Higher Ground

Higher Ground is arguably Calgary’s best coffee shop. This place has a unique spirit that is hard to create. Good for working, studying or meeting with a friend. Packed with students and university types. Hip. Not boring. Extensive menu with a few interesting and unexpected options. Can be busy and parking is not easy to find.

I could easily give Higher Ground more stars, but 3 ½ feels about right for me — personal preference. The service has been fine and the quality of their food and coffee is good and has been consistent. I have been here occasionally over the many years I have lived in Calgary. It is often very busy which is positive for the business and some people enjoy the vibe of a crowd. I have had to leave due to not being able to find a seat a few times. Higher Ground is worth checking out if you are in the area. It might be the hang-​out for you.

Bacon. Maple. Latte. Need I say more? Every time I tell a newcomer to Canada about this they’re both intrigued and shocked that our lumberjack-​Canadian stereotype may actually be true. This hipster-​magnet coffee is admittedly delicious, as is their Dublin Mist, and delicious sandwiches (which can be made gluten free). I think this is a great place for coffee dates and meetings, and if you score a cosy seat, count yourself amongst the lucky because it is typically pretty busy! I really wish people wouldn’t camp out here for hours so that others could have a seat for a few minutes, but c’est la vie. However you should definitely give that Starbucks next door a miss and shop local for your coffee — prices are about the same but quality is MUCH better. :)

When I first moved to Calgary I loved this place it has charm. However after coming here quite often to work on my computer I’ve come to expect uninterested and at times rude service. Which would be fine as this is a hipsterish area and that tends to be a norm. The food though… for lack of a better word ‘blows’. Because I need a space outside of my home to work productively I come here, and because it’s a faux pas to bring my own food I begrudgingly order something I don’t want to eat every time. The best menu items are the breakfast and I really have no complaints there. I love the veggie options. The lunch menu though is overpriced and very boring. The BLAT salad comes out looking exactly like it sounds: like the age old salad veggie mix thrown carelessly on a page and giant globs of ranch all over.
I’m going to continue coming here because this is really my only option in the area. But please higher ground, step it up.

This is a popular place for coffee and meetups in Kensington. Lots of students also study here. How I don’t know because it’s always noisy and packed which makes nabbing a table hard as people tend to plant themselves there for a few hours.

Chocolate Chai Latte… The End.
I cannot speak to the quality of the coffee as I am no expert in it. But I can speak to the experience at higher ground. To best describe it I have chosen a few keywords.
Unique
Straightforward
Friendly
Cozy
Tight
Tasty
Mellow
Trendy
A bit hipster
Youthful
90s…
Hope that helps!

I was meeting someone for coffee when we had to change locations at the last minute and they suggested Higher Ground. Having heard of both the café and the Kensington area I was game to switch and give it a try.
Finding parking is difficult… I’m amazed I found a spot within easy walking distance, and the signs don’t make much sense if you’re from out of town. It was snowing out so definitely a good day for being inside drinking nice hot coffee! The space inside is large, warm, and it was a bit noisy but (mainly because it was absolutely packed full of people which is a good sign).
As a first time pick I decided to order the Banana Magic. Their menu is extensive but the description of «espresso, chocolate, banana, and whipped cream (chocolate)» was a must-​try. The espresso was smooth and didn’t have that burnt-​starbucks taste which was awesome. The chocolate must be a semi-​sweet dark of some sort because it was not overly sweet and balanced the banana flavour wonderfully. The chocolate whipped cream added a little extra sweetness without being too intense. All in all it was absolutely delicious and probably one of the best mochas I’ve had yet.
I look forward to going back and trying more flavours!

Higher Ground is rad. It’s big and spacious, with arm chairs and little tables all over the place, next to multiple fireplaces to make this an extra cozy study spot. Their Americano is the best in town, but they have their own take on flavored lattes if you’re in the mood for something different. Food isn’t bad either, though portions are either too small or way to big when it comes to meals (ie. breakfast burrito = huge, mac & cheese = child-​sized). At work we joke the entirety of the Calgary start-​up community hangs out here… because the entirety of the Calgary start-​up community hangs out here. It’s a great place for a business meeting, if you can get a seat. Prices are a little higher than the Starbucks next door, but you’re paying for the hip ambience and this café will deliver.

Lovely café with lots of great food and drink options. It’s often completely full of people doing work, on their laptops, reading, or having meetings… lots of tables inside with just one person sitting at each table working away!
Reasonably priced and decently quick to get your food out, it’s a nice and relaxed setting to get some work done or have a chat with a friend. I tried the lobster bisque last time I was there, not something I’d usually expect at a café, but it was amazing!
Parking, as usual, is not super fun in the Kensington area… I’d suggest arriving quite a bit earlier if you’re coming for a meeting to save a table, since they can be hard to come by.

