Get Your Caffeine Fix At These Incredible Coffee Shops

We've discovered some of the best roasteries and cafés in the Mother City for that perfect cup of java

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Drink award-winning coffee and get an early start to the day at mischu in Sea Point.

Get coffee in the middle of nowhere on the R44.

Enjoy a dynamite meal or buy produce from the local community at The Blue Café.

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Last Update: 2 June 2023 

Lovers of the freshly ground brew are spoilt for choice in Cape Town. With nearly every Mother City corner housing a cute or quirky coffee house it shouldn’t surprise you that we think of ourselves as connoisseurs. Begin your java-loving journey inside one of these comfortable cafés.

DRINK AWARD-WINNING BREW IN SEA POINT 

Mischu coffee has won awards year after year (like Best Cappuccino in South Africa, Best Cappuccino and Espresso in Cape Town, and Best Coffee in Cape Town three years in a row). With a 6.45am open time, it serves the city’s early-morning risers with wholesome breakfasts with a Mediterranean twist. Plus, there are breakfast and lunch specials. 

Hours: Monday to Saturday, 6:45am to 5:30pm; Sunday and public holidays, 7:30am to 5:30pm

85A Regent Road | Sea Point | 072 563 8090

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4TH WAVE COFFEE AND MORE AT GROUND ART CAFFE

4th Wave Coffee heralds higher levels of sustainability and social consciousness as well as specialised roasting methods, advanced manual espresso machines and expert baristas who brew to perfection using all manner of extraction devices. Ground Art Caffe sources their unique medium-roast blend from a small, local family-run Italian roasting company. This 4th Wave Coffee producer microroasts Ground Art Caffe’s Signature Blend from organic, Fair Trade Arabica beans that come from Brazil and Ethiopia. Plus, you save 10% on all coffees served in your own mug. In addition, you can skip the dairy and opt for almond, oat, or soy milk instead. Read more about Ground Art Caffe.

Hours: Weekdays: 7am–5pm; Saturday: 7am–2pm. Sunday:


160 Strand Street | De Waterkant | +27 (0)21 418 1331 | lisa@groundartcaffe.co.za

TASTE ONE-OF-A-KIND COFFEE AT THIS SEA POINT CAFE
There is nothing ordinary about Coco Safar, especially when it comes to its fresh brewed coffee and Rooibos tea, they aim straight for the best. The owners commissioned Kees van der Westen from the Netherlands, the world’s leading designer and maker of commercial espresso machines, to build the world’s first Spirit Idrocompresso machine. It was exclusively hand built for Coco Safar and has a cutting-edge compression system. The beans are roasted in small batches in their Cape Town Roastery & Coffee Lab in the Loring Smart roaster, the first of its’ kind on the African continent – a major drawcard for It is then ground to fine perfection and is served with care by the highly-trained baristas at Coco Safar.


Artem Centre, 277 Main Road, Sea Point | +27 21 433 1336 | generalenquiries@cocosafar-sp.co.za

BYBLOS TRADING CO.

Founder Mikhael Bou Rjeily, also known as Mischu, has always been surrounded by the rich aromas of coffee, but only up until he became a barista himself did he embrace his passion.  “I was trained by Panda, who ranked fifth at the World Barista Championship”, recalls Mischu. Byblos at The Palms offers a variety of espresso-based coffees, Yerba Mate, Turkish Apple teas and coffees, as well as little Lebanese sweet appetizers, such as authentic Turkish delights and baklava made by a Lebanese pastry chef with the finest imported Lebanese products, to accompany your beverage. Visiting Byblos, you have to try the infamous Turkish coffee. “The Turkish coffee has a very bad reputation,” says Mischu. “You look at it and it’s short, black, and traditionally served with lots of sediment.” Along with a couple of blends unique to Byblos and mischu coffee showrooms, Byblos offers the Isabella blend, a mild, sweet blend named after Mischu’s daughter, “because she is a sweet little girl,” says Mischu with a twinkle in his eyes.

Hours: Monday to Friday: 8am - 4pm | Saturdays: 9am - 2pm | Sundays and public holidays: Closed


145 Sir Lowry Road | The Palms Centre | Cape Town

YOURS TRULY
Surrounded by galleries and art centres, this Loop street-based café invites coffee-lovers in for a satisfying cuppa served with a smile. Step into the Victorian-inspired building for a steaming flat white, delicious sandwiches, yummy pastries or vegetarian bites. By day the haunt is frequented by those who enjoy the 'coffee house office' and at night YoursTruly becomes a vibrant eatery and bar, with live DJ’s and musicians entertaining diners. What’s more, the hotspot offers a vegetarian menu, which is constantly updated and given a modern twist. Go on in and say hi!

