La Belle Rosette is a sweet and hidden campus gem.

La Belle Rosette, tucked on the far southern side of campus at 2423 S. University Blvd., may go unnoticed by those who rarely wander south of Iliff or east of High Street. The diminutive coffee shop is a quaint departure from the trendy and streamlined espresso shops that seem to be all-the-rage as of late. The second location in a pair of local coffee shops, the original shop is located at 712 ½ S. Pearl St. in the Wash Park neighborhood.

The coffee shop reveals its locally owned status immediately upon entering the cozy space, with decor that screams “small, family business,” but beckons you in the way that your childhood home’s couch does—it may not be abundantly chic, but you know it’ll cradle your bottom right into a state of drowsy contentment.

The ambience is typical of a small coffee shop, and decor follows suit with a smattering of petite tables, armchairs and a loveseat tucked in the back corner. The space may feel a bit cramped and storage space seems limited, with every free space fulfilling its newfound role as a storage area. Windows in the front and back, however, open up the space and invite refreshing breezes on spring afternoons.

The large serving counter’s idiosyncrasies may be overlooked, especially by caffeine-starved patrons, but the piece is certainly notable. The unique woodwork displays a mountain scene made up of various woods, complete with a setting sun tucked between mountain peaks.

With red walls that evoke the titular “rosette,” low-lit lamp shades patterned with rose-reminiscent line drawings and unique wooden tables inlaid with rosebuds, the decor borders on redundancy. Luckily, the cafe’s overall hominess renders criticisms of feng shui insubstantial.

The menu covers all of the coffee shop basics, but supplements the essentials with a variety of pastries, snacks, specialty espresso drinks, loose leaf teas and a selection of wine and beer.

La Belle Rosette food options such as homemade gooey cinnamon rolls, muffins, croissants and aromatic burritos, as well as a variety of Lays chips products and popcorn snacks.

Specialty espresso drinks include flavors such as Nutella, coconut caramel dream, bananas foster and cotton candy. And what better way to motivate a day of intense study than by switching off between highly caffeinated beverages and the occasional mellowing glass of red wine?

Patrons of La Belle Rosette differ from other coffee shops in that not every customer is gazing trance-like into a MacBook Pro. It is rumored that patrons of La Belle Rosette have even been spotted reading actual print newspapers (gasp) or seemingly immersed in an honest-to-god book, for pleasure (double gasp).

The regulars are a mixture of graduate students, music students, theatre students and outside community members who are friendly with the kindly and welcoming barista. It is likely that any visit to the shop will include congregations of DU’s artsiest—an opportunity for onlookers to observe these subcultures in their natural habitat.

La Belle Rosette’s soundtrack is unexpected, with a mixture of music that would probably be under a playlist entitled “Chill out and breathe the stars” on 8Tracks. Ambient tunes like “Porcelain” by Moby will make for a relaxing experience, at the very least.

While this Grinder may remain loyal to certain unnamed coffee shops on campus, purely out of habit, La Belle Rosette is a frontrunner in close caffeine providers, and clearly upstages study locations like Starbucks, Anderson Academic Commons, dorm rooms and Crimson & Gold.

La Belle Rosette is open from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays and 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. on Sundays.