13 Best Restaurants in Alberta, Canada

A locals’ favorite, Block 1912 Cafe has the same ambience as the infamous coffee shop, Central Perk, in the TV show Friends, which makes it a great place to hang out with friends or work on your laptop. There’s even a nook where you can read a book and munch on cakes and pastries as well as tasty sandwiches, soups, and salads.

This café is a great place to enjoy coffee, tea, or ice cream, grab-and-go breakfasts, fine chocolates, or baked goods before or after a hike. There's also a variety of hot and cold sandwiches, pizza, hamburgers, stew, burgers, fries, and poutine. They even micro-roast organic fairly traded coffee beans in small batches, and you can have local beer or BC wine with your meal if you dine inside. There are picnic tables if you wish to dine outside and enjoy the magnificent scenery.

Although diminutive in size, this Downtown coffee shop has a BIG reputation for the best coffee in town, with perfect microfoam on every latte. They do offer a fine selection of baked goods, and you can also preorder excellent St. Viateur bagels from Montreal and pick them up on Wednesday.

More than 80 varieties of loose-leaf teas, craft beverages, and artisan coffees are served alongside fresh, healthy, and local food at this downtown café. Look for pad Thai noodle bowls, rice bowls, salads, sandwiches, and delicious wraps. There are many vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options on the menu as well.

One of three Credo locations in Edmonton, this elegant café serves seriously good coffee and house-made granola bars, brownies, and outstanding cookies. Every latte comes with perfect microfoam worthy of a picture.

Calgary's oldest restaurant started as a milk bar in the 1950s that served organic food before it was trendy; today it's best known for breakfast, which is served until 3 pm, but it’s a fine place for lunch and supper too. While this gem is not technically in Kensington, it's certainly worth the short walk.

Every town has at least one outstanding breakfast and lunch place, and in Downtown Edmonton, the District is it. Excellent limitless coffee and fresh baked goods, all-day breakfast, and a world-class breakfast sandwich make this a great breakfast stop. The tasty sandwiches and salads make it a great spot for lunch too, and there are lots of options for vegans and vegetarians too.

On any day, this specialty coffee roaster carries 15–20 different environmentally grown and socially responsible coffees which they roast on-site---they've won numerous roasting competitions. Each aromatic blend is perfectly brewed and can be enjoyed with baked goods, snacks, wraps, and other light fare. There are two locations in Canmore.

Spacious and bright with large tables, Beltline’s Good Earth is a great spot to grab fresh-baked goods and as ethical and responsible a coffee you will ever find. This feel-good coffeehouse also serves fresh and nutritious sandwiches, soups, and salads. It's also just one of several locations in the greater Downtown area.

Always cozy and full of sunshine, Higher Ground has been the go-to coffee shop in Kensington for decades. They serve 100% organic coffee and tea, so you can feel good about quaffing a hot beverage while sampling one of their fresh-baked goods or all-day breakfast items (particularly the Tuscan Sunrise---a panini with egg, sausage, tomato, onion, Swiss cheese, and basil pesto).

Local work crews, mountain guides, and park wardens love this small café for a hot breakfast, lunch, or early dinner (until 6). Baked goods, made-to-order sandwiches, wraps, and salads are the specialties, and the coffee is excellent. This is a good place to pick up a meal to go if you're driving north on the Icefields Parkway. There are only a few seats along the window and a few chairs outside.

First established in 1978, this company produces gourmet cured meats and artisan sausages. In the on-site deli, you can buy locally grown and made foods and enjoy a variety of freshly made sandwiches, chicken potpies, sausage rolls, paninis, snacks, and treats served alongside coffee or tea.

This little coffee shop is attached to the Waterton Lakes Opera House and is a great spot to grab a nibble and re-caffeinate. Excellent breakfast sandwiches, bagels, and hearty lunch sandwiches can be picked up before heading out on a hike. A wide variety of coffees---from your basic cup of joe to fancy options like caramel macchiato and Vietnamese---are on offer. There are also a variety of teas, cold drinks, baked goods, and snacks on the menu.