These days, it’s hard to walk more than one block without coming across a café or two. Particularly, Calgary is known for its constantly evolving coffee culture, so whether you are looking to discover a unique local business or are fueling for a long day ahead, visiting one of the many Calgary coffee shops should definitely be on your list. There are so many options out there, and no two independent coffee shops are exactly the same, so it can be hard to know which spots are worth all the hype.
The following is a guide to help you experience the best Calgary coffee shops and cafes that the city has to offer – from fair-trade roasteries to popular neighbourhood hangouts. Maybe you appreciate a delicious shot of espresso, or you’re on the search for something unique like a maca latte from Phil & Sebastian’s brand-new seasonal menu. Either way, there is no shortage of places to fill your caffeine (and sweet tooth) fix.
Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters
Locations: Multiple
In August of this year, Phil & Sebastian opened their Calgary Farmer’s Market West location, delighting locals who aren’t always able to make the commute downtown. Here, you can take a break from shopping for produce and locally-made goods to settle down with a brew-to-order cup of coffee and a house-made Hoopla Donut. Or, if you’re already in the Christmas Spirit, you can snag yourself a gingerbread latte.
There are also many Phil & Sebastian Calgary coffee shops to explore downtown. In the East Village, the historic Simmons building houses both the headquarters and the roastery. Visitors to the Simmons café can watch as raw coffee beans are roasted in a refurbished 55-year-old drum roaster. If you are looking for a cup of coffee that is fair trade, Phil & Sebastian has you covered. They have always traded directly with farmers and continue to launch sustainability initiatives in the regions they source from.
Monogram Coffee
Locations: Altadore, Fifth Avenue Place, Britannia, University District
For coffee enthusiasts that appreciate an inventive menu, Monogram is a must-visit café. With four locations that range from the Northeast University District to Britannia, you likely won’t have to travel far. There is plenty unique about Monogram coffee, the most noticeable being each café’s open space and a monochrome, contemporary aesthetic – but there’s more than meets the eye. A passion for taking care of the community and providing warmth through coffee coalesced into a business, and today the priority remains to provide high-quality, responsibly sourced beans to visitors.
While picking up your coffee, make sure to include a bag of beans in your order. Monogram covers a wide range of styles and profiles, from the comfortable medium roast to exotic beans that come from experimental ways of processing and roasting.
Sought and Found Coffee Roasters
Location: 916 Centre Street N
Just north of Calgary’s Prince’s Island Park, Sought and Found Coffee Roasters is the place to go if you’re looking to experience one of the smallest Calgary coffee shops. With just one location in the city, Sought and Found strives to honour the diversity and range of the coffee industry while serving some of the best in Calgary. The café’s design echoes these modest beginnings, with a cozy wood and brick interior and seating that offers a great view of the espresso bar. Essentially, this is the place to go if you’re looking for the ideal spot to sit down with a good book or to catch up with a friend.
Here, your coffee obsession does not have to end when you leave the café. Sought and Found offers a wide range of coffee subscription services, from the essentials to a more exotic collection of rare finds and unusual roasts, so you can enliven your inner barista while beans arrive straight to your doorstep.
Rosso
Locations: Multiple
If you were to ask any coffee-obsessed local of Calgary what one of their recommendations would be, Rosso would surely make that list. With locations as far North as Tuxedo Park and in trendy neighbourhoods like Inglewood, you likely don’t need to travel far to find a Rosso café. The Inglewood location in particular is a great spot for comfy seating and natural light, making it the ideal space for those looking for a quiet afternoon or to get some much-needed work done.
Rosso cafes may be numerous in Calgary; however, they have not let go of their passion for sourcing the best and most unique coffees from the 10 countries they’ve partnered with. A visit to their website shows that Rosso cares about the hard-working farmers and families behind the amazing coffee we experience.
Loophole Coffee Bar
Location: 1040 8 Ave SW
Just a block away from Calgary’s contemporary art gallery, Loophole coffee bar is the paradigm of a cozy coffee shop that makes you never want to leave. With a quaint storefront adorned by Edison bulbs and an intimate interior full of bar seating, this café offers more than a collection of in-house of treats and beverages.
For all the bookworms out there, Loophole shares a building with Sigla Books, an independent bookstore offering some unique novels and gifts. After shopping, guests are welcome to take a seat and enjoy a fair-trade cup of coffee and a homemade chocolate chip cookie.
Philosaphy
Location: 17th Ave
Located in the middle of one of Calgary’s most popular streets, Philosaphy takes both its name and atmosphere from the early-modern traditions of educators and philosophers as they gathered in the first Western coffee shops to contemplate and socialize. It makes sense that the café’s open concept, a multitude of seating, and contemporarily rustic design make it the perfect location for anything from catching up with friends to settling down for an afternoon of work. Philosaphy’s mission statement is that they hope to draw people from all walks of life to collect and enjoy fair-trade coffee and delicious treats.
