Coffee! A few years ago Juanita and I were drinking pure chicory. Imagine visiting us and having to politely say "thank you" for the cup of 'coffee' we served. Well, we have come to enjoy the real thing and even invested in a semi-automatic coffee machine a while back. We even have a perfectly working Breville manual coffee maker which we picked up for R250.00 at the monthly Catholic boot sale in town.
There is something really satisfying about starting your day with a cup of freshly made coffee. But even better is a cuppa at your favourite coffee shop. In a quiet corner, garden area, pavement table, or over the counter where you can watch the barista (we even know the terms now) apply his skills. On your own, with a loved one or a bunch of mates, there is a sense that all is well with the world as you sit, chat and enjoy some caffeine set to the tune of the world of flavours within which it is set. The Danes have a perfect word for it - 'hygge' which means “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.”
And the variety of ways in which it is served - americano, latte, flat white, macchiato, the list is long. I heard a new one today from a local coffee shop owner, 'dry cappuccino', which he in turn learned from a visiting Swiss tourist some time back.
Well if you like your coffee, Langebaan must be on your list of places to visit. We have a bunch of coffee houses in town that serve great coffee, each with it's own unique character and personalities. Weskus Coffee Roastery is a regular stop of ours where you can sit out front, inside or in the back courtyard and enjoy freshly roasted and ground coffee, and if they're not too busy, a chat with the warm owners Greg and Bronwyn. Greg started roasting coffee and repairing coffee machines as a hobby back home in Pietermaritsburg. After coming to Langebaan a few years back, the Lord opened the opportunity for them to open their business which quickly expanded into larger premises right on the main road as you drive into town. One of the barista's they trained, JP, also has a Weskus café across the road from the yacht club in a beautiful setting.
The Santorini Market and Deli have recently opened a coffee shop in the old Olifantskop farmhouse near the Mykonos intersection. It is set in a lovely old ramshackle garden where they grow their own salads and veg, and is run by mom Wilma, and her two children Nico and Jean-Marie.
If you want coffee with a view, a drive over Park Drive (the Mamba for those brave souls that cycle over) to The Shark Bay Shack is not to be missed. There Bakkies will make you a coffee which you can savor while looking out over the stunning lagoon.
In the middle of town, down Bree Street is Fooderia. AP is an ex cannabis farmer from Lesotho who has travelled to various parts of the world and has set up his European style street coffee café serving coffee and street food.
If you are a purest, Wings Coffee Roasters may be the place for you. They serve just coffee (and of course their own beans to take home) and Nico will more than likely share his passion for coffee with you. He is in partnership with his old school friend from Tzaneen Nico (a pilot hence the name). Their special blends have a kick in them and come with aeronautical names such as A-10, B-52 and Spitfire.
There are a few others and if they are not mentioned, it is only because we have not had the pleasure of visiting them. So come to lovely Langebaan, stay at one of our Langebaan Online Accommodation self-catering apartments, and whatever else you do, be sure to visit some of our great coffee houses in and around town.
