A carriage-house turned coffee spot, The Mercury Dime on Fifth Street actually started out as a wine bar, but the plan got vehemently smacked down by the nightlife-loathing neighbors. (Fifth Street residents are a particularly mobilized bunch, especially after fighting The Cooper Square Hotel’s now-unstoppable Babel-like rise toward the sun.)

For now the block is sunny, quiet, and caffeinated. And unlike one of owner Sasha Petraske’s other ventures, referral-only speakeasy Milk & Honey, you don’t need a secret phone number to get in. Instead, the heavy black door swings open to a clean, classy cafe, with four tables and high-quality, Ethiopian coffee. There’s supposedly food and wi-fi on the way, but for now, it’s just a minimalist menu of coffee and espresso drinks, and given the owner’s connoisseurship with cocktails, it’s bound to be pretty good.
Their official opening is this Friday.

The Mercury Dime 246 E. 5th St.