Best Coffee Shops in Cape Town

Cape Town's coffee scene has been shaped by the city's particular combination of influences: its proximity to wine country, its strong design culture, its international connections, and the raw agricultural wealth of the Western Cape. The result is a specialty coffee scene that is genuinely distinctive.

De Waterkant and the City Bowl

Truth Coffee Roasting in the City Bowl is one of Cape Town's most celebrated coffee destinations. The Steampunk aesthetic and the quality of the coffee have made it internationally known. The surrounding area has developed a cluster of quality cafes that make the neighborhood a coffee destination.

Woodstock

Woodstock's industrial character has attracted roasters and cafes that value space over foot traffic. Origin Coffee Roasting, one of South Africa's most respected, is based in Woodstock and has been central to the development of Cape Town's coffee culture.

Sea Point and the Atlantic Seaboard

The Atlantic seaboard has a coffee culture shaped by its beach culture and international residents. The cafes here are less destination-oriented but consistently good, suited to a different kind of morning.

South African coffee context

South Africa is not a major coffee-producing country, but it has exceptional importing relationships with East African producers. This gives Cape Town's specialty shops access to some of the continent's finest coffees without the air miles disadvantage of other southern hemisphere cities.

Find all Cape Town cafes on the Cape Town guide.

Related reading: coffee tourism, coffee growing regions. See all coffee shops in Cape Town on our city guide.

Cape Town specialty cafes count toward Pulled Coffee exploration challenges.

Woodstock and Salt River

Woodstock's industrial character has attracted coffee roasters and cafes that value space over foot traffic. Origin Coffee Roasting operates out of Woodstock and has been central to the development of Cape Town's coffee culture. Salt River's adjacent character has created a cluster of creative businesses including coffee operations that serve the creative industries that have moved into the area.

Observatory

Observatory's bohemian character and its student population from UCT create a cafe culture that is less polished than De Waterkant or the V&A Waterfront but often more genuine. The neighborhood's long main street has several quality coffee options among its bookshops, record stores, and independent restaurants. The vibe is decidedly anti-commercial in a way that produces interesting cafe environments.

Sea Point and Green Point

Sea Point's Atlantic seaboard position and its dense apartment population create a morning cafe culture centered around the Sea Point Promenade. The walk from Green Point's urban village character to Sea Point's beach promenade has several excellent coffee stops. This is where Cape Town's active outdoor culture intersects with its specialty coffee scene.

Constantia and the Southern Suburbs

The wine estate country south of the city has developed a cafe culture that benefits from the same agricultural wealth that produces the wine. Several specialty cafes operate within or adjacent to the wine estates. The drive through Constantia's oak-lined roads to a serious coffee shop and back is one of Cape Town's distinctively local pleasures.