Café
Origin Coffee Roasting
Long-established speciality roaster Origin Coffee Roasting runs a café and brew bar on Hudson Street in De Waterkant.
Truth Coffee Roasting
Truth Coffee Roasting on Buitenkant Street is a steampunk-styled warehouse café where coffee is roasted on site and breakfast is served all day until 16:00.
At a glance
- Type
- Steampunk coffee roastery and café
- Area
- City Centre, Cape Town, South Africa
- Price
- $$ · Mid-range
- Opening
- Open daily
- Official site
- truth.capetown
Good to know
- On-site roastery
- Breakfast and brunch until 16:00
- Evening jazz on some nights
- Beans to buy
Why we recommend it
Truth Coffee Roasting occupies a converted warehouse on Buitenkant Street, on the eastern side of the city centre, and it is one of the most distinctive cafés in Cape Town. The interior is styled as a steampunk fantasy, with exposed metal piping and quirky old machinery throughout the warehouse space. It is as much a sight as a place to drink coffee, and many visitors come simply to see it.
Coffee is the serious core of the business. Truth Coffee Roasting describes itself as specialising in selecting and roasting high-quality coffees from around the world, and the roasting equipment is part of the café itself. Espresso drinks and filter coffee are made with its own beans, which are also sold to take home, so ask the baristas what is currently on offer.
The kitchen serves breakfast and brunch every day until 16:00. The café says it uses ingredients such as free-range eggs, grass-fed beef and sourdough from Woodstock Bakery, and the menu covers everything from light breakfasts to heartier plates. It is a good place to start a day of sightseeing in the city centre, or for a long late breakfast at the weekend.
The café opens from 07:00 to 18:00 from Monday to Saturday and from 08:00 to 16:00 on Sunday. On some evenings, currently Tuesdays and Wednesdays, it reopens from 19:00 as Truth After Dark, with live jazz, cocktails and a dinner menu that plays with Cape food traditions; check the website for the latest programme. Weekend mornings are the busiest time, so come early if you want a table without waiting.
Truth suits solo travellers, couples and groups, and families will find the décor entertaining for children. It is close to the District Six Museum, the Castle of Good Hope and the Company's Garden, so it fits naturally into a day exploring the history of the city centre. Parking in the surrounding streets can be limited, so walking or a short taxi ride is usually easiest.
If you enjoy the coffee, buying a bag of beans is an easy souvenir to take home, and the baristas can suggest one that suits the way you brew at home. Truth also supplies its coffee to other businesses, and its online shop lists the beans currently available, along with tasting notes for each one.
Truth Coffee Roasting FAQs
What are the opening hours?
Monday to Saturday 07:00 to 18:00 and Sunday 08:00 to 16:00.
Is breakfast served all day?
Breakfast and brunch are served daily until 16:00.
Does Truth roast its own coffee?
Yes. It roasts its coffee and sells beans to take home.
What is Truth After Dark?
An evening programme with live jazz, cocktails and dinner, currently on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 19:00.
Why is it called steampunk?
The interior is designed around metal piping, old machinery and Victorian industrial style.
Where is it?
At 36 Buitenkant Street in the city centre.
What is nearby?
The District Six Museum, the Castle of Good Hope and the Company's Garden.
When is it busiest?
Weekend mornings.