Higher Ground Cafe

Really nice and cozy place to get a drink in! Very warm and inviting environment with a variety of items to select from on the menu as well. Can be fairly busy during peak hours but the wait is worth it as seating is comfortable, especially close to the heat of the fireplace. Highly recommended as the brews are always of high quality and the space provides an enjoyable stay!

I love this place. The coffee is amazing the seating is comfortable, and the staff are very friendly. I would highly recommend visiting this unique coffee shop

Friendly barista alert! She put so much effort on my caramel macchiato, i had caramel drizzle snail on the coffee:) thank you!

I've been coming to Higher Ground for over 10 years. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable (esp.about milk alternatives). It is a great little place to work and meet friends. My favourite drink is the Snow Dragon.

Really great coffee and cool environment. The oven was broken when we went so we could not try any food unfortunately.

Nice place and it's good to have this coffeeshop working late even on weekend. I hope they can pass this tough time with Covid19.

I’ve been coming to this Kensington location for years. And I don’t know why I keep coming back. Initially it was the atmosphere. It’s cozy and has a fire place. However good luck most days finding a seat. But what really sucks is the food and service. Everyone these days has anxiety so I guess there’s zero pressure for anyone working to show any hustle whatsoever. The food is very mediocre and the prices ghastly. I went there for lunch just now because I’m in a course all weekend and recall again why I just hate going there. If you have any limited amount of time, don’t come here. You will wait (for no apparent reason at all) a very long time for them to wipe avocado on bread and microwave it. I got a chicken sandwich and it was $13! You might think for that price it comes with a side. Nope. Just a sandwich. Most of which you will just fill up on the ciabatta bun and be left wanting for the actual main ingredient for which there was barely any. There is absolutely nothing extraordinary about this place other than it’s right where you’d hope to find a cafe on a weekend in Kensington. Do yourself a favor and go to literally any other nearby cafe or restaurant.

This is one of the best brownies I've ever tasted. I
bought one because my day was going awful and I
wanted a pickmeup with my coffee, little did I know I
was about to eat the most scrumptious brownie l've
ever consumed.whoever made the brownies today
really made my entire week, fantastic way to start a
week, brownies.

This is our first time coming here. The place seems very popular, but the coffee isn’t very good. I’m not an expert but I think the milk got too hot and it seems like a very thin and “flat” flat white. It tasted like something that would squirt out of an automated coffee machine. Also they don’t serve it in a actual cup but a to go cup which really takes away from the experience and adds a waxy paper taste.

We visited this Kensington location recently, and ordered a fantastic, seasonal pumpkin pie latte and iced jasmine green tea. Both drinks were at perfect temperatures, freshly tamped, and extremely delicious. The atmosphere was bustling, so obviously a popular place and it’s understandable given how the tasty their coffee is. On a particular note, the washroom smelled wonderful and was clean and tidy, so obviously they take pride and care in all aspects of maintaining their cafe.
The lovely baristas on staff were friendly, particularly the one with killer eyeliner who took our order. Fast and efficient service with delicious treats, we will definitely be back!

Great atmosphere, friendly staff, and lots of creative coffee based drinks. The space was huge and the place just had a great feel to it.

I ordered the flat white with my wife. It's very airy and thin and it seems like they messed up the heating of the milk. Sorry but this coffee was really bad. Also serving it in a paper cup. I don't think we'll come back.

Such a nice atmosphere and lots of space to chill. Tasty vegan options for food, drinks, and ice cream which is great! And some awesome staff!

I came in today for a mango peach smoothie and walked out empty handed. I stood there for a while waiting for my drink.while they were taking other orders and making them first before mine.when I questioned where my drink was? She said she never made it yet (obviously) I just left feeling like I got the cold shoulder and left. Very pour customer services today. Out 7 bucks.thanks guys not!

I was a little disappointed with how i was treated while coming here. I was looking forward to a coffee with a friend and i get there to order a lemon bar. The lady working incorrectly put it in as a london fog. Which was fine and i told her i said a lemon bar and understood it is hard to hear with the covid precautions. The worker did not approach this with respect at all…. I was told by her “that’s why i asked if you wanted a small” and i was told she could not refund me the extra two dollars i had paid for that was a mistake. I did NOT get an apology or no effort at all to get my refund. I said it was fine and left with my lemon bar. Overall I was looking forward to checking this place out but I will not be returning. No effort was done to get a refund for the workers mistake and no apology. I am disappointed.

Unnecessarily rude staff. I walk in, wasn’t greeted or acknowledged, came up to the front to look at the menu, and there was struck with a “I can help whoever is next. ” Not only was I the only one in the cafe, but also had never been in to take a look at what they had to offer before. The staff member just stood there and looked at me as if It was some sort of burden that I had to take an extra minute to decide.when I was ready to order he demanded me to “stand behind the glass. ” I would have gladly done whatever had made him comfortable, if he had asked me nicely, but since being rudely ordered to obey their standards made me feel disrespected and not honoured as a customer. There clearly needs to be some sort of reinforcement of customer service standards in the business, as I felt deeply put down by how they had treated me, and the experience I had was enough to ruin my night. Having this, made it evident that other customers and supporters are likely being treated with the same sort of disrespect. You never truly know what a person is going through, and speaking from experience it is always necessary to treat customers with respect. Be understanding, always, and help spread happiness instead of making people unhappy.

