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    Kawa Espresso Bar

    4.2 (119 reviews)
    ModerateCoffee & Tea
    Closed 8:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Order Kawa Espresso Bar Takeout or Delivery

    Kawa Espresso Bar Photos

    KAWA ESPRESSO BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Good for working
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Kawa Espresso Bar

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    Tam M.

    I liked their iced Carmel macchiato it's not sweet and not comparable to Starbucks iced Carmel machiato but still very good and deep flavour. I got their recommended Bueno kinder cake and it was disgustingly sweet I could only eat 2 bites. My friend got their $10 grownup grilled cheese and the cheese wasn't melted and she said it was not worth the $10. It was too much bread ratio to the thin cheese.

    Yuck

    smells bad... like BO... way overpriced. $13 for drip coffee and piece of cake. Sorry I tried it. Staff can't speak English.

    Cortado Breve - elixir of the goddesses. 2 shots Elysian espresso + fat milk. Nothing better.

    Wonderful Elysian coffee. Funky spot. Lots of parking. Jazz on weekends. Open to 10pm. Airy. Good decor. Great background music that is not pop or anything ridic. Lots of seating. I can't enjoy Kawa enough. Fab food. Enjoy.

    Traditional cappuccino
    Ivana R.

    Kawa was one of the first places in Calgary to bring the European cafe vibe, where you could hang out later and grab a drink with friends. The coffee was always good, and remains that way today. Seems like the owners are fans of jazz music too, but there's always a great playlist going when I visit. While the parking is a bit tricky, there's a lot of street parking around that you can find. It's definitely worth it for the visit.

    Brie and Bacon Panini with tomato, spinach, aruga...shhh. You had me at bacon. @kawacalgary
    Dale E.

    Let's start on a negative note, shall we? I can NOT think of a reason NOT to go to Kawa! Psyche!! Reverse positivity!! They're classy, yet approachable and I seriously got out-hipstered on their beer selection. Well done, Kawa (ka-va)! Your space is incredible and so is everything that you do within it. What's a key ingredient to meetings both personal and business related? Trick question, there's three: coffee, wine and beer! In one evening at Kawa I experienced every personal and social use of all three of these fantastic substances. No, seriously. 1. I grabbed a latte (special cup-spinning inversion latte leaf, whaaat?), a bacon and brie panini with tomatoes, spinach, aruga..(shut up, you had me at bacon!) and grabbed a seat at one of their window bars where I could set up my lap top, enjoy their borderline untouchable latte, look out the window and write Yelp reviews. Perfect. 2. Well, turns out I'm a workaholic, running the clock way past five, so to aid in in my addiction to workahol, I checked out their extensive list of another "cahol" - first name "Al". They've got Old Rosie Cider and Sea Cider Rumrunner in stock. Not only are these delicious ways to drink fermented apples, they're both borderline impossible to find, even at liquor stores. I indulged in an Old Rosie, as the Rumrunner is gigantic and I wasn't quite ready to commit to being waste-face-ted. Their beer selection is like none other, featuring imported craft beers that exist outside of your ordinary Calgarian craft beer regime. (On a side note, I've gotta ad how thrilled I am that not only does Calgary now have craft beer, we have "mainstream craft" and "craft craft". It's a step down the right path, for sure!) Every time I would ask about a certain cider, beer or wine, the barista would completely geek-out over their stellar selection and show me something that she absolutely loved. I haven't seen this level of passion, positivity and downright friendly quirkiness from someone about their job in a very long time. It was refreshing and fantastic! Another review mentioned that "there seems to be a 'Czech Supermodel' working here", I'm pretty sure there are ONLY supermodels working here. Ok, guys. That's not a reason you should come here, it's not that kind of coffee shop, I do not expect it from Kawa, but hey, it's certainly a nice perk. :) 3. Sure, Kawa is a classy environment to get some work done or put together a new strategic partnership during a business meeting, but it's also a real standout place to bring a date. You've got your choice of coffee and booze and plenty of intimate seating geared around conversation. For my "All Around the Kawa" experience, I chose to put them to the test and meet up with an ex-girlfriend. Gutsy, I know. Are you up to the test, Kawa? Well, they are and wonderfully at that! Tasty coffee for her, since she was on call for work until 1am, and a tasty Pinot for me so I could actually deal with this situation. The result? A good conversation and possibly a new friend from an old lover. WOW! So my Kawa experience got REAL heavy REAL fast. But, if you can take something away from this it's this: From the most light-hearted to the most serious interaction, whether it be personal or professional, Kawa is a top-notch place to take in your social liquids. See you again soon.

