Fabulous Butter Block muffin and Q.lab coffee

It’s increasingly hard to find a good coffee and pastry in Calgary for less than $10. So, here’s an outstanding pairing for only $5.

Of course, there’s a wee caveat or two. As in buy one, get one free (Can I just get the free one?) And you have to hit two places. But it’s still a hell of a deal.

Who doesn’t love a free coffee?

We start at Butter Block, in the Beltline’s Devenish Building, to pick up a superb croissant, muffin or tart for about $5. We then wander, a stone’s throw away, to Q.lab, arguably the best coffee shop in Calgary. Q.lab doesn’t serve food, but they let you bring your own, hence the stop at Butter Block.

Q.lab coffee in Calgary’s Beltline

Here’s the caveat. You need to buy a pound or more of their excellent Chronicle-roasted beans, which you probably need to purchase anyway, and for only about $20 a pound.

The good news is that having bought said beans, you get a free coffee. Which can be a fine espreso-based drink or, my preference, a lovingly prepared pour-over coffee (from your choice of more than a dozen bean types).

A perfect pour over

So here’s the math. About $5 for the pastry and zero for the coffee drink, which would normally cost upwards of $6 if you didn’t buy any beans.

My head hurts. I need some caffeine.

A swan song

Butter Block
111, 908 17 Avenue SW, Calgary
Weekdays 7:30 am-5 pm, weekends 8 am-5 pm

Q.lab Coffee
926 16 Avenue SW, Calgary
Weekdays 8:30 am-5 pm, Saturday 8:30 am-4 pm. Closed Sunday