This Color-Splashed New Micro Cafe’s Owner Created a Candy Heart-Inspired Coffee Crawl

Matryoshka Coffee is a color-splashed micro cafe with a spunky personality, plenty of Pop Rock-infused espresso drinks, and nostalgic foods like hot cup noodles and Lucky Charms breakfast cereal. They also sell vegan pastries by Yellow & Lavender.

The extremely Instagram-worthy 300 square foot micro cafe opened quietly in December on the south side of town, at 370 Herron Drive #4, and they’ve been making pink, sparkly waves on social media ever since.

To celebrate the widely celebrated season of love, the vibrant new coffee shop’s owner Abbey Chiavario dreamed up a creative coffee collaboration inspired by the popular Valentine’s Day candy conversation hearts. This candy heart-dotted coffee trail features 13 different spots, each featuring a different off-menu drink special based on a phrase written on the popular candies.

The conversation hearts handy map provides a great excuse to visit 13 different coffee shops around town this week, as the special collaborative caffeinated beverages are only available from February 6 through February 19. The full list is below, so check out the menus and see which strike your fancy or make it a mission to try them all.

Matryoshka Coffee: the “kiss me” is an iced mocha with sweetened pink cold foam and topped with strawberry dust and, obviously, glitter. A bonus — $1 from the sale of each drink goes to local TN Black-led grassroots organization @theequityalliance, who serves to unapologetically build independent Black political and economic power.

Dose (West location only, February 6-16): “Cloud 9” is a blend of ginger ale and hologram espresso topped with house-made salty whipped cream and vanilla sugar.

Crisis Coffee at Guerilla Bizkits: “burning love” is a spicy dark chocolate mocha Featuring Tryujjo coffee hot sauce. Vegan friendly.

Weak Coffee at Nelson’s Drum Shop: Drink releases on Tuesday, February 8, and they’re donating $1 from each drink sold to Open Table Nashville.

Sump Coffee: “real love” is a pretty layered drink with sweetened condensed milk, espresso, and strawberry whipped cream. Also donating $1 from each drink to Open Table Nashville.

Three Brothers Coffee: “luv bug” is a cozy combo of vanilla, orange, ginger, and spiced Americano topped with an orange crisp. $1 from each goes to local TN Black-led grassroots organization @theequityalliance, who serves to unapologetically build independent Black political and economic power.

Moonshot: “hot stuff” is a candy heart-crowned refresher with strawberry sensation black tea, guava, Tajin, Crystal’s hot sauce, and watermelon soda.

8th & Roast (both locations): their special “sweetheart” latte is laced with red velvet syrup and topped with house mascarpone whipped cream.

Ugly Mugs Coffee & Tea: the “mint to bee” is a honey peppermint latte.

Tempo: the “heartBeet qTea” with rose, beet, milk, and berry dust.

Retrograde Coffee: the “be mine” is a rose and honey latte made with pistachio milk.

Bagelshop: the Fairlane Hotel’s resident bagel experts have two specials. “The candy heart’’ is a raspberry and white mocha latte topped with whipped cream and candy hearts. The “bee mine” is a cinnamon and local honey latte.

Delia Jo Ramsey/Eater Nashville

Humphreys Street: “ooh la la” is an affogato pairing their Worka Sakaro espresso with strawberry ice cream and a Nutella fudge-dipped vanilla wafer.

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See the full map below and plan your route. P.S. Are there bonus points for snagging a photo in front of the popular candy hearts mural splashed on the side of 8th Avenue’s Finnley’s boutique?

Stephanie Reiman

Stephanie Reiman

Matryoshka Coffee [Official Site]