It’s the endearing cafes and noteworthy coffee shops that complete any busy street or shopping district, and luckily, there are plenty scattered along 17th Ave. They are all worth a trip of their own, but if you’re downtown running errands, or on 17th to for a day of shopping, there are plenty of places you can pop in for a quick croissant on the go, or iced coffee to power you through the rest of your day. Here is our list of some of our favourite café and coffee shops on 17th Ave.
Analog Coffee
This mainstay coffee shop on 17th Ave was opened by three coffee-loving brothers after they took over their parents coffee roasting business, known as Fratello – which means brother in Italian. Their family has been involved in selling coffee beans and espresso machines for decades, so not only can you expect excellent coffee at Analog, but an excellent café experience. In addition to enjoying their premium roasted coffee, you can also order from their from-scratch bakery, where all their pastries are made from scratch, croissants are made by hand using real butter, and their meats are slow roasted.
Find out more at analogcoffee.ca
Black Sheep
Since opening in 2019, Black Sheep has become one of Calgary’s best bakeries, appearing in “Best of Calgary’s” best bakery list, as well as Avenue Magazine’s ‘15 Bakeries to Try’ list. They serve handcrafted, French-inspired baked goods, but are most well-known for their croissants, which they serve in the traditional butter style, or in flavours such as blueberry and raspberry. They also have a pantry section where you can find homemade jams, and goods brought in from Paris.
Find out more at black-sheep.ca
Butter Block & Co
One of the first things you will notice upon arrival at the historic Devenish Building, is the mouth-watering smells wafting out of Butterblock– a small bakery located in the Heritage building. Started by baker, Karen Kong, this hidden gem serves a variety of baked goods including cookies, scones, Danishes and more, as well as their celebrated croissant, which comes in a handful of flavours, and features 81 buttery, intricate layers. They also offer BIY (bake it yourself) instructions on their website, where you can follow instructions to re-create recipes such as their double baked croissant, cinnamon buns, pizza dough and more.
Find out more at butterblockyyc.com
Caffe Beano
Caffe Beano has been serving up quality coffee and local, homemade baking to Calgarians for more than 30 years. This local favourite prides itself on its role in the community, and has sponsored a number of community events and not for profit organizations over the years, including Word Fest, Sled Island and more. They use Bernard Callabaut chocolate in all of their chocolate baking, including the cult-favourite cowboy cookie. Enjoy a homemade cappuccino and people watching on their 17th Ave patio for your next coffee date.
Find out more at caffebeano.ca
Cookie Mama
Janet Wong Ken saw a need for more allergen free baking, and in 2008, opened Cookie Mama to provide more dairy, egg and gluten free choices. She creates custom cookies, cupcakes, and cakes, all available in an abundance of different flavours, along with her specialty OMGF, gluten and dairy free bread. They also have a variety of gluten free and dairy free treats available for walk in customers, such as brownies and health bars, which pair perfectly with their made in house, 100 % plant based vice cream.
Find out more at cookiemamacalgary.com
D Spot Dessert Café
Satisfy your sweet tooth with one of D Spot’s decadent creations like cinnamon bun pancakes, double chocolate brownie cheesecake or one of their variations of skillet cookies. The options are endless at this 17th Ave dessert café, where you can pair your meal with specialty drink options such as Nutella hot chocolate, a Skittles Milkshake or a Rolo Latte. And if you’re one of those people who needs to pair sweet with savoury, they also serve pizza, poutine, sausages and burgers.
Find out more at dspotdessert.com
European Bakery & Deli
Inspired by his father’s mission to create the perfect bread and Burek, Shaqir moved to Canada from Kosovo and opened up European Bakery and Deli. At European Bakery & Deli, you can find a wide selection of different pastries, European delicacies and bread. The Burek– a savoury baked filled pastry made from thin flaky dough – is a must try, but they also offer a number of different pastries and treats, such as Krem Pita, Baklava, Tiramisu, and Cheesecake if you are looking for something sweet. Don’t leave without picking up one of their many variations of rye or white bread.
Find out more at eurobakerydeli.com
Philosafy Coffee
The team at Philosafy serves ethical and consciously sourced beans that are roasted once a week in small batches in house, so you know that whether you’re getting a cappuccino or drip coffee, you are being served quality beans. And speaking of quality beans, you can buy their coffee beans, including Epicurus, Socrates and Plato, in house. Pair your caffeinated beverage with pastries served from neighbouring Butter Block, such as an almond croissant or cheese knot.
Find out more at philosafy.com
Prestotea
Presotea serves handcrafted tea and coffee, both freshly pressed from their espresso machine, straight to your cup. They offer a selection of premium teas such as Alishan mountain oolong, Okinawa brown sugar milk tea, blueberry tea and more, as well as a variety of fruit teas such as green tea yogurt and pineapple green tea. In addition to their assortment of fresh and milk teas, you can also get fresh fruit slush in flavours like strawberry, peach and honeydew, with topping choices such as coconut jelly, matcha pudding and more.
Find out more at presotea-ab.ca
Rustic Sourdough Bakery
Rustic Sourdough and Bakery has been serving their handcrafted sourdough bread to Calgarians for more than 40 years. They have a team of skilled bakers, many hailing from Europe, who offer years of experience in the craft of sourdough production, and handcraft all loaves by hand, without the use of any preservatives, additives or flavor enhancers. In addition to their famous bread, they also offer buns, pound cakes, tortes and more.
Find out more at rusticsourdoughbakery.com
Yum Bistro
Visitors of 17th are privy to the local favourite Yum Bakery and Bistro, where they can enjoy their Bistro menu, which includes a selection of artisan toast boards, sandwiches, and breakfast, or they can opt for one of their plethora of bakery items to take on-the-go. They are known for their variation of different breads, including sourdough, ciabatta, Finnish rye, brioche and more, but they also serve custom cakes, buns, pies, tarts, croissants, cookies, scones and more.
Find out more at yum-bakery.com
