There is no shortage of excellent coffee in Calgary. Our city is full of cafés brewing up cup after cup of beautiful coffee, often sourced and roasted by the very companies serving it. Whether you’re looking for a light meal or a public space to hunker down with your laptop to get some work done, these cafés are all worth spending some time in. 

Alforno Bakery and Café

With multiple locations throughout the city, the Teatro Group’s Alforno Café offers plenty to eat, but it’s also a great place to just hang out and have a hot drink. The bright and spacious café serves a full range of espresso drinks (plus drip coffee) and, in addition to more substantial pizzas and pastas, plenty of snacks and light bites.

Analog

The 17th Avenue S.W. Analog café is a bustling Beltline hot spot, but you can also grab a great cup of Analog’s coffee in several other locations like Southcentre Mall and the Calgary Farmer’s Market. Over on 17th Ave, the seats are packed in tight, and the espresso machine is always buzzing. Analog’s single origin beans are all ethically sourced directly from the farmers who grow them and roasted in Calgary before becoming a rich cup of pour over coffee or an espresso-based drink.

Calgary Heritage Roasting Company

Located in the historic brick Snowden building, Calgary Heritage Roasting Company is as bold and rustic in style as it is in taste. The shop’s giant coffee roaster sits right at the front entrance, creating beans that showcase savoury, chocolatey, nutty, smoky, caramel and toffee tasting notes, avoiding citrus, acidic, or floral flavours. CHRC is all about connecting with nature and has committed to plant one tree on Canadian soil for every bag of coffee sold, with the goal of planting one million trees by 2030.

Café Gravity

An Inglewood community hub that has branched out to several locations throughout the central part of the city, Gravity is a top spot for all sorts of meetups. The cafés are spacious and comfortable, the coffee is expertly brewed, and the food (quick meals like paninis, soup, and chili) always hits the spot. The Inglewood location also doubles as a wine bar and live music venue, hosting regular shows featuring local artists.

Caffé Beano

A Beltline mainstay since 1990, Caffé Beano is an absolute Calgary institution. The café almost always has a large group of locals (and more than a few dogs) gathered outside, with more people sitting inside the café’s roomy back room. The muffins are fresh-baked and the coffee is strong, which is exactly what you need in a good coffee shop. Well, that and one of Beano’s much-beloved chocolate espresso milkshakes.

Congress Coffee

Harkening back to the glorious coffeehouses of 1990s Calgary, this little neighbourhood spot in the Tuxedo neighbourhood is designed for unpretentious hangouts. Coffee and lemonade are on deck, along with sandwiches and other casual meals and snacks. In true ‘90s style, Congress also acts as an arts space and music venue with special events taking place throughout the week.

Deville Coffee

A Calgary-born chain that has now expanded into British Columbia, the now ubiquitous Deville has grown steadily, thanks to its mission to bring high-quality direct trade coffee beans to the masses. Multiple coffee roasts are always on the menu complete with tasting notes and information about the beans’ origins, allowing coffee lovers to make choices that will suit their personal tastes and sense of social responsibility.

Higher Ground

Serving organic coffee that is fair trade, bird friendly, and rainforest alliance certified, this large Kensington coffee house is a relaxing spot to get some work done or visit with friends. The list of coffee and tea creations is long (and delicious — it’s hard to find a more creative collection of caffeinated drinks) and the café also serves an extensive selection of sandwiches and salads as well as a tasty all-day breakfast.

I Love You Coffee Shop

Inspired by Japanese jazz bars, vinyl records, cheeky humour, and a strong community-minded spirit, the irreverently named I Love You Coffee Shop is a cool little hideaway for anyone looking for the polar opposite of a corporate coffee chain. The coffee and Montreal-style bagels are good, but the clubhouse-like space and laid-back attitude are what make this spot a real inner-city gem.

Monogram

A shop for serious coffee lovers, the talented team from Monogram were winning national barista awards before most Calgarians had even heard of their then-tiny coffee house. These days, Monogram has grown to include four locations, serving some of the best brews in the city. The coffee brand has extended its dedication to excellence with Primary Colours, a full-service restaurant and café hybrid in the Britannia neighbourhood.

Neighbour Coffee

Part of the Our Daily Brett family of local businesses, Neighbour (or NHBR as the logo reads) has two locations, providing the communities of Altadore and Inglewood with tasty coffee and wholesome fresh meals and snacks that go well beyond your average grab ‘n’ go sandwiches. In the evenings the back room of the Inglewood location turns into Business and Pleasure, one of the city’s best neighbourhood bars.

Phil and Sebastian

One of Calgary’s best known coffee brands, when it first launched in 2006 Phil and Sebastian set the bar for what a cool café could be in this city. Owned by two actual guys named Phil and Sebastian, P&S makes distinctive tasting coffee from beans they roast themselves. They’ve also has created over half a dozen comfortable and stylish locations in which to drink it, including a flagship location in the East Village’s Simmons Building.

Rosso Coffee Roasters

Another café that sources and roast its own beans, with five locations, Rosso has become the go-to for many Calgarians in need of a premium coffee fix. The shops are all chic but cozy and offer top-notch snacks and treats — if grass roots vibes and a high standard of excellence is what you’re seeking, Rosso is the place to find it.

Sought x Found Coffee Roasters 

A small boutique roastery in the Crescent Heights neighbourhood, Sought x Found strives to present coffee in a way that the special aspects of the beans and the roast shine to their fullest potential. Different coffees are presented each month along with notes about the bean varietals, processes used to roast the coffee, history of the farm, and other facts that help each cup tell its unique story.