Dear Red Bush, Your customer service is the best. The hot chocolate I had today was the best. You show free movies on the weekend which is the best. You give away free fortune cookies cuz it Chinese New Year and that’s the best. I saw a few board games which would be the best to come and play. There are tons of cute things for sale which would make the best gifts… Basically what I’m saying is you guys are the best! I’m so glad I went in today! Best day!
Alison Y.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Calgary, Canada
On a suggestion, I made arrangements with Lisa to meet up here for tea one afternoon after work. For once, I found easy parking just off 10th and walked the short block over to the tea shop. From the outside the place is beautifully organic, lots of plants and nice spots to sit if you feel like peoplewatching as the cars go by. On the inside you’re greeted with big plushy leather chairs, oddly arranged bookcases, and barrels covered in candy and saltwater taffy. The menu was a board on the floor leaning up against a counter with a wide variety of items but the main thing was to go pick the tea. On the far side of the cashier is two little bookcases covered in jars you can open and smell, to help you decide what to drink. There were more shelves with all sorts of neat stuff I will be sure to peruse next time I’m in the shop. They have a wide variety of teas and it was tough to pick but I felt like something dark and slightly bitter/spicy. I settled on a black tea called Eggnog and next time I’d probably give their Market Spice a try. The tea is looseleaf in a huge teabag, looks like it’s designed to let the leaves expand properly, and the water was super-heated. It probably could have stood to be just a tad closer to drinkable but once it was cooler it was nice. The shop was quiet but that was great for our conversation and we didn’t even notice an hour go by. I can’t wait to go back and try more teas, pick up a few for home, and definitely get myself a batch of that eggnog black tea!
Steve S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Calgary, Canada
What a hidden gem. Great music. Super clean and so many neat candy and sweet choices. It would be a great place for a business meeting, a date, or even to just dossier in the colon back area. They play music that suits the atmosphere and have some great little trinkets anyone could use too. :)
Karly A.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Vancouver Island, Canada
An interesting mix of candy shop and coffee shop. Loads of memories from the old school candy, salt water taffy, fun dip, etc. Tons of variety. Some gift wares also and gift baskets. I had hot chocolate and a hand made caramel. Both were very delicious. They don’t have a ton of options and it’s not really a food place more drinks and sweets. But I’d certainly drop in again.
Kathy F.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Calgary, Canada
Best decaf in town! I even took some Fratello decaf home for a bridal shower and the girls loved it! It was a decaf that tasted like regular coffee. Our walking group meets at this café every Tuesday … And i love the Americanos and Matcha Green Tea Latte. Good prices too. Beats Starbucks!
Wanda B.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Calgary, Canada
We first became aware of this place a couple weeks ago on our way to Pulcinella. It was Stampede, they had set up a table outside making cotton candy. They gave my boy a complimentary cotton candy as we were walking by(very cool). Since we didn’t have time to stop in and browse we made a mental note to try it later on(coffee & candy — yahoo). Last weekend we had the chance to walk by it again on our way out of the craziness known as the Salsa Festival. While there were people inside it was not packed so we decided to stop in for a coffee to go and of course let the kids pick a treat. It’s very quaint inside. Love the selection of loose leaf teas and the nice little area in the back to sit down on some comfy seats and enjoy your beverage or candy treat. While the candy prices are not cheap by any means, they have a nice selection of oldies but goodies and a small treat will not break the bank ;). Like a kids in a candy store my 2 kidlets went slightly crazy in here trying to decide what 1 treat they would pick(they also had the choice of ice cream, or popcorn outside at the festival). In the end one picked a lollipop and one decided to wait for ice cream. Really liked the place, service was great despite being busy and they appeared to have a nice selection of fudge at the counter. Can’t wait to visit again… hmmm maybe sans kids?!!
Kristin L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Calgary, Canada
I had an AMAZING London Fog here, with a special Pumpkin Spice Roobois. It was truly delicious. This is a great place for a quiet meeting space, and its especially great because you can snack on tasty salt water taffy during your meeting! I would highly recommend checking this place out and seeing what is has to offer. Great Teas, and Great Candy. Its a special place!
Thomas M.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Calgary, Canada
This new tea shop is a very beautiful place to have a great cup of tea. They have a good variety of tea blends, excellent service and good environment. It is a fun place to go because one is surrounded by candy and just a really good vibe.
Sabahat N.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Calgary, Canada
Been here a few times. I mostly pop in here if I’m passing by on my way to something else, or on a lazy Saturday walk in Kensington. I love sniffing the different kinds of teas here! My favourite uptil now is the Rooibos Love tea. Thats the one they were giving free samples of when I went in the first time. I fell in love with it(Rooibos Love — haha) right away. I didnt end up buying it then, but I did recently, after a few more visits and sniffing sessions. The salesgirl there is always super nice, and you can usually find all kinds of tea-related stuff there. Definitely the place to go if you want to buy some top quality herbal teas.
Shannon L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Calgary, Canada
Oh me oh my! Sooo yummy and comfy cozy. Ginger chews, saltwater taffy, delicious teas from all over — I can even jazz myself up with a latte if I want! The sitting area is comfy with leather chairs and lots to look at — I love checking out the latest little gizmo — yellow rubber ducky tea ball! Have to get one for my friend!
Wendy P.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Calgary, Canada
Tea sniffing is the latest craze(at least, it’s my latest craze). It involves finding your best local tea shops, gazing in awe at the rows upon rows of teas and mixes in front of you, and then grabbing a jar, opening the lid and taking a big, deep, breath in. *insert inhale here* Repeat from jar to jar until you find the one that fills you with a kind of warmth and satisfaction that you just can’t get from the other jars. This is precisely what I did when I walked into the Red Bush Tea and Coffee company in Kensington. Funnily enough, I ended up with 100g of a tea called«Deep Breath». Guess that was meant to be! This shop shares its space with The Candy Kid. Not only have they got some tea for your sniffing and drinking pleasure(you can also buy it by the cup and enjoy it in the small seating area at the back of the store), they’ve also got a moderate selection of gift ideas-stuffed animals, trinkets, tea pots and the likes. The tea pots at the back were funky, but expensive. I don’t drink enough tea to warrant a $ 60-$ 100 kettle. But the amount I do drink was enough justification for the ceramic mug with a built in ceramic strainer I bought. It’s turned out to be the perfect size, and super easy to clean. The only thing I don’t enjoy are the little floaties that that escape into the water through the strainers and settle to the bottom of my cup. That would never happen with a metal strainer… ah well! It’s my favourite new cup anyway. Even with a few seats near the back, this isn’t a space I’d set up shop with my laptop. If they found a way to incorporate some bar stools by the counter, that might work, but otherwise, stick to buying the mix to take home with you.