BOREALIS OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Guide to Great Coffee Establishments and Tea Rooms in Saskatchewan Life is too short to drink bad coffee! Around here, cyclists love coffee. And according to the cyclists that we know and love, the darker and richer the brew, the better. Here are our completely biased recommendations of the best places to grab a java in Saskatchewan (see our ratings explanations).
Cities and Towns: Saskatoon (it's where we live, so it's first on the list) Melfort Moose Jaw Outlook Prince Albert Regina Rosthern Wolseley
Saskatoon
Original Broadway location New 8th Street location	Broadway Roastery, 614C Broadway Avenue at Five Corners (original location) and 8th Street at Campbell Ave (new location). These guys roast the beans found in many of Saskatoon's best coffee houses (and on many of our Saskatchewan tours). In warm weather, you can't beat lingering over a cup of coffee on their patio. Their Broadway location doesn't offer a smoke-free environment, but they've put all the smokers in their new 8th Street location in a glass cage so the rest of us can breathe easy!.
	City Perk, 801 - 7th Avenue North. Located in the City Park neighbourhood (that explains the name), this cozy little bistro brews up a fine espresso or drip coffee. The fact that one of our CAN-BIKE instructors works there part-time hasn't influenced our ranking, but it's nice to know you can find someone to share your interest in all things bicycle.
	Calories Bakery & Restaurant, 721 Broadway Avenue. One of Saskatoon's best-known and loved coffee and dessert hang-outs, Calories also serves up delicious lunches and dinners.
	Coffee Dot Com, B-269 3rd Avenue South (at 20th Street). Good coffee, good snacks and high-speed Internet access.
	Fine Art Café and Pacific Gallery, 702 - 14th Street East (14th at Temperance and Lansdown). This former grocery store has seen a lot of uses over the years, including a vegetarian restaurant. With Pacific Gallery moving to this location, the Fine Art Café should become a popular coffee stop in the neighbourhood. The café offers excellent coffee and desserts.
	Gotta Hava Java Cappuccino Bar, 112 - 2nd Avenue North (off 22nd Street). We've added this listing only since these guys went totally smoke-free (it was just too smoky previously for any cyclist's enjoyment of coffee). Enjoy good coffees, lunches and treats at this downtown café. In summer, you can sit out on the sidewalk and watch the world go by as you sip your coffee.
	Jimmy Java, Lawson Heights Mall (Primrose Drive), Midtown Plaza (downtown), The Centre At Circle & 8th (east). Coffee, snacks and high-speed Internet access. Mall locations mean that you can't keep an eye on your bike while sipping coffee and you're stuck inside, but the espresso is good and the Internet access can't be beat.
	Joe Bean's Coffee Roasting Company, 105-3521 8th Street East (north side of 8th Street, east of Acadia). Spacious, funky modern atmosphere, combined with good coffee, makes this a great place to drop in for a brew. Their roasts - including their espresso - are lighter than others we're familiar with, yet they brew delicious, full-bodied coffees. There's an outdoor patio and bicycle racks (wheel-benders, unfortunately, but their hearts are in the right place). Completely smoke-free atmosphere. Fans of Donovan Leitch and his peculiar brand of 1960's folk rock might remember Joe Bean's Theme from Open Road (Riki Tiki Tavi was the only popular hit from the album), but the name of this coffee shop wasn't inspired by the song, unless you think Clara Clairvoyant had something to do with it. (submitted by John P.)
	The Living Room-Cappuccino Bar, 733 Broadway Avenue. This establishment, located in The Dairy Building, makes you feel right at home. They also offer lunch specials and a wide variety of desserts.
	Mackenzie Cole Coffee, 815A Gray Avenue (corner of Gray and Central, just north of the railroad tracks). Saskatoon's Sutherland subdivision began life as a "CPR Town", where the trans-continental railroad serviced it's locomotives and prepared trains for destinations along the mainline and branch lines. Mackenzie Cole Coffee brings cyclists another good place to stop and rest on the east side of the city - much further east and these guys would be out of town! They get their coffees from Globe Coffee in Toronto.
	Mystic Java, 209-3929 8th St E (College Park Mall). Enjoy fresh-brewed specialty roast coffees from Custom Gourmet Coffee (in Calgary), light lunches and desserts in this cozy, sunlit bistro.
