There’s a cafe on 17th Avenue that is highly reminiscent of old-school diners and coffeehouses called Caffe Beano.
Cafe Beano is a quaint and local cafe frequented by locals, and my first impression was that it reminded me of drive-in diners from those 60s movies. Blue square tables with a metal rim, leather seats, big propaganda posters and chalk-written boards, the cafe just shouts “I’m from the 60s!”
However, the cafe doesn’t just rely on its appearance to attract customers, because they also have friendly and welcoming staff (like in those old-school diners). They offer excellent coffee, sandwiches, bagels and some pastries like muffins, breads and cookies.
Caffe Beano has an extensive list of espresso-based and specialty drinks, from matcha tea latte to chocolate ginger to iced teas. Their drinks are also vegan-friendly (yes!), offering soy or almond milk for a small surcharge.
I ordered the almond latte to stay, and was surprised that they served it in essentially a big soup bowl. I love that! The latte was tasty, but I found it to be more watery than normal lattes, but that’s expected since almond milk is very watery. Also, tears because there wasn’t latte art…but I’m just picky with my lattes (><).
Caffe Beano doesn’t see the crowds that plague nearby Analog Coffee down the block, so it’s quite quiet (play on words intended). However, there aren’t a lot of outlets, so I wouldn’t recommend working here if you have a laptop that needs to be charged. BUT, this would be a great place to sit down with friends if you’re in the area, and Analog Coffee is extremely busy.
Recommended? Sure!
COST: Moderate. Caffe Beano’s prices are fairly similar to other hipster cafes. For a large drink, expect to pay ~$5. The sandwiches are about $7, and bagels are about $4.
TASTE: Good. The soy latte was pretty tasty, but it is not the best I’ve had in Calgary. For a latte, I thought there wasn’t enough foam, and the texture was wrong because it wasn’t as viscous as a regular latte.
ACCESSIBILITY: Moderate. Caffe Beano is located on the west end of 17th Avenue. From 8th Street station, it would take about ~15 minutes by foot to get here. Parking is available but scarce, and the area is serviced by public bus (which is unreliable).
ATMOSPHERE: Nice. The cafe gives has a retro and chill atmosphere, which is perfect to do work, read a book or catch up with friends (they have Wi-fi). However, the cafe was undergoing some renovations, and I thought it was quite messy.
SERVICE: 8/10. Friendly baristas make your coffee with care. While they do clear the tables, you’re expected to put away your own dishes and cups.
Caffe Beano
Address: 1613 9th Street SW, Calgary AB
Phone: (403) 229 – 1232
Hours:
- Monday: 6AM – 11PM
- Tuesday: 6AM – 11PM
- Wednesday: 6AM – 11PM
- Thursday: 6AM – 11PM
- Friday: 6AM – 12AM
- Saturday: 7AM – 12AM
- Sunday: 7AM – 10PM
Website: www.caffebeano.ca
This is not a sponsored post.