Espressolab has always been one of the OG coffee destinations for anyone visiting Cape Town. Not only has the brand stayed true to its roots in terms of the quality of the coffee sourced, roasted and served, but its commitment to the Espressolab way can only be respected. While the original Woodstock cafe and roastery is white, stark, bold and well, laboratory themed, the feel of this new location, while still retaining their scientific approach to brewing the coffees, is markedly different - leaning into the warmth and art of the cafe experience, perhaps owed in part to the onsite bakery.
Not to worry, they still maintain their minimalist vision! It is safe to say that the entire building is a homage to art. The definition of Atelier is "a workshop or studio, especially one used by an artist or designer."
It definitely has an art gallery feel. It is a double volume building with lots of attention to angles and space. The traditional espresso bar and bakery display downstairs and the Mod Bar and pourover station (the Coffee Atelier) upstairs. It has beautiful, speckled granite floors. Soft, low, wooden seating very spaciously organised. Stone cushioned benches. Coffee trees and greenery dotted around the rooms giving it a gentle, green feeling and completing the overall calm and zen of the space.
And then the coffee experience. We have very high standards for Espressolab. Renato and Helene have stayed ahead of the game on a global level ever since they opened. The beautiful Mod Bar installation upstairs is a delight. For those of you who don’t know what a Mod Bar is, (and we don’t blame you as they are pretty unique and high specialised), it’s basically a brewing bar for espresso based beverages but without the espresso machine on the counter- all of the mechanics happen under the counter out from sight. Only the grouphead is above counter, creating a pretty magical experience. It also allows the barista a chance to interact with you, the customer, without a big machine blocking the chat. Very impressive, and a huge investment in a great coffee experience.
The team were welcoming and knowledgable about the coffee, the brewing methods and techniques. There were two Colombian coffees on offer, a washed coffee and a natural in two dedicated grinders. We opted for a flat white and a V60 both with the Elkin Guzman Natural Thermal Shock (whose picture is proudly on the wall behind the bar) and they were exquisite. Delicious milk chocolate and orange notes in the milk based edition and lovely long honey notes in the black iteration. The pourover was brewed using a very tight ratio (20g coffee: 250ml water) and it shone!
We highly recommend a visit - for coffee, beans, baked goods or just to get away to a peaceful space to enjoy being spoiled.