    Wendy P.

    Are you Kawa, like "KA-WAH"? Or are you Kawa, like "KA-VAH"? I keep hearing both and I'm not sure which one to use. Do you know? My first introduction to Kawa's was sometime last year. And I've been back intermittently since. Not because there's anything horrible about Kawa's, but because EVERYBODY seems to know about it. Whenever I try and go in off hours (for me... peak for them), it's always packed. Good for Kawa's, bad for me trying to find a place to sit. The first thing I love about Kawa's is it keeps hours that aren't quite as ridiculous as the coffee shops downtown that are closed by 5, not helpful for us après work coffee goers. Next, they have this thing called clover coffee. Which makes it pretty gosh darned terrific tasting. Check out the flavours up front and ask them how it's made. It's pretty special. They say good things come in threes, which means there's one more big thing I like about Kawa's. What is that you might ask? Parking. Yes, there are a few spots available for customers at no added cost in the back if you can catch one. Helpful hours, killer coffee and practical parking? Sounds like a perfect brew to me.

    Michael T.

    Hands down in the top 3 coffee shops in Calgary. Great to spend some time at too, I too am writing this review while enjoying a tasty latte. I always here people ordering their drinks 'skinny'. First of all this isn't starbucks - it's called non-fat. Second of all you just killed the good taste of your drink so just get espresso ;) Seriously you need to come here if you like great coffee and people with a passion for it.

    Some of the decor
    Raquel G.

    I came here for a Sunday of studying and it was really busy! I really enjoyed the decor of the cafe, it is very trendy and modern. I ordered a large chai latte and the chorizo and goat cheese flatbread, since it was their special for today. I also decided to try some of their macarons because well, macarons are delicious! I found this place to be a little over priced, I paid $25 for what I got. The chai latte was good, and they added cinnamon to the top, which was a nice touch. The macarons were good, but not great. I've had better ones in the city. The flatbread was a much larger portion than I expected and it was very good, but it had these red pepper type things on it that I didn't really enjoy. If you're looking for a place to study, I would recommend somewhere else, as this place is a bit crowded and loud. It is a nice place for chatting with friends though, and I would come back to try some different menu items! Overall, it is a pretty nice coffee place!

    Guillaume O.

    Went there in the middle of the day. It was very slow. The two staff I interacted with had their minds elsewhere. It was ok... the coffee was what I'd expect, their poppyseed/chocolate cake wasn't what I'd hoped, there was a strong scent at the back that put me off and everyone working there were listless. I'd go again, but certainly not as a destination.

    dinah g.

    I am actually presently writing this review in Kawa. I am ecstatic, there is free parking behind and there is Wi-Fi and available outlet connections. This establishment seems so be run by a Polish family, they are incredibly friendly and it has attracted many Polish clientele as I am surrounded by three tables of Polish conversation. Kawa has high ceilings measuring at least 8 metres high, luxurious dark chocolate brown chairs and upholstered seating. The warmth of the fireplace passes over my keyboard and I am impressed by the many abstract canvases gracing the walls. My coffee is delicious, served in an ebony large cup at only $2.40, Kawa also serves it up with red and white wine and a beer list 40 selections long. There seems to be an eclectic food menu here as well, Bruschetta, Bison, Bean and Mexican chilli dip, Tiger Shrimp, Stuffed Chicken Breast and Organic Grass Fed Elk Meat Balls. Each meal is accompanied with alcohol pairings which make for a unique and ingenious menu! Silky smooth jazz plays in the background, but the twinkling of the 88s doesn't distract people from the intensity of their conversations. I love it here, this is a perfect place for me to relax, enjoy a good coffee, eat something exotic and yelp all the day through. 5 stars. If I had vodka I would toast you Kawa.

