Kawa Espresso Bar

Great coffee, an excellent relaxed quirky atmosphere. Jazz concerts every week, beer from allover the world, good food. Kawa its a great place for catching up with your friends. Unique in a good way coffee place for in without a doubt.

Matcha latte was delicious! However there is only one outlet to plug in your laptop (at the back) so if you’re coming here to work make sure your battery is charged! Wi-​Fi is also a little slow and spotty at times. Besides that, music wasn’t too loud, the place is relatively spacious with nice ambience!

I had an evening consultation with someone just down the street from Kawa on a snowy winter evening. Since I arrived at my destination quite early, I popped into Kawa to see what they had to offer. Since I am not a coffee drinker, I decided to forego on their liquid refreshments and I ordered their lentil soup and cabbage rolls instead. The cost came to $ 17+ which I thought was a tad on the high side since I only drank water. The lentil soup tasted home made and was delicious. The two cabbage rolls were a little bland, but I liked the accompanying dollop of sour cream that came with them. Just when I was about to leave, musicians came in and started to set up their instruments. When I asked them what kind of music they played, they said jazz. An espresso bar that has the occasional live jazz band is my kind of place. Unfortunately, I had to leave, so I missed the entertainment.
The impression I had of Kawa is that it is a very clean, upbeat kind of establishment. The night I was there there were a few people sitting at tables alone, waiting for their SO’s to show up and join them. It looked like a great place to meet up with your friends, have a coffee, or a glass of wine and some tasty food.
If I lived in the neighbourhood, I would be a frequent visitor here. It’s a step above the usual cramped and crowded coffee houses, with more style and ambience. I am quite happy that I found this place by accident and I plan on coming back.

While the veggie omelette was good, and the cappuccino was very good, I found both the service and the atmosphere cool, as in not terribly friendly or welcoming. Don’t get me wrong, the décor was very nicely done but it was not my cup of tea for a morning cup of coffee; it would lend itself more to an evening cocktail in my opinion.

Kawa is a great place to grab a chai latte or coffee. It’s inner city core makes it a decent venue. There’s a reasonable amount of seating and this time of year in the fall on gorgeous days like today it’s quite nice. The food is excellent and the prices are reasonable. I’ve been here twice now and I would recommend it. Only issue being parking is sparing and you’ll likely need paid street parking as is customary inner city Calgary.

Great coffee in a spacious shop. I enjoy having my cappuccinos here. The interior is modern, trendy and comfortable enough to sip your drink of choice (wine is also available) while you enjoy some tasty food ranging from pastries to bagels. Being open late is a plus for me. WiFi can be spotty but it works. Overall this is the perfect urban coffeehouse.

The nice thing about Kawa is how big it is, yet its ambience and attractiveness aren’t compromised at all by size or hoardes of visitors. I usually visit in the afternoon and have always found great seats for my backpack, macbook and physics textbook. The decorations are attractive and there is both indoor and outdoor seating. For the price, you’re looking at more of a restaurant than like, say, Starbucks fare ($ 23 for a 6oz drink, a savoury baked scone and an eggplant sandwich), but their food is yummy and seems pretty healthy. I’m not a big coffee drinker, so I can’t comment about that, but my mom affirmed the quality when I took her there. I don’t drink, but they offer a selection of alcoholic beverages as well. They’re always changing up the menu and the baked goods available.
Also — live music! One time, as I was leaving, two people were setting up for live music and their warm up singing definitely made me want to make a return trip another evening.

I’ve been meaning to visit Kawa for literally years! I finally dropped in after work last week for a cappuccino and it was great! The staff are all very friendly and the baristas are top notch.
They make a «traditional cappuccino» in the same style as Rosso or Phil & Sebastian. The big difference is that they have a large space with plenty of seating to relax and enjoy your drink. A lot of the other espresso places in town have very limited seating and often the laptop folks have most of those spots taken!
I’ve been back two more times this week and Kawa will definitely be a regular hangout!

