For a long time, the University District lacked a quality late-night hangout. Cafe Solstice catered to UW alterna-kids, while Espresso Roma played host to the ever-quirky population of Ave transients. Everything in between closed before an evening of studying, dating, or caffeine-induced philosophizing could really get started. Enter Trabant: All carefully preened subcultures seem to converge here and cancel each other out, producing a genuine, unstyled retreat where sorority pins and Emo tees can peaceably coexist. Caffeinated bookworms never appear bothered by the steady blips of a wi-fied computer game at the next table, and cinephiles just lean a little closer when discussing the latest anime flick over a local musician’s booming bass. Weekends and open-mike Mondays bring in a range of DJs, drum circles, poetry readings, and local or traveling musicians. And Tango Second Saturdays (midnight to 4 a.m.) provide the largely underage neighborhood with unconventional after-hours entertainment. The funky, bright, blue-walled interior gives the place an upbeat vibe; the chai, more dessert than drink, is almost secondary to the culture of the place. The Mount Rainier ($2.75–$4.35), a mixture of Irish cream and Kalua in vanilla chai, has a rabid following, though it tastes more or less like coffee to me. Not quite trendy but certainly not unhip, Trabant may prove just distinctive enough to avoid the sparkle-and-fade trajectory of too many U District cafes. 1309 N.E. 45th St., 206-675-0668. UNIVERSITY DISTRICT