Deluxe Coffeeworks Buitenkant

Deluxe Coffeeworks is a Cape Town coffee roaster and wholesaler with a handful of cafés around the city, as well as branches in Stellenbosch and Namibia. Its cafés are known for keeping things simple: the focus is on well-made coffee rather than long food menus or elaborate décor, and the result is a loyal following among locals who want a reliable cup on the way to work or between errands.

The Buitenkant Street café, at 171a Buitenkant Street in Gardens, is one of the company's Cape Town branches, alongside cafés on Kloof Street, Metal Lane off Kloof Street, the Bo-Kaap and Paarden Eiland. Espresso drinks are the core of the menu, made with Deluxe's own roasted beans, which are also sold to take home. It is the kind of place where regulars stop for a quick flat white and a chat with the baristas.

The café opens early, from 07:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and from 07:00 to 13:00 on Saturday and Sunday, which makes it handy for an early start before a hike up Table Mountain or a day of sightseeing. Think of it as a coffee stop rather than a place for a long brunch, and combine it with breakfast elsewhere in Gardens or the city centre if you want a full meal.

Deluxe suits solo travellers, coffee lovers and anyone on a budget, as prices are in line with neighbourhood coffee bars rather than restaurants. Bring a reusable cup if you are taking your coffee away, and ask the baristas which beans they are currently using if you want to buy a bag.

Buitenkant Street runs from the city centre up into Gardens, below Devil's Peak, and the café is within walking distance of the Company's Garden, the Iziko South African Museum and the restaurants and bars of Kloof Street. The District Six Museum and Truth Coffee Roasting are further down the same street, so you can easily combine them.

Because Deluxe has several cafés within a short distance of each other, it is easy to find one wherever you are in the City Bowl. The Kloof Street and Metal Lane branches are handy if you are heading towards Kloof Nek and the mountain, while the Bo-Kaap branch suits a coffee before a walk through the coloured streets.