    Ham + Cheese Croissant

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    Kawa Espresso Bar Reviews in Other Languages

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    Deville Coffee - "Joe, Canada"

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    4.8(8 reviews)
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    Sam is the main reason I come to Deville in Kensington. I can go to a huge number of coffee shops…read moreto work, but Sam is unbelievably conscientious, considerate. I have worked in the oil and gas industry for over thirty-five years, and I have seen all kinds of employees/workers. I can tell you, there are VERY FEW who are as conscientious, who care about delivering as much as she does. I sensed that immediately. You need to be doing everything to get people 1/4 as professional and caring as she is.

    Deville is a relatively newcomer to the espresso/coffee/tea shop housed in an old repurposed brick…read morebuilding in an area that is quite frankly rife with shops of the same. There is little danger this area of town will ever run out of joe, that's certain. Go a block further and turn left and there 3-4 more of the same, just in case you were worried. Beautifully redesigned interior and lots of outdoor seating and the great architecture of the old building make this a great space to hang outside, weather permitting, and on my visits that's just what we did. The espresso drinks are spot on and if like myself you favor milks from non-lactating plants, they do a wicked oat milk flat white or latte. The black coffees are also excellent and I stayed long enough that my cup got refilled more times than I could recall. On my first visit I neglected to bring a mask, and they were kind and happy to provide one free of charge. Appreciated. Great spot to work as well which I did on a couple of days. Out of the 7-8 places I tried for espresso drinks on my visit I'd rate this as second best, but with hands down the best vibe for enjoying time with friends and family. Highly recommended.

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    The Black Sheep Pâtisserie - Gingerbread bourbon marmalade

    The Black Sheep Pâtisserie

    4.2(43 reviews)
    0.3 km

    tucked into calgary's beltline, this little french café feels like it was made for slow mornings…read moreand long catch ups. the kind of place where you instinctively lower your voice, breathe a little deeper, and feel like you've been transported straight to paris (passport not required). so we had a late start to the day, showed up around 1:30 pm on a thursday and practically had the whole place to ourselves. the space is lovely, marble tables, black and white café chairs, it's curated but not fussy. perfect for catching up with a friend, or working solo. the pastry case is a total showstopper: buttery croissants, cookies under glass domes like little museum exhibits, and viennoiseries in flavours like cinnamon kouign amann, chausson aux pommes, beautifully striped croissants with apricot & almond, and saskatoon berry. they also make house made jams to sell in fun flavours like pear & vanilla, strawberry & basil, and mango & lemongrass. we scored the tufted velvet couch in the corner, it was soft, plush, and hands down the best seat in the house. we decided to share the following: mocaccino croissant tasted stale. dense, barely any coffee flavour, and a few scattered chocolate chips. almond croissant had a generous filling of frangipane that tasted too sweet. pear & vanilla croissant was the best of the bunch, it had some layers, slight crisp on the outside, and a subtle, not too sweet filling. caffe latte and matcha were just okay. the space is a whole vibe and worth visiting for the ambiance alone. pastry wise, we were hoping for buttery, flaky goodness with a nice chewy texture and only found a spark of it in one croissant. still, if you're in the neighbourhood, the black sheep's a charming little spot to hang out, maybe just stick to the coffee and the couch.

    Picked up a couple sweets and croissants from here. The croissants are colorful and filled, which…read moreis appreciated from both an aesthetic and taste perspective. There's some seating inside and a couple small tables outside; casual place. Most people seem to get their orders to go.

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    Kawa Espresso Bar - coffee - Updated May 2026

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