzel was a bit too sweet, but these are just my opinions! I encourage you to try anything on the menu that sounds appetizing to you and come to your own conclusions.
So would I order from Coterie Market again? Yes, definitely.