I just started working in Kensington and I’ve been to Higher Ground every day this week. I’ve been there when it’s really busy, but at 8:45am it’s quiet and subdued and the service is great. I’ve stuck to the coffee, and black and unadorned it’s really very nice coffee. Almost perfect. Over the past say 10 years I have probably eaten 1000 slices of Starbucks banana loaf, which didn’t prepare me at all for the banana loaf the Higher Ground served: nuttier, spicier, with a little sweetness on top.
(Like many places in Kensington, this location doesn’t seem very wheelchair accessible, just as an FYI. Maybe you can get in through a side entrance or something.)
(Update: there is no side entrance.)

Stopped in for a coffee on my way to a nail appointment with fingers crossed. I say this only because it can be busy and its not a «fast food» coffee stop so with only 10 minutes to spare perhaps not a wise choice. I even went so far as to totally disregard time and ordered a London Fog instead of just a cup of drip coffee. Luck was on my side, it was quiet and my London Fog was ready in mere moments.
This is one of my favorite coffee shops in Calgary but alas it seems to be a favorite with a lot of folks and thus it is more often than not very busy, very crowded and very difficult ot find a table. I have found evenings quite nice, a little quieter and I’ll order a pot of tea and sit and knit by the fireplace for a while. (feel free to say hi if you see me). Sometimes its nice to get out of the house and meet up with someone for a coffee or tea and well, my friends and I knit.
I’ve not experienced the off service, everyone has always seemed attentive and friendly enough. My lack of 5 stars is soley based on the lack of busing. There appears to be more reliance upon customers to bus their own tables and that often leaves a number of tables pretty dirty and for quite some time. I have no problem busing my own table and generally do unless I’m at a full service establishment but I don’t know that this self service approach is as well received or even recognized by others. I don’t particularly like having to bus someone else’s table before I can use it.
Prices are a tad dear but the quality is tops and the baking is off the charts. Free wifi is very handy but of course this also lends itself to customers hanging out longer. Along with those darn knitters hogging spots in front of the fireplace.

Oh coffee, you’re so much more than hot bean water you consist of. You’re the deliciously caffeinated social connection point for new romances to begin and old romances to end. You’re the reunion of old friends, and the spark of business meetings. If you’re looking for that place to enjoy a social cup of joe, Higher Ground is a great one.
They’ve got a good selection of fancies to go along with your usual coffee suspects, and the Smore Mocha I went for today rocked my espresso lovin’ world.
A tasty food selection (loved the Mac ‘n Cheese) from coffee treats, to a soup and sandwich selection, all the way to full meals make Higher Ground a good meeting spot for any time of the day. They’re also licensed, so you can opt for some social encouragement be it beer, wine, or make your evening java ‘extra special.’

#118 It is really hard to expound on what has already been said but my almost weekly trips to Higher Ground have been going on for over two years. That, in itself, must say something more? I cannot find any negatives but maybe one complaint which I will touch upon later, except that I have to share with others (I was never good at sharing).
Did I mention this was my first coffee shop in Calgary for me when I moved here? Maybe, it’s the sentimental side of me but after trying the hot chocolate which I love having while sitting by the fireplace, it was like being at Grandma’s for a holiday gathering (no matter how many friends are with you, everyone is still a stranger). However, I did stray as I later fall in love with the Great Divide under Specialty Coffee (Raspberry, Hot Chocolate, Espresso, and something else) though lately, it’s been the Hot Chocolate solo.
There are couches and tables with chairs. It’s a great place to study, read a book, cruise the information superhighway on the free wifi, and catch up with old friends.
It is open until 11pm or later everyday though if I am being honest, love to see it open until after the neighbourhood pubs (Kensington Pub, The Yardhouse Restaurant) close. Always nice to close out a night of drinking with a nice mocha, hot chocolate, and a snack. Now, about the snacks, yummy goodness for a limited time (they almost always sell out).
Which leads me to my only complaint which others have already touched upon, it is busy most of the time so if there is two or more of you and yours, you may have to sit outside slightly west of the front door (weather permitting of course). Always busy full of hipsters, hipster wannabes, students, student wannabes and the like, but you can almost always meet someone whom has an open chair to share. This, in itself, makes up for the crowdiness (and let’s be honest, would I go if it was not busy? No, hard to people watch with no people).
You could say it is the Analog Coffee 17^th Ave of Kensington (except that 17^th Ave never goes through Kensington) or you could say the Higher Ground is the Analog Coffee 17^th Ave of the 17^th Avenue area (The Red Mile, Uptown at 17^th, just pick one. *giggle*) but alas there is no Kensington there.
I could say more but apparently, you are not supposed to review and drive on the way to a Higher Ground experience.