There is a fantastic increase in small micro Coffee Roasters in the Cape area.   They have transformed our taste buddies into discerning coffee taste buds – and now I must admit we are really really spoilt!  For those that are coffeeholics you cannot leave the Cape without trying a few of our favourites!

Pam’s list of the best coffee in Cape Town:

Deluxe Coffee Works– they roast there own coffee beans and offer you a cup at only

R12!! This is not only one of the nicest cups of coffee you will ever enjoy – it is also one of the cheapest!  Great strategy – once you taste you will want the beans!  All the branches are quirky and fun, with the Church Street inner city branch drawing long queues in the morning!  Note they are focused only on coffee!  So they do not sell ANYTHING else! Don’t try and order tea or a snack! Original Branch – 25 Church Street.  Recently they moved their roasting operation (2017) to 171a Buitenkant Street, Gardens.   They also have a tiny little branch in the Bo-Kaap.   Their coffee can however be found in many of the small eateries around Cape Town.

Origin Coffee Roasters – This is a fabulous spot to visit if you love coffee or if you love tea or if you just want to people watch while enjoying both of the above.  Here you can enjoy breakfast or lunch (closed in the evening).  For those that are interested you can book to do a tea appreciation session – here they teach you about teas from around the world and you enjoy tastings.  You can join up for a Barrista course or come early and watch them make their bagels!  NB there is a hidden upstairs courtyard on the roof – much nicer in summer as although the smells inside downstairs are insanely fab – it is nice to sit outside on a lovely day! Location: 28 Hudson Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town.  For more information, check out my blog on Origin Coffee

Truth Coffee Cult – Fabulous coffee roastery offering a taste of a variety of blends that they have put together themselves.   The main spot where they roast the beans is located at 1 Somerset Rd (corner Buitengracht), Greenpoint.  This is a fab little spot to visit – in addition it has a small slave museum on the property – so this is a lovely combo to get a bit of a feel for the history of the area.  They also have a small outlet selling coffee outside Mitchell’s Brewery in the V&A Waterfront.  Recently they have opened another branch at 36 Buitenkant Rd.  This is their HQ and it has an awesome huge coffee roaster in the middle.  A plus is that you can chat to the coffee roasters and see the huge sacks of coffee at the back.  It is funky and fun.   They do light meals too and have a liquor license. Open from 7am weekdays and 8am weekends. They close around 6pm. Sundays they close around 2pm

EspressoLab Microroasters –  located at the Biscuit Mill Centre in Woodstock – this is a “must do” to combine when visiting the market on a Saturday – however – it is fabulous to pop in during the week too as you can actually speak to them!  On a saturday it is manic in this little coffee shop!  The queue stretches out the door from mid-morning!  A bit of lovely blurb from their website: Our quest is to find optimal ways in enjoying coffee, from sourcing small lots of freshly harvested coffee, to finding the optimal roasting profiles that will reflect the terroir and origin of the coffee, showcasing complexity in flavour and a balance between sweetness and acidity. We showcase coffees from fully traceable farms, estates and cooperatives and look to establish relationships with growers and exporters, always looking at sustainable, fair and equal trade.

Bean There Fair Trade Coffee:  This is a funky little shop in the middle of Cape Town City.  I love the vibe inside here and the smell of coffee is enough to drive me wild!   To understand a little more about them, here is some info from their website: With a love for coffee and a passion for the African adventure, Bean There Coffee Company acquires, through direct fair trade, the world’s finest single origin coffee, which is roasted in small batches to produce an exclusive optimal roast.  Direct fair trade means producers receive a fair payment for their coffee through equal engagement, regardless of market fluctuations, which ensures community development, empowerment, and sustainability. Bean There provides single origin, unblended coffee beans from one country and region. All coffee beans have an optimal roast: a point within the roasting process where the key coffee elements of aroma, body, acidity and flavour meet perfectly, resulting in a most desirable, optimal roast. Bean There has directly sourced the world’s most exclusive coffee which it traditionally hand-roasts in small batches.  Location: 58 Wale Street Cape Town (plus 2 branches in Joburg)  Ps – Honest Chocolate is almost directly next door – so make sure you visit them at the same time to pick up a few truffles.  Info on them is below.

Tribe Coffee Roastery is located in the Woodstock District which is about 10 minutes drive from the city.  This is the area that has become the creative hub of Cape Town.  It is a fantastic district to explore – start with the Woodstock Exchange and then walk the two blocks to the Woodstock Foundry.  Tribe is located at the back the Woodstock Foundry.  Check out the street art in the area and in both of these small malls.  A visit to Tribe is great fun – the owner is half American/half Canadian and is truly passionate about coffee – simply ask to try some of his different single origin roasts.  Jake jokes that the district is filled with creative people with creative businesses and not much business sense – as such no one makes much money!  They all however have great fun hanging out and inspiring each other!   He is no exception – we ordered a coffee each and tried about 3 other coffees while we were there!  This is really worth a visit.  Tip – head through the back to check out his large coffee roaster.  He is now supplying around 25 Cape Town outlets! 170 Albert Road, Woodstock Foundry Tel 021 448 33 62 jake@tribecoffee.co.za

Haas Coffee Collective – this is located in Buitenkant Street in the city.

.  It is a funky micro roastery, delicious spot for having a light lunch, a funky spot to people watch and is also a small art gallery and shop.  It is well worth a visit.  They are also the only people I know selling the Kopi Luwak coffee – which they recommend drinking as an espresso (R100!).  Kopi Luwak is Robusta or Arabica coffee beans which have been eaten by and passed through the digestive system of the Indonesian Civet.  Their Kopi Luwak is from the islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi in Indonesia.