Great place IMO, can get busy as it's fresh foods + thanks to being off 17th with generous plugs …read more Not heavily staffed, so not for a rush, but I bet it keep prices down & quality up. Local artwork varies, added eye candy! Breakfast menu is ethnic (Turkish?)

Why 5 stars? Because we got exactly what we needed…read more --- --- --- We landed in Calgary with a plan to hop in the rental car and head straight to Banff. But our hunger got the best of us, so we ended up stopping in town for lunch across the street from Element Cafe. Our next mission was to get caffeine and a little something sweet to finish off lunch. Element Cafe achieved both of these goals. I ordered an Americano and it did the trick. But I really enjoyed the Birthday Cake cookie. The cookies caught my eye because they looked a lot like the mountains we were about to see in Banff: they had many ridges and depth to them. The guy working in here even offered to heat them up for us before I could ask, so he really understood the keys to our heart. My only piece of feedback would be: when you heat the cookies up, don't be shy! Push that dough to the limit and let your cookies be enjoyed the way God intended: like they just came out of the oven. With that being said, the guy was the picture of a nice Canadian. Don't let his slightly under heating on this day shape how you view him as a fellow human. He was great, as were his cookies and his coffees.

The location in East Village has a good amount of seating, ranging from tables by the windows to…read moresome darker/cozier tables on the side with more privacy. There is free Wi-Fi, and there appeared to be some outlets. I went on a weekday around noon, and there were still a good amount of seats available. The staff were kind and got my order (a matcha latte and a grilled chicken flatbread) out in a timely manner. Although the café itself had a cozy ambience, I would say that my order was rather lackluster. The matcha latte was really milky, and the matcha itself tasted watered down. And the grilled chicken flatbread tasted decent, but it was super crumbly and messy to eat, making it almost feel like a choking hazard with some bites. I would like to go back to try a different flavor of drink since the ambience was nice. But based on my first experience, it wasn't the greatest café Calgary had to offer.

The egg croissant and a coffee is a great start to a lazy weekend day…read more Lovely quiet spot out of the way ... nice stop along the river without being too busy or loud

I have gone here a few times years apart since visiting and I have always enjoyed this cafe. I have…read moregotten a matcha here in the past that was okay, but their fall drinks currently look so good. This time around I tried something they offer by reservation called afternoon tea for $40. We each got to pick a tea for our tea pot and had about 8 options. The tea itself wasn't anything special. We tried the chai and the alforno blend which both didn't taste very strong. The afternoon tea deal also came with a snack tower, the bottom consisting of savory sandwich bites, and the top two levels with pastries and sweets. The things that stood out to me were the lemon meringue, fruit tart, and the carrot cake (the cream cheese frosting was really tasty). Overall, this was a super cute and fun thing to try. I'd definitely recommend it if you want to try little bites of various things they carry.

Checked this place out while exploring Calgary…read more Very busy brunch spot, beautiful pastry display. - Service was very quick, team was super friendly and made a good treat suggestion. Lemon tart - tart was good, nice crunch to it, lemon was tangy and sweet - just the right combinations of flavours. So why just three stars - well the drink was a let down for me, matcha was not coming through - ended up tasting more like a cup of sweetened oat milk. I'd come back to explore there other pastries, or try there brunch - but that would need to wait until I visit Calgary again.

What I love about this place is how inclusive it is while being so flavor forward…read more Our group had vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians, folks with walnut allergy and dairy intolerance and we all found plenty of options to pick from and try the range. Vegan breakfast options that too savory are hard to come by. You're limited to soy or coconut yogurt or just potatoes but this place had buddha bowl, tofu bowl, ramen, salads. So many options. Additionally they can make modifications to accomodate any requirements. We had our coffees made with soy milk and sugar free syrup. Everything is plated so beautifully. Super fast and friendly service. You must reserve ahead online a day before atleast before you go to ensure they confirm a spot because the seating is limited. In addition to kitchen items they also have a small bakery shelf for banana breads or anything else. 10/10 would recommend.

I had a very uncomfortable experience at this café. The male owner, Zack, was dismissive from the…read morestart. We were shocked to find another couple sitting at our reserved table--frankly, I hadn't anticipated it would be a shared table for eight in the first place. To make matters worse, we were rushed to order and pay the bill. After that couple left, another pair were seated at our six-person table without any explanation. Our dishes arrived in two separate waves with a 10-minute gap. They also automatically added an 18% tip for parties of more than five people, which I expect at least we should have a private table. When I expressed my dissatisfaction to the server, the owner came out and became confrontational and aggressive. He raised his voice, saying I could "tell him what I am not satisfied with." Then he offered a refund, which I immediately declined, and afterward snatched a package of coffee from the counter and offered it as compensation. I refused again--it felt more like an insult than a genuine apology. After we posted our reviews, the owner privately messaged my friend, asking us to remove them and citing the "small Chinese community" as a reason we should support each other. That's incredibly manipulative. Using community guilt to pressure customers into deleting honest feedback is inappropriate and only reinforces our negative experience. I will not be returning.