	Tastebuds, 1624 Lorne Avenue. Enjoy sandwiches, desserts and coffee in one of Saskatoon's older neighbourhoods. Whether you stay indoors or relax out on the patio, this is a great place to take time out from the world.
Kindersley
(Tea Room)	Harwell Tea Room Gardens & Gift Shop, off Highway 7, west of Kindersley. Excellent service. The finest tea I've ever tasted! Great food. People all around visiting and enjoying return visits. Lots of history. An absolute must stop place just north of HWY 7 between Flaxcombe and Kindersley. To get there, turn north on Hwy 307 (21.5 km west of Kindersley), then go north 10 km to Harwell Rd. Turn west 3.3 km,then south 1.6 km to the tea room (don't worry, there's lots of signs along the way). While in the area, also visit the Great Stone Wall, Old Stone House, Garden Gallery and Leaning Tree Ranch. (submitted by Carla B.)
Melfort
	Roca Jack's and Burlap Grill: Gourmet Burgers and Fries, 214 Main Street. Melfort's historic downtown provides a picturesque backdrop for this trendy coffee house and burger joint. It's just down the street from Melfort's prominent post office and city hall.
Moose Jaw
	Bean There, 345 Main Street North. It's amazing to see the growth of this once-declining historic city, and along with it the introduction of new and exciting coffee establishments. At one time, Bean There was the name of Saskatoon's best espresso bar, operated in a hair styling salon. We were disappointed when the Saskatoon business closed, but are glad to see that the name and original espresso press live on in Moose Jaw.
	Coffee Encounters, 203 Main Street. Located in the heart of Moose Jaw's historic downtown, Coffee Encounters adds a new dimension to the city, located in a vintage building restored to its former glory. The high ceilings and tall windows provide a light and airy atmosphere to relax and enjoy your coffee.
Outlook
	CJ's Javajoint, 214 Franklin Street. We first stopped in here one day in late November. Although winter should have settled in on the prairies, uncharacteristically warm weather had brought throngs of cyclists to the streets of this small town. CJ's was hopping. We ordered bruschetta and cappuccino for lunch, and still had room for sour cream lemon pie and saskatoon berry bavarian pie. I can't remember if they allowed smoking, but if they did, it looked like no one dared light up the day we were there.
Prince Albert
	Shananigan's Coffee & Dessert Bar, 2144 - 6th Avenue West. We're glad to see that PA now has someplace to go for great coffee. Located on a quiet street in West Hill in a renovated grocery store, made much more comfortable with the addition of couches, fireplace and a ... swing bar? Yup, real swings hanging from the ceiling (there's probably a story there somewhere, but we're afraid to ask). Espresso, fresh baked cheese cakes, desserts and lunches. (submitted by Mark and Shannon)
Regina
	Roca Jack's Coffee House, 1939 Scarth Street . An excellent espresso bar and roastery, situated in the heart of Regina's downtown, across from scenic Victoria Park and just a block away from the historic Hotel Saskatchewan. Not only will you get a great coffee, you can grab a delicious and healthy lunch or snack at the same time. If you can't find the Saskatchewan Cycling Association folks in their office, look here.
Rosthern
(Tea Room)	Seager Wheeler Farm. About 7 km east of Rosthern, on hwy 312, is a great place called the Seager Wheeler Farm. There is a tearoom and guided tours of one of Saskatchewan's and Canada's greatest prairie icons. The main theme is horticulture and the ongoing battle of co-existence between man and nature. Aside from the beautiful landscapes, the food there is excellent. The farm is only 10km from Valley Regional Park. It is little-known jewel of the prairies that everyone should check out! (Submitted by Christine F.)
Wolseley
	Banbury House Inn, 104 Front Street. The Wascana Freewheelers (Regina's bicycle touring club) make this a stop on their Gourmet Weekend tour. We've stayed at this bed-and-breakfast a few times and always enjoy the hospitality and, of course, the coffee. Be sure to spend some time looking around the town, with it's restored opera house and other historic buildings. For Canadiana buffs, it's worth noting that Beaver Lumber started here.
Do you have a favourite coffee house or tea room you'd like everyone to know about? Send us your suggestion.
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