Hours: Monday – Wednesday: 06:00am – 12:00pm, Thursday – Saturday: 06:00am – 02:00am, Sunday: 06:00am – 06:00pm


63 Loop Street | City Central | Cape Town | +27 (0)81 521 3384

DELUXE COFFEEWORKS 

Situated in Gardens is vibrant and modern Deluxe CoffeeWorks offering “a lot of good music, interesting people and great coffee”. Promising to give you coffee the way you would like to receive it, the trendy coffee shop serves the finest Brazilian, Guatemalan and Ethiopian hand selected coffee blended and roasted in-house on a daily basis. Few things taste as good as a cuppa java made with warmth, undivided attention and plenty of passion. Pop in and find your favourite brew.

Hours: Monday – Friday: 07:00am – 17:00pm, Saturday – Sunday: 09:00am – 14:00pm


6 Roodehek street | Gardens | Cape Town | +27 (0)72 569 9579

TRUTH COFFEE ROASTING

Named both The World’s Best and The World’s Coolest coffee shop is Truth Coffee Roasting located in the heart of our sublime city. The steampunk-inspired artisan coffee shop not only offers speciality coffees in the form of their Resurrection Blend Flat White (a must-try loved by all) Battle Brew and Potion Coffee (to name but a few options available), java lovers are also invited to take a tour of the roastery and enjoy a coffee tasting. Whether you want to see the one-of-a-kind coffee house for yourself, pop in for a coffee to-go or spend the entire day, we recommend a visit!

Hours: Monday – Thursday: 07:00am – 18:00pm, Friday: 07:00am – 22:00pm, Saturday: 08:00am – 18:00pm, Sunday: 08:00am – 14:00pm


36 Buitenkant Street | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 2000440

FOUR AND TWENTY
Four and Twenty, is a European-inspired café and pantry tucked away in Wynberg’s quaint Chelsea Village. The adorable eatery dishes up only the freshest seasonal fare, filled with flavour. Pop into the café for coffees made with love and treat yourself to their homemade Vanilla Bean Scones or a tray of chewy chocolate cookies served with frothy vanilla milk. If it's a refreshing drink you're after, sip on their Raspberry and Thyme Cordial (raspberries infused with thyme served with sparkling water and ice) freshly prepared at the pantry. Yum! 

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday: 08:00am – 17:00pm, Sunday: 09:00am – 16:00pm


23 Wolfe Street | Chelsea Village | Wynberg | +27 (0)21 762 0975

O’WAYS TEACAFE 

Stepping into O’ways Teacafe means stepping out of the fast paced world and stepping into tranquillity. The peaceful, warm and welcoming haunt offers cups of happiness and plates of love. This home-away-from-home café invites happy guests in to enjoy their superb Origin coffees, various teas and their popular hot chocolate whipped up with O’ways homemade chocolate sauce. The lovely chefs at O'Ways Teacafe caters for vegetarians and vegans and offers gluten and lactose-free meal options too. Visit them for their freshly baked bread and muffins or give their tea tasting and tea ceremony a go – you’re bound to leave with a smile.

Hours: Monday – Friday: 07:30am – 17:00pm, Saturday: 09:00am – 14:00pm

Shop 2 Heritage House | 20 Dreyer Street | Claremont |Cape Town | +27 (0)21 671 2850


CAFÉ NOOD

The European-styled Claremont-based café and gallery invites coffee-lovers in for a perfectly brewed cup of java. Their menu boasts a wide selection of hot beverages to choose from while the freshly squeezed Nood Juices offer a cool alternative. Enjoy the art adorning Café Nood’s walls while you sip your steaming cuppa. The relaxed, quiet environment makes it the perfect spot to host a business meeting or spend the day working away. 

Hours: Monday – Thursday: 07:00am – 18:00pm, Friday: 07:00am – 17:30pm, Saturday: 08:00am – 13:00pm

Shop 3 Quadrant Square | Wilderness Road | Claremont |Cape Town | +27 (0)21 671 4475

SHIFT ESPRESSO

This relatively new (it only opened its doors last year) and the slightly alternative coffee shop does more than just create speciality coffees inspired by travels abroad. Described as the “sort of place that people can come to any time of day and do whatever they want in”, Shift Espresso invites its customers to be themselves and make whatever they want of the space provided. With their coffee being their standout feature, of course, the shop offers an array of unique and ‘against-the-grain’ specialities. Although the exact recipes are under lock and key, it has been revealed that indulgent ingredients such as condensed milk, Oreos and hazelnuts are used to create these unusually delicious concoctions. If this doesn’t excite you, perhaps the free Wi-fi, multiple laptop plug points and cell phone charging stations will tempt you to try out this electrifying coffee stop.

