hey colin,

i don't think we speak of the same espresso bar. the one i visited is located on hamilton street. i didn't see a "fake roaster" and the few times i've visited (on different times of the day) there was no sixteen year old behind the counter. i was just there this morning and the barista pulled me one of the best 49th parallel i've ever tasted. the finish lingered for quite a while and it really made my day -- i even mentioned it to the crew with whom i was working. again, i… Continue

this place reminds me of hamilton, ontario. the weather has been pretty crappy. nonetheless, i managed to walk around to find a couple of decent coffe shops.

i walked into AEGEAN COAST coffee and tea. the reception was, at first, luke warm but the manager (i don't remember her name....oops) came up to my table after a while and chatted me up. she was very nice and quite pleasant. but most importantly, i noticed that they were pulling 49th parallel (organic and epic). i have used epic at… Continue

yes! i used BE to scout down a decent coffe in cape town. surprisingly, there were only TWO in all of Africa listed on BE.

Cafe Mozart did not dissapoint. I tasted a very smooth cup of java indeed. The notes were very subtle with a distinct nuttiness to it. the vibe at Cafe Mozart is devine. we sat under tree shaded patio. the building itself is very understated but with great character. the service was very friendly and laid back.

the owner, john, is a british ex-pat. he is a trained… Continue

alas, after one week in gordon's bay, i found a cafe -- albeit in a department store -- with a very respectable machine ( la marzocco linea three group) and a very sound pair of mazzer grinders. i was ready to take a chance on the miscela (third m) but as i sat and observed the barista's techniques my expectations slowly sank with my energy and enthusiasm levels.

why? why does it have to be that something has to fall short of pulling a good cup of espresso? the ignorance is almost… Continue

i've been in cape town one week and i've yet to find a good espresso!!!!!! aaarrrrrggghhhhh.

specifically, i'm in gordon's bay/strand area, which is east of cape town (about 40 minutes). most of the cafes don't know a thing about proper espresso. they leave the portafilter sitting on the counter, for crying out loud! i can understand why a starbucks would do well in places like this. for the love of pete! it doesn't take much to give care in making good coffee! pleeeease! can somebody help… Continue

We are one day away from our trip to Cape Town, South Africa.

Unfortunately, my wife was deported back to South Africa in January of this year. She has our two year old boy while our six year old remained behind. I have been "minding the store" ever since. I feel like I have been amputated! She was the well oiled machine that ran the inner workings of our business. She was meticulous in her bookkeeping, inventory control and all that stuff for which I have very little patience nor talent.… Continue