Origin Coffee Roasting

Origin Coffee Roasting is one of the names most closely associated with the rise of speciality coffee in Cape Town, and its café on Hudson Street in De Waterkant remains a favourite stop for coffee enthusiasts. The roastery supplies cafés and restaurants around the country, sells beans and brewing gear online, and says it roasts each coffee to bring out its individual character in the cup.

The café is built around a brew bar, which makes it a good place to try coffee prepared in different ways. Alongside espresso-based drinks, the brew bar is where filter coffee is prepared by hand, and the baristas can talk you through the beans on offer and how their flavours differ. If you are interested in coffee, this is the place to ask questions and experiment.

Origin also sells its beans and brewing equipment at the café, so it is a useful stop if you want to take some South African-roasted coffee home or pick up equipment for brewing. Coffee training that Origin once ran has been passed to the African School of Coffee, which continues to teach barista skills.

De Waterkant is a small, attractive neighbourhood on the slopes between the city centre and Green Point, with narrow streets of restored and brightly painted cottages, boutiques, galleries and restaurants. Hudson Street is close to Waterkant Street and the Cape Quarter, and the area is pleasant to explore on foot. The café makes an easy break between the city centre, the Bo-Kaap and the V&A Waterfront.

The café suits solo travellers, couples and anyone who works remotely and wants good coffee. Opening hours are not published on the website's home page, so check the latest times on Origin's site or social channels before making a special trip. It is a short taxi ride or a 15 to 20 minute walk from Greenmarket Square, and street parking in De Waterkant can be scarce at busy times.

Coffee in South Africa has changed a great deal in the past two decades, and roasters such as Origin helped to build a culture of speciality cafés in Cape Town, with an emphasis on bean quality, careful roasting and skilled baristas. A visit here is a good introduction to that scene before exploring other independent cafés in the city.