I've been living in Houston for more than 14 years and I've never felt such a cold winter as this one. For these very cold days, there's nothing better for me than a hot and delicious cup of Joe. That's the reason behind my restless search throughout the city this past month to find the best cup of coffee, in which by the way, I also found a great tea place. After sampling so many, today I share with you my four favorite places that I really hope you enjoy as much as I did.

Cafeza

In a kind of lonely corner at the outskirts of Downtown, you'll find Cafeza. With a rustic type of bar feel and a menu with a hint of Spain, their coffee variety is quite impressive. You can order a traditional cappuccino or espresso or creative combinations like the Dos Leches with condensed milk, a Picadito de Chocolate with hazelnut syrup or a Carajillo with vanilla syrup and orange bitters. I ordered a traditional Macchiato and it was absolutely delicious, with just the right balance between the foam and strong coffee. If you visit Cafeza, you can't leave without having an order of their exquisite Churros that come with a vanilla or chocolate sauce to dip them in.  

Blendin

Blendin is not just a coffee shop, it's a coffee club in which all the coffee they receive is toasted and grounded in-house. They have coffees from remote places such as Burundi, Africa, Myanmar in Asia and several Latin-American countries that specialize in coffee production such as Colombia, Honduras, and Panama.

What makes this place such a fun coffee experience, is that first you choose the coffee of your preference, but then you decide the brewing technique you want it to be prepared on, taking under consideration that the boldness and intensity of your end result will depend on the method you choose.

The different brewing techniques they offer go from the traditional espresso machine to the Siphon, Ibrik, V60, Chemex, French Press, Aeropress or Mocha Pot. Thanks so much to the Barista that kindly explained to me every single technique.

Ordering tea at Blendin is also a very good option because according to my two tea-experts friends who were with me that day, the preparation of the English Breakfast they ordered was absolutely amazing.

Cavo

Framed in a contemporary building with some chic decor, Cavo seems to me like the perfect place to sit down and talk for hours with your best friend or to simply go and write or work on my computer. Besides offering an amazing coffee, they also have a lunch and breakfast menu that includes Sandwiches, Breakfast Tacos, Toasts, and Pastries.

They just opened a second location at River Oaks District that is quite smaller than the first one but just as good; it's actually an open stand where you can just grab and go a very good cup of coffee while you stroll around this wonderful outdoor shopping center.

Teasip

Tea is also one of my favorite hot beverages not just during winter, but also throughout the year. For all the tea lovers out there, Teasip is the perfect minimalist kind of hip teashop in The Heights that offers a wide variety of mixes with super original names such as Chilly Pepper, Cowboy Breakfast or Cupcake. The day I visited Teasip, I was in the mood for something sweet so I chose the Black Walnut Brownie tea blend which to my surprise, really tasted like a brownie. What I really liked the most was that it was served exactly as I like it, extra hot and after the 5-minute wait rule for the perfect taste and aroma.

As of right now, Teasip is just a store, but they have plans to transform the second floor into a Tea Room where you will be able to sit and enjoy many of their delicious blends.

So now you know, there are lots of options to enjoy an authentic and delicious cup of coffee in Houston that I'm sure you'll enjoy so much as I did. Please don't forget to tag me as @yomarianablog on Instagram and share your experience with me.