A Cup called Joe
14 March 2005 by Jean-Pierre Rossouw

I fear caffeine. Yet I love coffee, it's most expressive and eloquent ambassador. I fear that roiling stomach, the clenched teeth and the feeling that something needs to be done but you've already run out of time to do it. You move forward - back - what are you doing? Tap-tap-tap.

Ah but those aromas, that flavour and the satisfying richness of a well made espresso… the quintessence of coffee. A cup of joe is the ritualistic seal to round off a good meal as well as being the natural antidote to the laziness that alcohol can bring about. Tea is fine, good tea is finer; but coffee is the howzit, the wotcha that says: “heads up!” - something has happened, or is about to. Coffee is the ideal drink for the person who intuitively understood Burroughs when he said: “I'm not paranoid, just in possession of all the facts.”

Of course, not all of us have the same finger-snapping reaction to caffeine; some even find it a bore. Bodies barely flinch. For you, I recommend a separation period, so that you can regain the chance to turbo-charge to your consciousness. The hunt for great coffee is so much more rewarding with caffeine's slightly frightening edge intact, when you know you are going to sacrifice some composure for your flavourful dose.

The hunt for great coffee isn't easy. Thankfully, we now have more and more cafés that have realised that day-old filter is just not good enough and that the war is finally over and chicory doesn't have a home in your brew. But the pitfalls are still legion. Stale coffee. Poor blends. Burnt coffee. Machine-monkeys that have no clue how long to express the water through the grounds. Espressos without crema. The horror.

Here's a newsflash: Good coffee should taste good. And the irony is that, the better the coffee, the more gentle the rush. It's all about flavour balance, much like wine. It's also about blending the punching power of a Robusto bean and flavourful Arabica. Robusto perfectly lives up to its name, a bold and heavier hitting flavour, with extra kick. The one-inch punch. Arabica is the smoother cousin, rounder and less powerful in flavour, also with less caffeine. Your favourite blend will have different ratios, some of the premium blends are only Arabica.

Here is my pick of Cape coffee spots that take some trouble to serve you a worthwhile cup:

Vida e Caffè.
Now with branches like the Waterfront and financial district in addition to the über-hip Kloof Street hot-spot, these guys have made it their sole business to give you a great coffee as their stripped-down, highly focussed menu suggests. They are impressive enough to now be making waves in London too.

Giovannis.
The Green Point icon, a deli with a packed coffee counter where regulars jockey for their fix of primo caffeine. It can get intimidating for the newcomer, dealing with these hopped-up coffee-heads that just have to get one now. Now! Inside, the food counters are a haven of gourmet sanity. Somerset Road, Green Point.

Melissa's.
The sophisticated alternative. Where Southern suburbs society prefers to linger, with a slice of something nice at the side. Delis with branches around Cape Town, the food is really good and the vibe is country-chic. Their cappuccinos are supremely popular and you can take your mom, she'll like it too. Newlands, Kloof Street in Town, Constantia and Tygervalley.

Newport Deli.
Being on Mouille Point's seaside strip certainly adds a good edge to this spot; the inside-outside hatch makes the living feel relaxed and easy. Great biscotti and the like, the food's also decent and you can sit and read your paper without being rushed, notwithstanding the caffeine. Beach Road.

Al Frascati.
One of my personal favourites, this Stellenbosch legend, where the Sicilian family make the good food and the excellent coffees. What makes it even more sweet is looking across the street at all the suckers sitting at a mediocre franchised coffee house. Mill Street, just off the main town square.