Coffee Connoisseurs

Meeting for coffee is a mom ritual. ‘Nuff said.

So up the ante with a visit to one of Calgary’s local cream-of-the-crop coffee houses to sample delicious brew in art-house surroundings.

The Metrosexual
Kawa Espresso Bar
Located on 8th Street SW, Kawa’s upscale contemporary interior compliments their delicious espresso. Visit this shop mid-week in your urban-woman wear with laptop in hand to blend into the fashionable surroundings. 49th Parallel beans are brewed at this shop as well.

The Fashionistas
deVille Luxury Coffee and Pastries
With shops in both Art and Fashion Central, deVille is a chi-chi joint with high-end coffee, produced from Intelligentsia beans (direct trade with farmers), and served in a designer space with fancy treats from local restaurants. Visit the Art Central location the first Thursday of every month and take in displays from local artists.

The Industrialists
Caffe Rosso
Although this coffee house has a location downtown as well, we highly recommend a trek into the backwoods of Ramsay. Literally a gem in rough, industrial surroundings, Caffe Rosso has a perfect blend of down-home service, metal-edged decorating and espresso worth the GPS search. Oh, and their paninis are delish, too.

The Italians
Caffé Artigiano
We loved the smooth, rich espresso at this downtown shop, brewed with beans from Vancouver’s 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters (also owned by the same family). Visit on a Sunday afternoon to take advantage of the low-key atmosphere, urban sidewalk seating and easy-to-find, street parking.

The Suburbanite
Java Jamboree
The country cousin to Kawa (same owners), Java Jamboree is located in an unassuming strip mall in Cochrane. The atmosphere isn’t quite on par with their city-slicker partner, but the mountain vistas outside more than compensate and the coffee is just as tasty.

The Artists
Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters
We call them the artists because Phil Robertson and Sebastian Sztabzyb roast their own beans and ingeniously blend them to achieve unique (and delectable) flavours. We love their brewed coffee as well as their espresso, and applaud their grassroots approach. Visit Phil and Sebastian in Marda Loop, or at the Calgary Farmer’s Market.

Once you sip the barista-brewed delights of these local coffee faves, you’ll wonder why you stuck to the brand-names for so long.