Independent spots offer special flavours, serve as community and art spaces, and are hubs for local business. Here are five of Edmonton’s favourites:

Stopgap Coffee

Located inside a historic home nearby Victoria Park and the Alberta Legislature Building, Stopgap’s mission is simple: “to be a temporary means of satisfying your need for coffee hoping to better your day”. Their menu includes classic espresso drinks as well as drip coffee, pourovers, and tea lattes such as matcha, london fog, and hong kong milk tea. They also sell donuts and pastries, coffee making supplies, and goods made by local artists and craftspeople. Stopgap’s exceptional service and the quality of their espresso are commended by online reviewers, earning the shop a perfect five stars on Google. Check out their adorable decor over a cozy cup of joe the next time you’re in the neighbourhood!

Labo Coffee

Across the river along 82nd Ave NW is the hip and innovative Labo coffee, which seeks to be experimental and teach people about craft coffee in a fun and playful space. Their menu includes all the classic coffee and tea drinks, as well as seasonal drinks, breakfast-inspired signature drinks, and experimental drinks that combine coffee with unexpected flavours. While the focus is on a developing and rotating drink menu, Labo also sells a few sandwiches and snacks. Reviewers give it an average of 4.9 stars for the specialty drinks, friendly staff, and comfortable environment– which many remark is a great place to get work done, go for a coffee date, or even just stay and relax.

Liberta Coffee Lab

A community space in the Hazeldean neighbourhood, Liberta Coffee Lab offers an array of drinks, tasty Asian-inspired sandwiches, pastries and toasts, and a bright open space for co-working, coffee classes, and live music. Some menu highlights include the peanut butter flavoured Liberta Latte, three specialty flavoured lemonades, and the Korean Street Egg Toast. If the interior wasn’t already big enough, Liberta also has a front and back patio perfect for relaxing during those warmer months of the year.

Strom Coffee

On 104th St NW, across from Strathcona High School is Strom Coffee: a small shop inspired by Swedish culture and flavours. Their ultimate goal is to create an environment of fika– the Swedish ritual of slowing down to take a break and socialize. On the menu at Strom are typical espresso-based drinks, elderflower lemonade, kanalkaffe (cinnamon sweet cream and cold foam), and salted caramel lattes. They also make decadent Swedish cookies and buns that you can order on their own or with a cup of coffee as a $6 deal. Reviewers love hearing the Swedish-speakers who hang out inside, and the fact that Strom uses coffee beans from Vancouver coffee company 49th Parallel.

Naked Cafe

Last on the list and located in the Downtown area is Naked (also known as Naked Cybercafe and Espresso Bar). Part coffee shop, part internet cafe, bar board games lounge, and part live music venue, Naked is what you could absolutely call a “third space”. Here the coffee bar serves more as a social gathering point. Expect to find classic espresso drinks, along with “snacks and desserts from the Italian Bakery and paninis”. Whether you just want to play checkers with someone new or participate in public jam sessions, the opportunity is there. One of the oldest underground music venues in the city, Naked also offers open mics and dance nights for the community. If you’re looking for a coffee shop that’s truly people-centric, you’ve got to check this place out.