Quinteassence Kava Bar — Restaurant in Lakeland

We've all seen the video essays. Dozens of them. "Third space" this. "Community focus" that. Alienation, isolation, soft jazz and talking heads. You know the drill. But this—this right here—is peak third space. No qualifiers. No need for thesis statements. I've lived in cities like Austin, TX, I've wandered through coffee shops, bars, co-ops, so-called "creative spaces" with artisanal neon and reclaimed wood. None of them—not one—hits quite like this place.

You walk in, and the world shifts a few decibels softer. You order a lemonade. Maybe a whisper of Delta 9 if the spirit calls. They’ve got tea, too—herbal, earthy, deep stuff. They call it a Kava Bar. I keep calling it a tea house. That’s what it feels like. A tea house for the spiritually beat, the creatively restless. You sit. You stay. You stay longer. Before you know it, the sun’s gone down and you’re still there. That’s the tempo.

You sip, you lounge, you play a little Uno. The vibe's laidback half speakeasy, half corner store church. The regulars? Salt of the earth. The owners? Better than good—generous, warm, locked in. This place isn’t pretending to be a community. It is one.

And if you're a writer, an artist, someone running from something wordless and urgent—this is the kind of haunt that gets the blood back in your fingers. You sit down, and suddenly you feel like Hemingway in the Florida Keys. Like Baldwin in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. The chatter around you is ambient gold: underground artists, strange local lore. "What did he say?" Heads swivel. "Raisins? In potato salad?" Someone laughs. And you—quietly—get back to typing.

That's this place. It’s rare. It’s a gem. Come through. Stay a while. Odds are,...

Based off first impressions pulling in, it looks very small and quite uninviting, but once you walk up to the door you see they support multiple walks of life, stepping inside you feel more at home with the comfortable lighting, chill music, and comfortable seating.

The owner was the best part of the experience having knowledge in what he sells and makes in his shop. He had given me information on many of the things sold and even how he came to know about the items and his passion about them. He's very easy to talk to and very friendly. He's got a nice and relaxed vibe about him and easily communicated with as well as informative.

The overall taste of the products available is quite nice, you can tell they are quality and fresh just by taste and overall smell when consuming them.

Will definitely be returning and inviting some friends to...

This place doesn't serve food, only drinks (however pretty soon there will be a joint restaurant opening beside it!) but aside from that I would definitely reccomend coming here. My best friend introduced me and I've kept coming back over a few times on the basis of helping them or keeping them company or even for an event of two, the atmosphere is incredibly cozy and homey, everyone here is kind as can be! They hold monthly events as well, such as the upcoming Goth Nights and the current one I'm in where a DnD campaign is being run biweekly, among many others like an Open Mic night, a night for indie artists, etc. etc. It's a very fun, open and spiritual place and 100% would reccomend going either for their drinks or the events! This is also a sober bar, there is no alcohol but kava and kratom are...