Best coffee shops in Joburg.
I’m not going to sit here and act like I’m not just like any other millennial and Gen-Z, because I am. I’m hopelessly addicted to my daily coffee. It’s a truly essential part of my day. And just like everyone else, I love my coffee for its taste and its aesthetic.
That might be an incredibly superficial thing to admit, but I literally couldn’t care. Sue me.
When my coffee comes in a cute cup, or when I get to enjoy the scenery of a well-designed café while I drink my flat white, best believe I’m going to enjoy that coffee more.
Now this is not to say I don’t value quality coffee. I do. And I’ll be the first to say that a beautiful, aesthetic café is not gonna win my approval if the coffee tastes like bitter dirt.
It’s gotta be the best of both worlds. I am meticulous about the vibe I want and the coffee that accompanies it. If in doubt, you'll find me at a café. Either working on my laptop, buried in a book or scribbling furiously in a journal. But always with a cup of coffee. So of course, I have recommendations to share with you.
I've tried so many of Joburg’s cafés over the last two years, so I thought I'd share some advice on the cosiest, coffee-ist places to go. And no, you will not find a Seattle or Vida or Starbucks on this list.
No, I'm talking about the real cafés, okay!
To be considered a real café, in my books, you must check five boxes.
Quality coffee.
This might sound obvious, but it is the most essential thing. Quality coffee is hard to come by. So when you find it, you have to savour it. Bonus point if it’s made for you by friendly baristas.
An established aesthetic.
The second most important factor for me. I want to enjoy my coffee in a lovely environment, and yes of course I want to take a picture for my Instagram story. I don’t really care what the aesthetic is, but it needs to be cohesive. There needs to be a definitive ✨ vibe ✨.
Wi-Fi and/or outlet plugs.
It’s 2023. We live in the load shedding end of times. So if you don’t have reliable wi-fi and/or a generator what are you doing? Please, get it together.
A good playlist or background music.
Please don’t be playing the Top 20 Pop Hits from 2014. I don’t want to listen to Eye of the Tiger by Katy Perry twice in the space of three hours. Do us all a favour and pick a chilled beats/lo-fi playlist on Spotify and keep the volume at maximum 35%. Sorted.
Comfy chairs.
No explanation required.
These might seem like obvious qualities, but you'd be surprised how many places fall short of these five simple requirements. These are my essentials. There are additional qualities that can elevate a coffee shop/café, but for this list I’m really just marking you on the bare minimum. I think that’s fair.
So let's begin.
Bean There Coffee Company
Bean There Coffee Company is located in the lovely 44 STANLEY complex in the heart of Johannesburg. But it’s still an absolute hidden gem! You might be familiar with Bean There’s coffee because they supply coffee to many coffee shops and grocery stores around the country.
They built their business from the ground up, excuse the pun. They’re known for their fair trade coffee and how they connect directly with coffee farmers around the world. Truly sustainable and meaningful.
They have the most delicious blends. My personal favourite is their Ethiopian Coffee.
Bean There also provide a lot of education about coffee. They are true experts. Every Saturday morning they host a cupping session (R220 per person), where you’ll learn about the process of coffee from crop to cup and share in a coffee tasting. And they also run coffee training courses, including a Professional Barista Course (which I’ve got my eye on)… Pretty much anything you’d like to learn about coffee can be found out at Bean There.
The ambience of this coffee shop should be envied around the city. They have cosy warm lighting, plants everywhere, and their literal coffee roastery in the back so the place always smells divine. If you’re looking for a place to get some work done, this is a great spot because the chairs are super comfy, there’s reliable Wi-Fi and the coffee is endless. And if you’re looking for a cute date spot, this is perfect - there are little corners to get cosy, and it’s never so loud that you can’t hear what your partner is saying. Honestly, the vibes are elite and I will always choose this café when given the choice.
And ultimate bonus point! They truly have the best baked cheesecake in Johannesburg. It’s creamy and scrumptious and the best snack to have with a cappuccino. Honestly, sometimes Matt and I have to get a slice each, despite how decadent it is, because sharing is just not on the cards. It’s too good! Tip top coffee, delicious cheesecake. Trust me, don’t sleep on Bean There Coffee. You will live to regret it.
Father Coffee
19 Dartfield Rd
Kramerville
Johannesburg, 2090
It might be called Father Coffee, but this is truly the mother of all coffee in Joburg. Their mothership location is in Kramerville and the factory-like building is home to their infamous sourdough bakery, coffee roastery and is also home to WINEBAR, a by-the-glass, organic wine bar.
Father Coffee also have a café in Rosebank (in The Zone) and it’s recently been refurbished. It was wonderful before, but now it’s so stunning, with these copper mirrors that give the place a really warm and inviting feel. It’s really hard to choose which location is the best Father. I love them both.