I work in the same building as Kawa. While I don’t ever eat in, I frequently get breakfast and lunch to go.
Their ham and cheese breakfast croissant is divine. On the days the croissant isn’t available, I get a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. For lunch, I am a huge fan of their Shepherd’s Pie special. It isn’t as «good as mom’s». .. it is better! (*Shhhh* Don’t tell my mom).
The staff are very friendly and engaging.

Yummy macaroons, tasty beverages and comfortable atmosphere, the music was loud at times but overall a nice little café

I came here for a Sunday of studying and it was really busy! I really enjoyed the décor of the café, 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!

One of my favorite cafes in town.
Kawa has its own unique identity, the coffee, the food, the service, the clientele, are all pretty interesting.
Check out their live music schedule and don’t miss out !

It’s big and trendy. London fog was well-​made but should have been served in a glass mug for presentation, especially when you’re charging a premium price. The apple-​smoked salmon simply isn’t worth the money. A semi-​dry fillet of salmon in need of better seasoning served on a pile of julienned vegetables that’s trying to pass itself off as a salad, again in need of a little something to save it from being utterly bland. My second visit proves much better. Very nice grilled cheese for breakfast and a great soup for lunch. The wifi is free but not that good. They’ve passworded and throttled the connection I was doing some online courses here and my last two visit the speed was hideous. Overall I’d say good coffee and tea but not a place for doing work online, especially if you have to watch videos as part of the course.

I REALLY LIKE IT HERE.
The staff are relaxed and friendly, and they match the hip-​but-​cozy atmosphere, I feel so at home here. They’ve got a very full list of drinks, but you don’t need to remember how to order in Italian, and the baked goods… I’ve debated taking my weight home in pastries because I can’t choose just one. I actually dreamed about the bacon and brie panini after the first time I had it, that alone keeps me coming back. SO GLAD this place is so close to work, it’s become my weekly treat!
Go here. Go here and stuff your face. You won’t regret it.

Great café, great times.
I just came back from a night listening to good tunes while sipping some coffee (they are licensed to sell alcohol as well) with some great people.
Will definitely go back!

I have to completely agree with Dale E.‘s rave review of this place. It’s wonderful! If you are looking for a great place to have coffee/​lunch/​wine/​light food you are definitely in luck. I mean, seriously, a coffee shop that sells b’stella AND high-​end temperature specific electric kettles AND excellent beer/​wine is a rare find indeed.
So not only is this is a great place for all of the above things, the coffee is really well made and delicious. There is also a great selection of tea (though it’s all pre-​bagged tea, but I guess if you want some tasty loose leaf options, you should be at David’s Tea or Teavana). The food menu is fresh, interesting and well made. The beer/​wine selection is great. There is plenty of seating. And the staff is pretty nice. What else can you want in a coffee shop?
The only thing is that I didn’t bring my computer, so I can’t comment on the number of power outlets. Also, the parking is super limited. We ended up parking around the block, but it was pretty easy to find parking in the neighborhood.
I can’t really expand much more than that because this is a really great place. I would come back for a meeting, for lunch, or just to sit and have a great cup of coffee. You should definitely check-​out Kawa whether or not you’re in the area. You won’t be disappointed.

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 Unilocal 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 régime. (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.

Kawa is a really neat spot to grab a brew and catch up with friends.
They serve lunch as well in case you’re looking for some sandwiches to go along with your brew. Oh did I mention that there’s wine as well? Amazing! This is probably the Vancouver side of me coming out.
Definitely on my list of go to spots in the city.

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.

I came here tonight with Miss Sarah Louise. In the seven minutes we were there, we got tea, had a seat, and watched as an eldritch gentleman took a bite out of a cake; laughed loudly and muttered to himself, «WHAT IS CAKE??», threw it out and then paid for it at the front counter while giggling that it had been delicious.
But, my chai *is* delicious and warmed my hands on the cold walk outside :). Will have to come back in the daytime when cake wasters aren’t afoot.