Cape Town has developed a thriving coffee culture in recent years, with a plethora of roasteries producing their own artisanal coffee. As the saying goes, ‘life is too short to drink bad coffee,’ so we’ve rounded up the best places for coffee tasting in Cape Town.
Treat yourself to a range of delectable artisanal coffees at Origin headquarters in the trendy village of De Waterkant. Origin uses ethically sourced beans from around the world to create its single origin brews, which are rich in character and flavor. This vibrant café is a hotspot for sumptuous breakfasts and lunches accompanied by a steaming hot brew featuring stunning latte art. If you’re interested in learning more about the favored hot beverage, you can attend a cupping or coffee knowledge session at Origin on weekends.
Bean There is among the first specialty coffee roasters in South Africa and the first to roast fair trade coffee beans. They serve a variety of single origin brews from around Africa, all of which are optimally roasted to perfection, ensuring an exceptional cup of coffee every time. This charming café is perfect for a quick espresso break or laid-back afternoon snack with its range of freshly baked goods and sandwiches.
With its trendy steampunk-themed café and exquisite coffees, it’s no wonder that Truth Coffee Roasting is the ‘World’s Best Coffee Shop’ according to the Daily Telegraph. Truth’s masterful blends and single origin coffees are robust without the bitterness, and so full of flavor that adding sugar would be a sin. Aside from coffee, the bustling café-cum-restaurant serves a satisfying array of contemporary cuisine, artisanal teas and alcoholic beverages.
Who knew that motorcycles and coffee would go so well together? Tribe Coffee’s CBD café is situated inside the Donford BMW Motorrad, where you can sip on your brew while admiring the gleaming bikes and leather gear for sale. Tribe’s unique single origin coffees are sourced from around the world, and comprise diverse aromas and flavours such as chocolate, truffle oil, and roasted chestnuts. Try their refreshing iced coffee on a hot day or a delicious loose-leafed tea if you’re not a java fan.
Legado is arguably the best coffee roastery in the Cape Winelands. Whether it’s a full-bodied espresso that tickles your fancy or a light roast with floral notes from Ethiopia, Legado has something for everyone. Each specialty blend and single origin brew is skillfully roasted in a renovated century-old wine cellar on the picturesque Rosenview Wine Estate. Pop by the roastery on the first Friday of the month for a free cupping session, and be sure to take a few bags of the good stuff home with you. Keep in mind that the Roastery at Rosenview Estate is only open to the public on Saturdays from 9AM to 1PM.
With several outlets across the city, Deluxe Coffeeworks have a huge following of coffee snobs, cyclists and bikers who love a good cuppa any time of the day. Their full-flavored Brazilian, Guatemalan and Ethiopian varieties are roasted in-house daily and served at numerous cafés and restaurants across the country. Stop by the Deluxe roastery and espresso bar in Gardens for your caffeine fix in a relaxed environment.
R Caffe delightfully fuses coffee culture with excellent food at their bohemian-inspired Long Street café. They are best-known for their variety of artisanal coffees, expertly brewed by the resident barista, and wide array of wholesome meals and decadent bakes. Enchanting art pieces made from recycled objects line the café’s mauve walls, granting it its unique and enticing character.
Espresso Lab Microroasters are masters of their trade, and prefer to roast their coffee the Scandinavian way: lightly. The café’s stark white walls and chemistry-themed attributes add a playful spin to their tasting laboratory based at The Old Biscuit Mill. Espresso Lab pride themselves on developing optimal roasts that reflect their origin and distinct flavors of each region, and their beans are sourced through fair trade with farms and cooperatives from Costa Rica to Ethiopia. Be sure to try their iconic Vitamin C Shot – a single espresso with a shot of raw honey, cold-pressed ginger and lemon.
Haas is well-known for their exotic, single origin coffees, eclectic décor and delicious café fare. Their simple yet innovative menu features a variety of freshly baked goods, scrumptious breakfasts, light meals, and cakes to satisfy the sweet-toothed. If you’re in serious need of a caffeine kick, what better way to wake up than by sampling the ‘world’s strongest coffee’ – a local brew aptly called Black Insomnia. This full-bodied java contains a staggering 702 milligrams of caffeine per 12-ounce (0.3-litre) cup. However, if super strong coffee is not your forte, try one of Haas’s signature Arabica blends instead.
Escape the city for the day and enjoy coffee and a slice of cake at The Coffee Roasting Company. Set on a beautiful wine estate, this quaint little coffee shop offers a variety of hand-roasted medium and full-bodied coffees with hints of earthy spices, chocolate and summer fruits. Relax at one of the outdoor tables and nibble on a range of freshly baked muffins, cakes, and pastries from the deli.
