Words by Iain Evans
I hadn’t been back to Bloemfontein since I last played an Interprovincial hockey tournament there as a 16 year old, and so the irony was not lost on me when my daughter made the KZN primary schools tennis team and I found myself back in the City of Roses for no other reason than to do the same thing I had done almost 30 years ago. Sports!
Now if you’ve ever been to Bloem in January, you will know, it is hot. And I mean HOT. Like 40 degrees at sunset kind of hot. And if you’ve ever played sport, and live at the coast, realise quickly that it’s at a very high altitude. It is also very dry. And so I soon found myself asking the locals where I could find reprieve from the heat and the dryness, and a decent cup of coffee while I was in town. The recurring answer was Liriek.
Full disclaimer, these were mostly parents of the local schools Grey College, Eunice and St.Andrews parents that I asked, not coffee professionals, so their choices would be influenced by location (both venues are strategically close to all of these schools - smart!) and convenience, not only the coffee, but I have always said that local knowledge is best, and so off I went, to explore both Liriek venues.
The first one I tried was just next door to Grey College, inside College Court - a kind of strip mall setup - very functional with a laundromat, bank, medical rooms and it was a perfect setup for people meeting up after dropping kids at school, or to have a meeting or, like on the day I was there, business people banging away on their laptops in the cool, quiet, open plan space.
Look, it’s not quaint, or particularly pretty, but it's a very useful location! There is plenty of seating at nice big tables, free wifi and good service on bar. They serve coffee roasted by Bluebird Coffee and it was very well made. The highlight of my visit, other than eavesdropping on the young varsity students next to me on a date (sweet!) was a cafe local, a middle aged farmer, dressed in khaki workwear who couldn’t wait to tell the barista, about the coffees in Cape Town he’d tried over the holidays and he mentioned all the big names… and then said to her so sweetly, “But I still prefer yours!" (Also sweet!!!)
I had a very nice flat white, did a bit of people watching (reasons to go to Bloem #1) and then left to find the other Liriek store.
This store is situated next to St.Andrews school, in the leafy suburb of Westdene - and is a more chilled atmosphere. It’s in a beautiful old house, with Oregon pine floors, beautiful bay windows, a very pretty garden with lots of shade and a verandah. It even has those gorgeous, vintage pressed ceilings. I ordered a cortado this time, and it hit the spot! Wonderful staff, friendly locals and lots of nooks and crannies to sit in around the house.
Two great options for coffee in Bloemfontein, both with different vibes and not too far away from the main attractions in town. If you do go in summer…make sure your aircon works and don’t forget your sunscreen! I may be back in winter (for a different sport) and have a few other spots on my list. Let me know if you have any recommendations!
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