The road was rocky, but the destination was worth it.

During any season, a fun drink is a must, but the same old order at Starbucks and Dunkin just does not cut it anymore. Luckily, Indy is filled with plenty of shops to try, so I took a friend to try two of its finest: The Selene and Recess.

To start the day off, I drove to The Selene. I have never driven in downtown Indianapolis before, so I was definitely nervous about parking, traffic, and potholes. Thankfully, the combination of music and my directions helped me, and we arrived at the shop. There was plenty of parking, and I got to park right in the front. The exterior of it was white with black detailing, and it had beautiful white picnic tables to the side. Unfortunately, they were still buried underneath a layer of snow.

When we walked in, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that it was actually a coffee shop inside a salon. There were multiple salon stations, and we witnessed people getting their nails and eyebrows done. The coffee station itself had baby pink tiles all around it with bar seating. There was only one barista working, and she recommended the Cherry Pie Latte. Their Cherry Pie Latte has become a recent addition to celebrate Valentine’s Day, combining espresso, sweet cream cold foam, black cherry puree, and pie crumble into a 16 oz cup. The drink was $8, and it took around seven minutes for her to prepare. It was adorned with a cherry sticker.

I made sure to mix in the black cherry puree as it was a thick layer that sat on the bottom of the cup. Then, I tried the drink, and was hit with the boldest flavor of cherry. I then realized that it was going to take a lot more mixing to make the coffee palatable. So I mixed it once again, and after that, it was amazing. The novel pie crumble was delicious and added a great texture, and the coffee was a perfect level of sugary for my taste. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at The Selene, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun drink and a spa experience.

Our second stop was at Recess. Recess is a cafe that specializes in curating creative matcha flavors. I do not recommend driving from The Selene to Recess, though, because I had to cut across four lanes of interstate traffic in .4 miles to get off at the right exit. Additionally, the area that Recess is located has a lot of construction, one ways, and potholes, so it would be a good idea to utilize GPS. The parking situation is not great as well. We had to park two blocks away from the establishment.

The exterior of the shop was all black, but the inside was colorful. They had a full shelf of vinyl records, cozy seating, a polaroid wall, and great music. Unfortunately, we were unable to secure a seat as it was very busy when we went. We ended up getting the Cinnatoast Matcha which was $10 for a 16 oz. The Cinnatoast Matcha was made up of their matcha base, cinnamon, cinnamon toast crunch, and sweet cream cold foam.

The drink came out fast and looked great. We both took a sip, but I quickly realized that I dislike matcha in general. It tasted earthy, and the cinnamon in the drink tickled my throat. I did enjoy the sweet cold foam on top, though. My friend, however, enjoys matcha, and she said that this is the second best matcha she has ever had. Although I did not enjoy the drink, I think this place has a great vibe, and I recommend this shop for matcha lovers.

Overall, I loved getting the opportunity to try these spots. It is a great way to spend time with friends and makes good conversation. I would definitely love to try more of what downtown has to offer.