You know how it goes: if it’s in Lonely Planet, your secret is out. And if there’s one thing coffee geeks can’t stand, is a blown secret. Cape Town’s uber coffee house Truth is the exception. Truth is more than just a café you stop by to pick up a cup of coffee. A visit to Truth is a pilgrimage.
For the fast-paced I-know-what-I-want caffeine addict – er, excuse me, patron – Cape Town has plenty of packed, postage stamp-sized cafes that serve up full-bodied flavorsome espressos. However, if you’ve got a bit more time on your hands and you’re feeling a little bit…holy…then I suggest you head to Heaven. This dual-function church annex café is outfitted with funky furniture made from materials recycled from a nearby township community. They take their coffee seriously in Heaven. Ironically, the same drink that was declared to be ‘the bitter invention of Satan’ in 1600 is what makes this church a buzzing multicultural hub 7 days a week.
So that’s the church. And while the church is great, Cape Town has an even higher coffee power: David Donde, the coffee evangelist behind Truth. To get to Truth you need to head to Cape Town famous District 6. But it’s not just the café’s cool name that attracts people – Donde pulls out all the punches to get you to try his own blends: Donde’s Chaos, Resurrection or even a humble shot of Vengeance.
Donde is one of the pioneer’s of the specialty coffee cult that has taken Cape Town by storm. His passion and know-how reveal itself every step of the way – from selective sourcing and roasting to blending and grinding. No one will doubt the passion of Truth’s baristas, but admittedly they have an advantage over all the other barista’s in Cape Town – an outstanding cast iron vintage roaster drum that stands prominently in the middle of this “steampunk” inspired cafe. This roaster is the newest icon of South African coffee culture, and to see it in person is worth the trip to Truth alone.
Text by Dorianne Wegen