Portland may be grey many days of the year, but when there is a sunny day, Exquisite Creatures is bathed in sunlight. Tucked into a century-old freight elevator shaft in the Central Eastside Corridor, it’s an intimate yet warm space for a coffee break any time of day.

The cafe is as playful and welcoming as its name implies, which comes through not just in its branding and design, but also the menu. Their claim to fame is the popcorn latte, which comes in buttery salty theater, salty sweet kettle, or luscious caramel, but they always have fun seasonal drink options to tempted even black coffee drinkers (me) to change up the routine. Oh, and everything on the menu is plant based. Their pastries are sourced from local vegan bakeries, the breakfast sandwiches use JUST eggs, and they have all the non-dairy milks to choose from.