With soft wooden finishes and ceramic cups galore, Father Coffee boasts the cleanest aesthetic. If Bean There gives a cosy mid-century vibe with its deep orange couches, Father Coffee is the light wood, hygge Scandinavian opposite. Oak wood panelling, soft pink and cream accents and the loveliest branding, I simply can’t get enough of Father’s aesthetic.
They keep the vibes immaculate at Father. Great coffee, chilled playlists, delicious Swedish Buns (like holy shit delicious)… They even have an app where you can place your order from your table - the most chilled café experience. Especially for a city as bustling as Joburg!
I will say this, Father Coffee is for the freelancers, the creatives, the cool kids. And the business people looking to make millions over a cappuccino. When you’ve got such a luxury vibe, with coffee and treats as good as these, who wouldn’t want to spend their time at Father?
Plato Coffee
130 11th St
Parkmore
Johannesburg, 2196
Platō Coffee is unreal. While their cafés are generally on the smaller side, the vibe is just top-tier. You might not choose to work all day at a Platō (although you could, they have Wi-Fi and cute benches), it’s the perfect place to pop in for a coffee. Their menu is rather exhaustive for a coffee shop - they’ve truly put their own twist on all the crowd favourites and added a few new things in for good measure!
My personal favourite from Platō is their white chocolate mocha. It’s the best chocolate coffee I’ve found in the city. A perfect blend of bitter coffee and sweet white chocolate. Divine.
They also do sensational frozen drinks. On a hot summer day a fruit slushy from Platō is just the thing!
And don’t even get me started on their friendly baristas. Never have I smiled so much when simply ordering a coffee. Everyone there is just so lovely and it truly makes Platō feel like one of those community cafés, where the barista will know your name and your coffee order if you visit more than once. No matter the weather, you’ll always be greeted with a smile.
To be honest, Platō is relatively new to Joburg. They started up in Pretoria and have just begun opening branches across Joburg and my god, am I grateful! I never knew I’d love a coffee chain so much. You can find Platō in Parkmore, just next to Benmore Gardens. And they’ve just opened up a new branch in Hyde Park, on Jan Smuts Avenue! Like, yes Platō, we love expansion and abundance.
Naked Coffee
Multiple locations across South Africa.
Widely known for its emerald green tiling, Naked Coffee is another coffee shop that has executed expansion impeccably. Naked Coffee probably wins on their overall aesthetic because damn, it’s bold, it’s gold and it is green. Like emerald green tiles, jade marble counters and table tops. Is this the emerald city? Oh, and their coffee is divine.
The Naked Coffee in Sandton City is situated in the perfect spot to enjoy a cup of coffee after a retail therapy session. And their treats and eats are SO good. I am a sucker for anything custard - so double win for me because they have the most divine custard doughnuts that are coated in sugar. Like a proper doughnut.
The other Naked Coffee branches I’ve been to have also been lovely. The waiters are friendly and inviting, and I always love just sitting there. They have these armchairs chairs that are upholstered in a beautiful brown leather that just feels so cosy. And this, paired with their mellow music and chilled vibe, makes for the most relaxing coffee experience. Whoever runs Naked really knew what they were doing when they put the whole thing together.
Good coffee, cosy ambience, gloriously green aesthetic, scrumptious treats and chilled beats. I mean, come ON!
And no I didn’t intentionally match my jumper to the coffee shop, but I’ll be damned if it didn’t make for a good photo. And the waitress who was serving me literally cleared away the mess I’d made demolishing a custard donut, just so I could get that cute picture of my latte with my journal. Thanks, babe!
Now if I’m being truthful, there are a few cafés and coffee shops that I can’t list on this BEST of the best list. They just don’t tick all 5 of my essentials. But they serve different purposes and are enjoyed for other reasons so I’ll have to make another blog post about them soon.
But these are a two honourable mentions:
Hello Love, Waverley
Honestly I love this place so much. It’s genuinely a community café that is full of love! And every time I walk in, someone greets me by saying “Hello, love” and isn’t that just the cutest! The reason it’s only an honourable mention is because of its lack of really good seating and space. But it’s lovely for a pop-in coffee and quick chat. And they have, hands down no competition, the best dirty chai in the city.
get bird coffee & bagel bar, Birdhaven
This is barely a café, it’s more of a coffee van and bagel bar. But the coffee is insane! I love their almond milk flat whites, and their bagels are supreme. It’s the perfect pit stop after a run in the park or on your Saturday afternoon stroll, especially if you stay in the Illovo/Birdhaven area.
If you want a coffee shop recommendation that is tailored to your specific list of essential requirements, then let me know. There are plenty of other cafés and coffee shops I love, and others I love to hate. So I’d love to share some advice and find out what your favourite places are too! Always love to try new places. Especially when the coffee is good and the ✨ vibes ✨ are on point.
