Perets Dessert & Coffee Bar
701 W. Sheridan Ave., OKC
Tucked away on the second floor of the historic Paramount Building on Film Row, Perets Dessert & Coffee Bar is the definitional hidden gem. A self-described urban “living room,” it’s as decadent as it is quaint. Bursting with vintage charm, chandeliers and velvet couches that look straight out of Central Perk, the brick-lined cafe is the perfect hideaway for sipping lattes and tea late into the evening (until 11 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday), while listening to live music, chatting with friends or reading a book. Drinks include seasonal novelties like cocoa-dusted Australian cappuccinos and Sunset Sonatas, fizzy tipples blending sparkling water with hibiscus syrup and tangerine sherbet. Scratch-made seasonal desserts, displayed behind a case like an edible gallery, include colorful concoctions like guava cream puffs and orange creamsicle Swiss rolls, along with a full slate of rotating affogatos, paired with the likes of strawberry ice cream, almond cookies and matcha.
Full Circle Bookstore
1900 NW Expressway, OKC
The largest independent bookstore in Oklahoma, Full Circle Bookstore is a time-honored treasure—open in its 50 Penn Place location since 1980—comprised of fireplaces, snug alcoves and row after row of books. The store features an all-day cafe slinging coffee and tea, as well as Italian sodas, wine, beer, sandwiches, salads and pastries. Snag a drink, grab a book and find a place to cozy up. Full Circle also hosts periodic live music at its cafe, as well as author signings.
Caboose Coffee
1005 NW 36th St., OKC
A veritable treasure trove of trinkets and tomes, Bookish: Used Books and Art is a locally owned indie bookstore where antique hardback books share shelves with coloring books, classic novels, murder mysteries, local authors’ output and more. An on-site cafe, Caboose Coffee features caffeinated staples like cappuccinos, cortados and pour-overs, as well as rotating specials like Monkey Business lattes made with blueberry and matcha syrup.
Ellis Island Coffee and Wine Lounge
130 N. Broadway Ave. and 3324 S. Bryant Ave., Edmond
With two outposts in Edmond, Ellis Island Coffee and Wine Lounge seamlessly segues from a coffee shop by day—with ample alcoves and outlets for all your laptop requisites—to a leisurely wine bar by night. As its name suggests, travel and Americana feature heavily in the theming, complete with Statue of Liberty murals, decorative piles of vintage luggage and cozy book nooks. Coffee comes courtesy of EÔTÉ, along with seasonal specials like lavender lemonade and Vietnamese coffee, and pastries from La Baguette. Later, look for a full bar of local beer, spirits and Old World and New World wines.
The Study
701 W. Sheridan Ave., OKC
Home to one of the most expertly curated wine lists in OKC, and one of our favorite places to sample esoteric varietals, The Study is a “wine pub” located underneath Perets Dessert & Coffee Bar in the Paramount Building. Helmed by certified sommelier Ian Bennett, a semifinalist at this year’s James Beard Awards, it’s the kind of wine bar made for cozying up in a corner, listening to live jazz and playing board games. There’s a whole library of books to pull from, too, in case you’d like to pair your Lambrusco with literature.