Hours: Weekdays: 7am – 6pm | Saturday: 7am – 7pm | Sunday: 8am – 3pm


Cape Royal | 47 Main Road | Green Point | Cape Town | +27 (0) 21 433 2450

MOLTEN TOFFEE

‘Coffee and community’ are two things that Molten Coffee is very passionate about. But that isn’t just any coffee or community-vibe. It is an excellent well-balanced cuppa of Deluxe Coffeeworks joe as well as a social and creative environment where anyone and everyone is welcome. Much like a neighbourhood, the coffee shop aims to create an atmosphere where people can come together and feel connected, create conversations between themselves and share in new and innovative ideas while enjoying a rich and flavoursome cup of coffee. Folks are able to enjoy their coffees with a selection of deli-type eats, as well as browse (and buy) the various crafted products displayed on the coffee shops walls and shelves.

Hours: Monday to Friday: 7am – 5pm | Saturday: 7am – 3pm


45B Kloof Street | City Centre | Cape Town | +27 (0) 21 422 2885

BOOTLEGGER COFFEE COMPANY

Importing coffee beans from exotic countries like Guatemala and Costa Rica, Bootlegger Coffee Company takes pride in serving its customers coffee made with only the best beans that they could possibly find. Freshly roasting their beans every day in a way that no other coffee shop does, Bootleggers gives its customers more than just a cuppa, they give them an experience. Customers are also able to enjoy their java delights with what is described as ‘honest food’ - food that is made with only fresh local produce. From fresh farm eggs benedict to rocket and free-range burgers, Bootleggers has hand-picked only the best quality Cape Town produce giving their costumers glorious tasting food every time. Note: For all those early birds who are still half asleep, Bootlegger serves a ‘red-eye’ coffee every day from 6:30am – 8:30am for only R14.

Hours: Monday – Thursday: 6:30am – 10pm | Friday: 6:30am – 11pm | Saturday: 7:30am – 11pm | Sunday: 7:30am – 10pm


39-41 Regent Road| Sea Point | Cape Town | + 27 (0) 21 434 0060

ORIGIN COFFEE ROASTING
Calling themselves “the artisan roasters of Africa” and taking pride in their hands-on mastery coffee crafting approach – Origin was here as an inner-city first and is the godfather of all gourmet coffees in the Mother City.  The venue has a wide range of beans available to their customers, both local and international, that they roast on site. It’s popular with the freelancing crowd as its cool interiors include both an upstairs and a downstairs area perfect for networking and socialising. If this isn’t enough, the coffee shop also attracts all tea lovers with their exotic options as the shop too has its own built-in teahouse replete with decorative orchids.

Hours: Monday to Friday: 7am – 5pm | Weekends: 9am – 2pm


28 Hudson Street | De Waterkant | Cape Town | +27 (0) 21 421 1000

DEPARTMENT OF COFFEE IN KHAYELITSHA
Taking coffee to the people, the Department of Coffee (DOC) is the first artisan java stop to open its doors in the informal settlement of Khayelitsha. The shop is located right next to the bustling Khayelitsha train station and serves an array of espresso-based options from lattes to macchiatos, chococinos and ‘freezeeccinos’ made from their own brand of Arabica-Italian coffee beans. This delightful quirky coffee shop, along with its trio of founders Wongama Baleni, Vusumzi Mamile and Vuyile Masku has become a major source of inspiration for the community and a definite ‘must-taste’ in terms of cuppa’s.

Hours: Monday – Friday: 6am – 6pm | Saturday: 7am – 3pm


VPUU Building | Corner of Ntlazane Road and Khwezi Crescent | ILitha Park | Khayelitsha | Cape Town | Wongama: +27 (0) 78 086 0093; Vusumzi: +27 (0) 73 300 9519; Vuyile: +27 (0) 78 316 2918

ESPRESSO LAB MICROROASTERS

Dubbed as the coffee shop in Woodstock’s Old Biscuit Mill, Espresso Lab gives its customer’s new and exciting tastes and coffee roasting principles from across the globe. Using principles such as Nordic roasting which allows for a softer palate weight, and experimenting with methods that result in Americano’s served in glass cups – Espresso Lab will take you and your taste buds on one hell of a ride. With coffee growing areas spanning the globe, from Costa Rica to Ethiopia, they believe that no two palates are the same and thus aim to showcase ‘transparent, clean and complex’ coffees. As these java experts say: “The farmers do the hard work, and we’re their humble ambassadors”.

Hours: Monday – Friday: 8am – 4pm | Saturday: 8am – 2:30am

373 – 375 Albert Road | Woodstock | Cape Town | +27 (0) 21 447 0845

MORE 

Award-winning coffee and R50 lunches at mischu in Sea Point.

Shop fresh produce and handmade goods at Cape Town’s first waste-free market.

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Enjoy decadent treats without compromising your health at Sea Point's newest spot – Guiltless Protein Bakery.

Mucuna, Burundian coffee and African roots at The African Way Coffee.

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if this isn't enough to tantalize your tastebuds, check out our 10 Food Photos that Prove Cape Town is the Culinary Capital of South Africa! Also, add the Mother City's New Restaurants and Hot Spots to your bucket list!

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