BrooksBlogs

Prado coffee, a Vancouver cafe has made its way across the Rockies to the bustling city of Calgary. The cafe is located in the Brittana Plaza, which has many endearing shops all along the strip.

Around 8:30am I found parking right across the street for a dollar. Prado is open 7am-6pm providing a wide range of time to enjoy a coffee or treat. I love when everything just flows in the mornings. Especially before I have had my cup of coffee.

To sip from my Wednesday morning coffee is to step into the experience. The streetside appeal was lovely with the early calmness and golden sunshine reflecting off the window, which serves as the whole entrance wall.

As I stopped to capture a picture of the crisp yet inviting outer look, three guys walked out the door, asking “would you like us to pose” with genuine smiles. Honestly, that interaction could describe what you enter.

Hints of coffee linger in the air, so you know it’s going to be good. People sitting and chatting envelop this immediate sense of community. As I made my way through the naturally lit space to the counter, the barista was ready and started with “How are you?”. One thing I can say is that you can have coffee in a lot of places, but you don’t always get the aspect of connection.

I ordered my go-to anywhere, a traditional cappuccino, which is typically a 6oz espresso-based drink with equal parts steamed milk to thick milk foam. Paired with a recommendation from the man sitting at a nearby table, the earl grey scone. If you know me, you know I will always get behind a scone.

The man who gave such recommendation was definitely a crucial piece to Prado coffee, possibly the owner, I should have asked. Efficiently I got my scone, cappuccino and the clever Wi-Fi password: RadEsspresso. The espresso is rad, and I noticed they sell bags of coffee beans labeled ‘RadEspresso’. I sat on the sidelines to the middle of it all, with a cozy cushioned bench which lined nearly the entire wall.

Seating makes a statement, these benches with a sort of chevron knit detail added a soft piece to the contemporariness, which I appreciated. As well as the tree which grew through a cutout in one of the countered areas, how I love greenery being encompassed as part of a design instead of just an afterthought.

The incomparable sensation of a superbly balanced cappuccino. First is the airiness of warm milk and the layered frothy goodness, followed by the prominent delectable coffee taste, not overtaken by the milk like -in my opinion- a latte is.

The scone was not my go-to shape of an abstract triangle, but more of a mound. The earl grey flavor was present, and flakes of earl grey were found throughout. Brown sugar decorated the top of the scone and added a cozy sweetness. The center was the best part to me, with almost a muffin-like tenderness. Not quite how I imagine a more traditional flaky and soft scone, but yet again I find scones tend to vary. Nevertheless, I ate every bite and it was delicious. Next time I will have to try the berry scone.

While being there, many voices came and went, but music was consistent and I loved it. A few songs I identified were: Long Way From Home (The Lumineers), Things behind The Sun (Nick Drake), and Train Song (Feist and Benjamin Gibbard). Thanks to Shazam!

Anyways, the vibes worked so perfectly, and for a few moments I was simply sitting in a cafe satisfied, and nothing else was happening. Shadows from greenery inside and out of the cafe danced on the creamy, textured back wall as the sun shone in. What a pleasant feeling. So, if you’re searching for some respite, community or a good cup of coffee, I would give it a try.

See you there?

The interior from my seat