Top Coffee Shops in Cape Town

Single-origin flat whites, pourovers, and nitro brews everywhere and not a single Starbucks in sight: these days Cape Town’s coffee culture is as much a part of city life as a visit to the beach or a hike up Table Mountain. Whether it’s found in unassuming side street hole-in-the-walls, flamboyant city centre cafes, no-nonsense roasteries, or friendly neighbourhood coffee shops, coffee is a key part of Cape Town life. Here are the ten best places to grab a cuppa.

1. Truth: A Warehouse-Like Steampunk Café

Any list of Cape Town coffee haunts would be incomplete without mention of Truth. The warehouse-like steampunk café in a regenerated corner of the city has been named the best coffee shop in the world on more than one occasion. The focal point is Colossus, a beast of a roaster built in the 1940s, who sits at the centre of a scene that looks like it was designed by Tim Burton, complete with waiting staff clad in top hats, flying goggles, and Victorian bustles. However, as uber-hip and Instagrammable as Truth is, it’s not just style over substance. The coffee here is truly great as well.

2. Origin: The Birthplace of Cape Town’s Micro-Roastery Culture

This aptly named café is generally considered to be the birthplace of Cape Town’s micro-roastery culture. The understated café is filled with laptop-toting freelancers, coffee-loving travelers, and breakfasting families. The menu can be a little daunting for the coffee novice, filled with options like aeropress, Hario V60 pourover, and Yama siphon. Nevertheless, the staff are knowledgeable, unpretentious, and ready to guide you through the various blends. Pop upstairs to check out the roastery for more immersive coffee knowledge.

3. Rosetta Roastery: Where Roasting is an Art

If you quiz a few Cape Town caffeine connoisseurs on their favourite cup of joe, the name Rosetta keeps coming up. Located in the hip Woodstock Exchange, Rosetta has roasting down to a fine art. Beans are sourced from across Africa, Latin America, and Asia and roasted on-site, with staff guiding customers through intricate tasting notes for each available bean and blend. You’ll find a couple of simple pastries available, but it’s truly all about the beans.

4. Byblos: A Quiet Place for a Sip

If you’re looking for a quieter place to sip, put Turkish-inspired Byblos on your list. Located in the architecturally striking but under-visited Palms Centre in Woodstock, Byblos invites you to linger and play games of backgammon while enjoying an apple tea or a classic flat white. On the menu, you’ll find simple breakfasts, Middle Eastern-inspired light meals, great coffee, and Turkish sweetmeats. For something different, try the Turkish coffee for two, served with slices of syrupy baklava.

5. Haas: Home to the Strongest Coffee in the World

Those who enjoy a good dare will be drawn to this east city café – it serves Black Insomnia, a local blend that’s been deemed the strongest coffee in the world. For more modest palates, there’s a fine selection of single-origin beans to choose from, or the carefully curated house blend. Managing to be both homely and stylish, Haas is a friendly spot where customers could happily linger all afternoon.

6. Siki’s Koffee Kafe: A Garage Café Like No Other

It was local coffee chain Vida e Caffe that gave Sikelela ‘Siki’ Dibela his start in the coffee industry. After helping to open a Vida branch in the UK, Siki returned to his home suburb of Khayelitsha and launched a neighbourhood café based in the garage of his family home. The menu is small, yet the coffee is good, the muffins are home-baked, and the welcome is as friendly as any you’ll find in a Cape Town coffee shop.

7. Coco Safar: For Rooibos in Cappuccino Form

If pretty things make you smile then Coco Safar in Sea Point is sure to leave you grinning. Picture-perfect patisseries are served in glamorous surroundings, and any coffee you order is beautifully presented. There is also a strong focus on South Africa’s home-grown tea, rooibos: try it in cappuccino form, in a citrus tart, or chilled and poured on tap from SA’s first botanical micro-brewery.

8. Four & Twenty: A Step Outside the City

You don’t have to be in the city to find good coffee. This neighbourhood hangout in the southern suburbs is popular with local breakfast diners and is an easy detour if you’re heading from Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden to the wineries of Constantia. The breakfast menu is expansive, but it’s the exquisite pastries and cakes that draw people in – along with, of course, the excellent coffee.

9. Espresso Lab Microroasters: Where Coffee is an Exact Science

Decked out in bright white tiles and with coffees poured from science-lab beakers, Espresso Lab has a distinct identity in Cape Town’s coffee scene. Beneath the clinical décor lies a deep passion and a team of knowledgeable baristas. Although no food is served, the roastery sits within the Old Biscuit Mill complex, so there are plenty of nearby options to grab a bite – you can even order from the neighbouring deli and enjoy it on Espresso Lab’s terrace.

10. Tribe: A Leafy Corner in an Urban Suburb

As one of Cape Town’s most established roasteries, Tribe’s coffee is served at restaurants, bars, cafés, and hotels throughout the city. For the full experience, head to their HQ at the Woodstock Foundry – a shopping centre filled with art studios and unique shops. The friendly staff serve light lunches, as well as, of course, great coffee. Enjoy your cup in the courtyard – a rare leafy corner of an urban suburb.