For me, Coffee is a staple in my daily schedule - life does not get any better than sitting in a nice café and watching your waiter bring over a perfectly warm cappuccino. You'll usually see me with a coffee in hand and, if you're looking for me, I'm probably boiling the kettle to make myself another cuppa. Although there is nothing wrong with instant coffee or a quick Nespresso fix, sometimes what you need is a perfectly brewed latte or flat white to get you through the day. So without further ado, here are my go-to café's for that much-needed caffeine fix.
Cape Town Markets:
If you've never been to Cape Town before, I must urge you to go and visit a market. You can always find pop-up markets on the side of the road, with sellers promoting handcrafted souvenirs and goods, however, you'll definitely want to pay a visit to the larger, event-type ones.
Harbour Bay Market, Hout Bay
This market is one of my top places of recommendation to visit. Open on weekends, this place is groovy, trendy and full of little stores to browse, all while holding a delicious cuppa joe from one of two coffee stalls. Live music plays from 1 pm and with a wide range of food stalls (from pot stickers to shawarma), this is a great place to meet with friends or spend a couple of hours in your time off.
Oranjezicht Market, V&A Waterfront
Similar to Hout Bay, Oranjezicht Market is also worth a visit. This place is a pop-up farmers market, just 10mins away from the V&A. It’s a very cute place to grab a bite or get something to drink with many stalls offering vegan, plant-based or gluten-free food and beverages. They also sell the most beautifully grown, organic, fresh produce. Whether you are there to re-stock the fridge, the food here is incredible and the drink is the same. If coffee isn't your thing, you can also find freshly squeezed juices and smoothies. However, with Newlands Stadium in the backdrop, you'll want to avoid here when there's a rugby match.
Imhoff Farmers Market, Kommetjie Rd, Nordhoek
Imhoff Farmers Market in Nordhoek is probably one of my favourite places I've visited so far. It’s the sweetest little plot of land with great coffee and the most relaxing, peacefully quiet vibe. Not only is there Paintballing and Laser-tag directly offsite, there's also loads of vintage clothing stores and boho boutiques, with items sold at bargain prices. Nordhoek is a gorgeous place to visit, you can ride horses along the white beaches and it very much has that 'undiscovered gem' feel about the area.
Coffee Chains:
These places are definitely worth the visit however they do include a trip. If you're looking for something closer to home then you can always find a coffee chain. The main ones in South Africa are Vida e Caffe, Seattle, Starbucks and Bootleggers.
I would personally avoid Starbucks: its overpriced. Coffee usually retails at around 30ZAR - at Starbucks you're looking at twice the price. Vida is also great, and you can always find one. Literally. It's everywhere! It’s a good place to go, but it is your typical petrol station coffee shop. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, I go often, but there are better places.
Seattle Coffee Company
I personally love Seattle Coffee Company. With a members reward scheme, Seattle is probably the best tasting coffee. It's my go-to for an Cappuccino with Oat Milk. The price is reasonable and the Wi-Fi is fast and accessible. You'll usually find people working, sitting on the sofas or bar tops or meeting for a coffee date, and the baristas are always so friendly.
Bootleggers
Bootleggers is also worth a mention. This place doubles as a restaurant and has the most phenomenal banana bread I've ever tasted. If I could, I would go here everyday for breakfast. Its usually less busy here, so if you want a quieter working environment, this might be the place for you. If not, just go purely for the banana bread.
I mean... my mouth is watering looking at that image.
Vovo Telo
If I'm going to mention Bootleggers, I need to mention Vovo Telo. This place has the best iced coffee. If it’s a boiling hot day in Cape Town, go get yourself a Freezochino. It also doubles as a restaurant, more specifically an "artisan bakery". With pizzas, sandwiches ("sarmies") and a range of tasty salads, it bakes its bread fresh and in house that day. If you have a sweet tooth, their pastries and treats are also divine.
Four and Twenty, Kenilworth
Located near Constantia Village, ditch Tashas and go to Four and Twenty Café in Kenilworth. This is my go-to coffee fix. It’s the cutest little café with a rustic, homely interior. Their almond croissants are to die for and whether it’s a Chia Latte or Babyccino, this place gets it right. I love to come and work here, its close to where I stay, its reasonable in price and whether I'm there for a meal or just a coffee I always leaving feeling just that bit happier. They have a little selection of tea leaves, coffee and snacks which I'm always browsing. It does get busy at times but for good reason. I could not recommend this place more.
* The shortbread biscuits are also a close match to those in England, an impressive feat especially since your typical South African biscuits are Rusks (hard, break-your-teeth-crunchy type of snack that’s made to be dunked.)
So there you go, these are my Central Perk's of Cape Town. Thank you so much for reading and quick disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the blog post belong solely to me (the author), and not necessarily to the organisation, blog owner and/or management. The blog owner and management take no responsibility for the material's authenticity and/or accuracy.
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Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the blog post belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the organisation, blog owner and/or management. The blog owner and management take no responsibility for the material's authenticity and/or accuracy.