Vintage Caffeine the latest coffee shop in Hillhurst

Calgary has its Barley Belt, a collection of craft breweries in the city’s southeast. Perhaps it’s time to declare a similar coffee circuit.

Quietly and quite recently, four coffee shops have opened along a few blocks of 19th Street in the northwest neighbourhood of Hillhurst. Here’s a brief description of each.

I invariably take my coffee black, typically an Americano/Canadiano. But in the interests of research, I’m willing to add some white liquid to the mix.

At vegan Vintage Caffeine, (101 19 Street NW) that means the dairy-free “milk” is instead oat, soy or almond. I’m not ready to switch to white, but my oat milk cappuccino (Fratello beans) tastes pretty darn good, paired with a house-made chipotle empanada.

Vintage has gone vegan

Now here’s a true partnership. The aptly named Pocket Coffee (317 19 Street SW) is owned by attached Dairy Lane Café, with roasted beans from Fratello and baked treats from superb Butter Block. Be bold and tackle a French toast latte and double-baked apple croissant on the sidewalk patio.

Pocket Coffee

Crave Cupcakes has expanded its mini empire with a new Hillhurst bakery that includes an attached coffee shop, CeCe’s Coffee (114 18 A Street). Order a Monogram-based java with a fresh-baked cupcake or savoury cheddar scone.

Cupcakes and coffee