I love coffee. Even more than the actual coffee, I love coffee shops. I love local coffee shops. I love shops with individual creativity in décor and ambiance.
In February, I read one of those silly Facebook lists of top “must visit”
restaurants around the world. It was just a list of restaurant names with their location and a photo. That’s it. No description, no background, no reason why they made the list. On the list was one location in Cape Town, South Africa: Truth Coffee. Based on a name and photo (it helped to have the word “coffee” in the name), my mind was made up. I was going to visit Truth Coffee.
After arriving at the shop, I learned that Truth Coffee has been recognized by the UK news agency, The Telegraph, as the #1 coffee shop in the WORLD for two years in a row. This quite a prestigious award considering South Africa is not known in any way for their coffee culture.
To say that I enjoyed this shop would be an understatement. It boasts steampunk décor with a variety of different sized gears for tables, metal work of brass, copper and steel highlight the various coffee machines, stamped metal panels outline the dark wood coffee bar, yellow light bulbs hang from the ceiling from plain wire at random lengths, dark velvet chairs and couches bring a sort of sophistication to the encasing warehouse atmosphere. Standing center of the room, just beyond the bar with the shiny, old-timey cash register stands a the pride and joy of Truth Coffee, the pristine, cast iron coffee roaster which dates back to the 1940’s.
The roaster can roast up to 70 kg of coffee at one time. That is equal to over 150 lbs of coffee beans! They also use a smaller, more modern roaster for roasting lesser quantities and specialized flavors.
The diverse wait staff is adorned in vintage clothing from long-tail vests with brass buttons and tattered bolo hats to rough, brown leather aprons and classic, round lens motorcycle goggles. The details of this place all add to the steampunk atmosphere right down to their unique uniforms.
At the beginning of all of this, I mentioned that I love coffee. However, I am not a coffee connoisseur. I believe coffee is a personal preference. Some people enjoy weaker coffee, some darker coffee, some sweeter coffee and the list goes on from there. I cannot argue how or what makes one brew better than another. I just know when I like it. I liked this coffee. When I ordered a cappuccino and asked for sugar, the server assured me that I probably would not need sugar because their special processes naturally makes the coffee sweeter. I tried the coffee without sugar and she was right. I only needed one sugar instead of two. I thought the coffee was fabulous…which is why I went back for more. In fact, my friends and I sat down for coffee three times in one week at Truth Coffee. I mean, come on, if the best coffee shop in the world is at your finger tips, might as well enjoy it to the fullest!
If I was willing to relocate just for a coffee shop, I would choose to live next door to Truth Coffee Shop. The whole experience was just that wonderful…And I did not even tell you about the food. As my friend, Margi said, “It was absolutely divine.”
Truth Coffee offers more than just coffee and food. They also sell beans and ground coffee, supply offices around the area with coffee, offer training for coffee roasting and even taste testing opportunities! Curious to know more about Truth Coffee? Check out their website at: https://truth.coffee.
Tara's Treks 