I am not quite sure why the reviews for this place are this low. My coworker and I checked out…read morePrologue for dinner as he was staying at the Courtyard located in the same building. I was expecting just a decent meal but was pleasantly surprised. First off, the service was top notch. Rafaelle (spelling?) made sure our water was topped off at all times and checked up on us in perfect intervals. He really made our experience great. The food and beers were great as well. I got the papardelle bourguignon and we split the house kettle chips. Both were very tasty. The bourguignon was cooked perfectly and the portion was just right; not too heavy and not too light. I want to come back and try the poke bowl next time. The atmosphere there is also very nice. It was a great location for us to discuss business and enjoy our food. Thank you for the great experience! I will definitely be back.

I had a few meals at this place on the first floor of the hotel. The service is very good and it's…read morea nice place. I had a simple breakfast of scones and oat milk latte. The scone was a big and I could only eat half of them, but it was good. I tried Tuna Poke Bowl for dinner. The tuna was seasoned, and the rice underneath was just the right amount, but it was quite voluminous. I tried Chicken Tikka Masala for dinner the next day. This brings salad to basmati rice and naan to chicken tikka masala. Chicken tikka masala and naan were delicious, but the salad was a little watery. There was a piano performance on Friday night. It's a nice place with a cozy atmosphere even by myself. The server was bright and friendly. I would like to stop by again if I get the chance.

Mediocre but not horrible. Pricing is a bit frighteningly dangerous but I lived…read more A good attempt but no follow through, I expected better but got less.

A typical Paris Baguette. CLEAN. Excellent cappuccino. Huge assortment of pastries including Dubai…read moremochis (drool) and Korean red bean cake. A well-run franchise.

I didn't think too much of this place other than it looked good on photos. So glad I checked it out…read moreduring my few hours layover in downtown. I got their iced matcha with toffee sponge. The matcha is standard, nothing spectacular neither was it the authentic ones you expect to get from Japanese, but the toffee is a nice touch. I also love the vibe here which I ended up chilling for a while than a grab and go to cool down from this heat before I proceed to explore the rest of Downtown. Free wifi available. My server was also super friendly and nice, both were super helpful in providing recommendations to visit in town. 10/10 would come back again for the good vibe, good service, good people, and good drinks! They had a whole collection of supplements that you can take as a shot or added to your drink. Seems interesting but I didn't try it out. Maybe next time.

Super cute aesthetic and decent coffee at this spot in downtown Calgary…read more We stopped in for a latte and were intrigued by their apothecary shots. We ordered the one with coconut milk and it was very mediocre. I feel like it could have been improved if it was served cold as the room temperature drink didn't do it for me. Latter was yummy and Service was quick! Would definitely stop here again for a coffee

Great cafe in Calgary. I really liked the fresh blueberry scone. Staff was friendly and I got my…read moreitem very quickly.

If you're looking for the best quality of coffee beans this is the place. This is a must-try…read morelocation. The owner, Bob, is an Aficionado, passionate, and clearly an expert in all things coffee-related. He sources coffee beans from some of the most premier locations in the world and is particular about the elevations at which the beans are grown in order to make the cut for what he will introduce to his customers. We've tried coffee all over the world and this is right at the top. Do yourself a favor and drop by, say hi to Bob and experience this unbelievable coffee.

Great! On a business trip--came here 3 mornings and lunch in a row. Lovely find. Great coffee,…read morebaked goods and salads!

The pastries here are so memorable! As we're the meals we ordered. The service was good! Waitress…read morewas chatty and personable. We had lovely table by the window. Coffee was fabulous as well!

We stumbled upon this spot while looking for dessert and noticed they're open surprisingly…read morelate--sometimes until 2 a.m.! Not sure who's craving dessert at that hour, but clearly there's demand. The interior is cute and nicely decorated, and the menu offers plenty of choices. That said, the options felt pretty standard--mostly crepes or waffles with ice cream and toppings. Nothing really stood out as unique. We ordered the Ferrero crepe with vanilla ice cream. The crepe itself was tasty, but I wish they were a bit more generous with the ice cream and whipped cream since the portions felt small. Overall, it was an okay experience--not bad, but not a must-visit either.

I have visited this dessert café many times because I enjoyed the desserts and often came here with…read morefriends. However, I don't plan to visit as often anymore. Every time I come, I am consistently seated near the entrance, even though there are many other tables available. I also always order a decaf Americano. On one occasion, despite ordering a decaf Americano, I was served a latte instead and was told that decaf Americano was not available at this café. I have allergies to both milk and caffeine. The drink was only replaced after I clearly explained my allergies to the staff member who was serving me. I was even charged an additional fee for making the drink iced that day. What I found hard to understand was that the same staff member asked me to leave a Google review at the time -- which is why I am writing this review today. This is a menu item I order regularly, which made the situation even more confusing. Overall, the repeated seating choices and lack of attentiveness made me feel uncomfortable and singled out as a customer. I hope the staff can be more considerate and consistent in their service going forward.