This week saw the opening of luxury café , Coco Safar, in Cavendish Square in Cape Town. This is the flagship store of this groundbreaking global brand which has already been trademarked in 300 locations all over the world. There are plans to open 7 more stores in South Africa, with Tokyo, New York and Mexico following suit.
Coco Safar combines the finest quality patisserie, baked goods and stylishly presented cafe’ style food with some of the best coffee I have ever tasted. I popped in (okay that’s not true, I can’t really call it popping in, considering I stayed for almost two hours) on Monday and thoroughly enjoyed the multi sensory consumer experience that they offer. Everything from the welcome, the service, the food, and of course the coffee, was on point. I opted to start with the Cup of Excellence in a double shot flat white, it was rich and full and so naturally sweet on the back on the back of my palate. Following that I had the Voyage, it was softer and more round, but again the finish beautifully sweet. There is certainly no need for adding sugar to your cup when visiting.
For breakfast I opted for the Avocado Thanini toast topped with poached egg, it was served with a zucchini potato rosti and citrus salad de jour. Every element on the plate was well seasoned and so balanced, and the egg, done in a water bath was cooked to perfection. Even in such a simple meal it is easy to tell that Executive chef, John Cheng, who hails from New York, has a skill set which is rare to find in café’s in South Africa, but then again, Coco Safar is certainly no ordinary café.
There is also something that must be said of the interior, which is incredibly warm and welcoming. I loved the deep studded dark green velvet cushioned bench backs, and particularly enjoyed the comfort of the soft leather chairs. The stained wooden tables have gold colour metal trim inlays which complement the overall feel beautifully. The store has also been very intelligently designed as far as lighting goes. There is certainly enough light, but it is not overly bright.There is no direct glare from any light fixtures, yet retail product has been lit in a way so that it cannot be ignored. One can see that every detail in regards to the aesthetics of Coco Safar has been carefully considered. In fact every detail, full stop, has been considered. Co-founder Wilhelm Liebenberg says – “It has always been about excellence, authenticity, relevance and the drive to be unique. If you’re not relevant and you can’t bring a distinctly new consumer experience and product offering, you have no need to exist.”
The café also features a free standing coffee bar just outside of the store which houses it’s one-of-a-kind espresso machine, designed and built by Kees van der Westen. This is also where you can stop for a cold brew as the days heat up. I chatted briefly to Marc Osstyn, who is the Coffee and Beverage Curator, he explained to me that the base tonic, which they use for their cold brew (all served via tap), is made in house. The essential bitterness of the tonic is sourced form the bark of the cinchona tree and it is further flavoured with spices such as cardamom and black pepper. Not only do Coco Safar use this tonic with their cold brew coffee, but also with a mix of fresh pear juice which is absolutely delicious.
Coco Safar is also the first retail capsule emporium of its kind.
For the first time, this Third Wave coffee is being produced in capsule form, with thanks to going to Coco Safar. The capsules make use of the finest grade, small batch and micro-roasted coffee, which is sourced from some of the best producers around the world. The at home coffee consumer can now enjoy the taste and quality of these exceptionally high quality coffees in without having to leave the comfort of their house, unless of course it is to re-stock. The capsules has further been sealed in such a way so as to ensure that the coffee is as fresh as the day it was roasted – which is evident just by the aroma when you open one up.
The entry-level capsules come in the form of the City Roast collection all packaged in colourful boxes. Each blend is influenced by cities which have inspired the founders and their travels, so there’s definitely a blend to suits everyone’s taste. For the more discerning coffee lovers, there are exclusive luxury collections, which consist of specially sourced and unique coffees like the limited edition Cup of Excellence® from micro-lots which are bought on auction and top graded rare coffee beans individually merchandised.
There is also a offering of red and green Rooibos capsules, aptly named Kaapstad and Stellenbosch, and are out of this world with a special secret blend of spice-infused maple syrup which is crystalized via a complex process, which aims to elevate the flavour of the Rooibos – “We are incredibly proud of our Rooibos capsules. It’s taken years of research and development to get it to this point, and the result is phenomenal”, says Liebenberg, even ensuring them the support of Rooibos Limited, the world’s leading supplier and exporter of Rooibos tea.
The best news is that all Coco Safar coffee and Rooibos capsules are 100% compatible with Nespresso® systems which are currently available on the market.
There isn’t much more to say except get down to Coco Safar. You will not be disappointed by the experience. In fact I think you will leave enchanted.
Follow them on instagram @cocosafarsa for pictures that will delight and entice.