I could never support this cafe due to its extremely rude and unprofessional owner. I will not go into detail for confidentiality purposes however, for a cafe that has profited on the notion of community, I am disgusted by their business practices. Don't get me wrong - their drinks are good (albeit hit or miss) but it's their business practices that will have me choosing Tim Hortons coffee EVERY TIME before I go here.

RUDE BARISTA. I had a party of 4 but the tables that were open only sat 3, so we took a chair from one the tables that were not even sanitized, thinking that we could just sanitize it for our own use but the barista rudely told us that we weren't able to do this as the table where we got the chair from was sanitized, which was not as indicated by their sanitized signages. We would've been okay getting told about the situation but the fact that the barista just rudely communicated this to us just made me and my girlies not want to go back to this coffee shop ever again.

Good coffee, great location, and one of the best atmospheres in the city. Art made by local artists hangs in the brick walls and can be bought at the café.
Coffee, tea, cold drinks, and superb ice cream. One of the best coffee shops in Calgary

The atmosphere, the bay window and interior design are lovely whereas coffee is mediocre and bakery is not tasty at all. It could not meet my expectation.

First time going and I absolutely loved the vibe! Very spacious but fills up quickly due to covid & depending when you plan on going. HUGE food menu (all day breakfast!) and tons of unique specialty teas and coffees. I look forward to returning soon!

Excellent place with great tasting and special coffees, accompanied with great atmosphere and nice service.

Love the vibe of the place and it has good coffee. Negatives are that it's always hard to find seating and service is hit & miss.

Been here a few times now, great cozy local coffee shop. Lots of different drink options and the staff have always been attentive and kind. Keep it up!

This is such a great business. Coffee is done right and the atmosphere is quiet and comfortable. The staff are also all amazing. Recently had a cinnamon bun that had unfortunately gone a bit stale. Not only did they give us another one without question but they then brought over another 1 to take home too. There is a reason this is the only coffee shop we go to in Kensington.

Love the great divide, I get it every time. The Americano is also another favorite, I prefer mine iced here!

Great place to meet friends and study, but its really gone downhill otherwise - worst coffee, bad food, and staff are consistently unfriendly and cold: -/

Always great service and fantastic drinks and food. I absolutely adore coming here anytime I’m in the area.

Personally I believe they have the best London fog in Calgary! Amazing selection of drinks, food and on house made treats. Gluten free and vegan options available and done well, especially the Tuscan sunrise sandwich.

Higher Ground Cafe is a staple of Kensington. With COVID-19 there isn’t as much going on there anymore, however the staff is still friendly and the coffee tastes great. I’m looking forward to being able to go back to listen to live music and other events. I would definitely recommend Higher Ground Cafe to anyone looking for a chill place to hang out and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea.

Very helpful staff. A local establishment with a great selection and brews a mean cup of coffee too

Simple delicious breakfast options that you can easily take on the go or stay and enjoy with a coffee. Very impressed!

This was my go to place while I was in University. Only drank tea there for the most part but did eat here a few times with friends. Food was simple but good. Love the atmosphere here. Still come here and chill when I can since it's close to where I live. Staff are great here.

Every time I go here for a date it ends well, thanks for being my lucky spot, folks. Love the lavender misto and your nanaimo bars, keep up the good work!

I just moved into the neighborhood and I thought I would check this place out. Cozy atmosphere, great service, and great drinks. Needless to say, I will be back!

The hot chocolate is nothing but heated up chocolate milk, straight from the jug. Appalling that they charge $4 for a cup!
I bet the owner won’t reply, as they’d have to admit their dirty little secret.

A popular place to study in Kensington. The biggest upside is that their carrot cake is absolutely delicious - they have a great pastry/snack selection overall. The biggest downside is that the place is quite popular, and it's pretty difficult to find a table there. In addition, the environment there is quite loud, making it difficult to work or take calls. I personally recommend Higher Ground in the mornings, but am more reluctant to go there in the late afternoons/evenings, when it gets busy.

Great coffee and tea. Had the mac and cheese with bacon and it was to die for. Reasonably priced for organic tea and coffee and great food. Love that its local too.

Always a great choice, but usually full and might not get a table.has Wi-Fi, a few choices for alcohol, and sometimes bad music.

Great place for hanging out, studying and a place to chill with friends. At the time it was very lively and energetic if you like that "Friends" café atmosphere.

However, I'm giving this a 3/5 since if you're looking for really good coffee, this is not the place. Better off going to cafés like Monogram or Sought x Found for that experience. Great desserts and snacks though!

Do the "Great Divide" mocaccino for sheer caffeinated decadence. Still an uptown-cool Joe & Jane College hangout that supports local artists.

Even if you don't live near Kensington, it is well worth the trip for a cup of coffee or some tea.

Great coffee and friendly staff, but it gets way too busy and it's hard to find a spot. Not sure how it is now after the pandemic happened though.

Cozy and warm atmosphere. A great place to hang out with friends and play card games, study on your laptop, catch up with some reading and just relax and have a sip of your warm drink in cold winter nights.

The first thing that comes to mind is when you walk in. The planning and the just overal Reno is absolutely incredible. Very respectful staff. A place for everyone to enjoy in the heart of Kensington. Thank you as a valued customer.

The chicken sandwich was amazing. Gets busy sometimes so not the best place to go to if you want a chill atmosphere. Great place to hangout out with friends and just talk and is open pretty late which is a major bonus.