We aren’t in the 17th century anymore, so the creative team behind Philosaphy’s menu is constantly coming up with innovative and delicious drinks to try, like the lavender spirulina London fog. However, those of us who are diligent subscribers to the classics still have a reason to pay a visit. In addition to deliciously poured espresso, Philosaphy offers brewed-to-order coffee that they make with two gilded V60 drip decanters.
Socality House
Location: 17th Ave
Locals who are aware of Socality house are most likely to consider themselves regulars to this café, itself located just across the street from 17th Ave’s Tomkins Park. And who wouldn’t want to frequent this place? At first, it may seem like a hole-in-the-wall, but as you pass the espresso bar you will reach a spacious work and gathering area, which seems to continuously unfold and is accompanied by couches, benches, and coffee tables. Additionally, Socality House has an entire upper level and a patio with more comfy seating. It is all topped off with an artistic, modern atmosphere.
The owners make it clear that Socality House is designed to facilitate a sense of community within Calgary. In addition to hosting local pop-ups, the café’s space is home to a variety of events including workshops and classes. Additionally, Socality only uses Monogram coffee beans to make all their espresso-based drinks!
Deville
Locations: Multiple
Whether you are commuting through Calgary’s plus 15 or discovering the trendy neighbourhood of Kensington, you’re likely only a few steps away from a chocolate grenache latte. Deville Coffee boasts several Calgary coffee shops (and even some beyond), and each café is stocked with fair-trade coffee beans and treats sourced from local bakeries. And, since their beginnings in 2008, Deville continues to make ingredients like its vanilla bean syrup and chocolate grenache in-house.
Each Deville Café has a stylish interior that will intrigue you to stay a while. Marble countertops, minimalist colour palettes, and gilded accents afford the atmosphere with a reimagined art deco style. This is certainly the place to be if you’re looking for a bit of inspiration for that next artistic project. The 17th Ave location in particular boasts floor-to-ceiling windows that add tons of natural sunlight to your afternoon coffee break.
Neighbour Coffee
Locations: Marda Loop, Inglewood
From time to time, we all need a good meal to go with our coffee. Neighbour Coffee has you covered. With a crowd-favourite location in Marda Loop and a brand new one that has just opened in Inglewood this summer, there’s no excuse to not pay a visit. Neighbour has two distinct objectives when it comes to their impact on the coffee community: to provide a chill spot for the neighbourhood to come together and to offer both good coffee and good food. Their menu has anything from sourdough toast (baked from East End Bakery) to sweet or savoury breakfast bowls.
Regardless of what you get, you can be certain that it’s going to be fresh. Neighbour is the sister café to Our Daily Brett, a Calgary-based market that reflects the objective of sourcing local and colourful ingredients.
Analog
Locations: Multiple
Analog has its origins back in 2011 at the original Calgary Farmer’s Market, where it continues to flourish as the place to sit down with a great cup of single-origin coffee. Their second location opened at 17th Ave, in the heart of the city. If you have ever traversed 17th, then you’d notice Analogue’s storefront populated by avid coffee-goers lounging beneath the black awning. There’s a reason why people gravitate here, and it goes beyond the café’s uniquely vintage aesthetic.
Analogue prides itself on its talented staff, responsibly sourced beans, and high-quality equipment to ensure every bit of quality is passed onto the customer. And, in addition to great coffee, Analogue offers a diverse selection of pastries at each location that is all made from scratch – including the deliciously-named Nutella croissant.
Gravity Espresso & Wine Bar
Locations: Multiple
Some of us know that one of the best combinations can be a great shot of espresso and a
glass of wine. This is where Gravity Espresso & Wine Bar shines. Also known as Café Gravity, they boast several locations throughout the city and prides itself on being the perfect place to relax either alone or with a group of friends.
High-end coffee paired with a carefully curated wine menu means you get the best of both worlds. It also means that Café Gravity will provide a great experience regardless of when you chose to pop in. Also, did we mention the cheese board? Like all of Café Gravity’s options, the cheese has been carefully selected to pair with the rest of the diverse menu.
They have three locations now but the original location is in trendy Inglewood. If you like lattes, we highly recommend their Dolce Latte.
Want More Things to Do in Calgary and Beyond?
We all love Coffee and as you can see, there’s no shortage of Calgary coffee shops to get your fix. Thankfully, once you have your liquid energy, there are lots of other things to do as well. Check out our other Calgary and Alberta travel guides below:
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