YOU can’t sit to eat, so we decided to take a stroll ‒ after all, we’re not confined to three hours’ exercise just yet. We would meander down Florida Road in the afternoon and try a cappuccino at every coffee outlet on the street. We have to make our own entertainment these days.
The coffee shops too need our support. They were the ultimate quick meeting place. Gone are the digital nomads, busy for hours at the corner over copious cups of coffee, the moms meeting quickly before picking up junior for tennis lessons, people on their way into the office stopping by for a pick-me-up before another dreary day.
The city’s army of baristas need our love. Often the unsung and undervalued heroes of the coffee chain, their tip jars are decidedly empty. We’d help fill them up a little.
Florida Road is eerily quiet. It lacks its usual sense of hustle and bustle. You could actually get a parking spot in the street, which says it all. The only activity was a few bevvies of delivery drivers on their scooters, hanging out outside clusters of restaurants hoping for an order, a few shoppers at Spar and Pick n Pay, a few UIP staff and the odd tramp. Sad. But it was a beautiful sunny afternoon, so we would make the most of it.
We started at the top of the street at Mark Gold (actually in Innes Road) the award-winning coffee shop that nestles on the veranda of a jewellery shop. Barista Londiwe Mathaba plays her coffee machine like a concert grand and served us a deliciously full bodied, smooth and rounded cappy (R27). Full marks here. Mark Gold has a small array of home-baked nibbles ‒ chocolate croissants, meringues, and a selection of biscuits.
Next door is Charlie’s, a popular Berea meeting place for hearty breakfasts and a carrot cake that has a serious reputation. Both are available for take out. Here the cappuccino (R25) was a shade hot, but once it had cooled, it was enjoyable. The newly refurbished Vida e is the third sister on the block. It looks really smart and all the usual muffins, and sandwiches are there to go. Unfortunately, the cappuccino (R27) was no more than a bucket of hot milk. As we strolled down, the road we seriously wondered if there was any coffee in it.
There was a bit more activity down at Florida Fields, with many more restaurants and a couple of people having a late lunch in the park. The Barn Owl is a specialist coffee shop in one of the containers that line the park. Coffee is available in a multitude of styles, with milk options that include almond and soya, although my views on soya milk are unprintable. They also specialise in brownies and blondies ‒ yes that’s a non-chocolate brownie. Our cappuccino (R26) was a very blonde but pleasant affair with beautifully foamed milk, although I would have preferred the coffee to come through more.
We sipped it sitting ‒ suitably physically distanced, Mr Cele ‒ on the edge of the fountain, then followed it with a cappuccino from Gloria Jeans (R28). This was disappointing. It certainly looked the part but the milk was either long life, or had been frothed one too many times. It can happen when it’s quiet.
Next up was Federal, a tiny coffee outlet in Holden’s Lane, next to the barber shop. A new venture ‒ proudly marked MMXX on its signage ‒ it replaces Love Coffee. The lane itself is attractive with counters to stand at on the pavement. The cappy (R22) was a good one: rich, full of flavour with a dense luscious foam.
Vovo Telo is one of my go-to places on Uber Eats. During the last hard lockdown when I didn’t feel like cooking a full breakfast, I would order in. The eggs always arrived hot and exactly as ordered. They also have a good selection of waffles, baking and confectionery. When our barista, who gave her name as only Thabisile, heard what we were doing she promised hers would be the best. We enjoyed it with two pasteis de nata. While maybe not the best of the best, it was up there, and when it cooled slightly, was a lovely rich beverage which we enjoyed. But full marks for her cheerful glass-half-full attitude that made our afternoon. It’s when restaurants are quiet and staff are bored, that service becomes a chore ‒ we would discover that later.
Starbucks had a bit of a queue, all organised and physically distanced. After being washed down with a hand sanitiser that wouldn’t dry, we placed our order. There are a selection of cakes and cookies too, although some of the cakes looked a little tired. (Many moons ago I worked in a coffee shop in London where they would scrape the cream off the cake at the end of the day and pipe on fresh cream the next morning). The cappuccino (R33) was milky and unexceptional.
We popped into Florida Exchange, home to an array of little eateries, burger joints, doughnut shops and Durban Youth Radio. Romano is an ice cream parlour that also sells coffee and boasts flavours like burfee and cotton candy and Nutella. It was here we met a barista who was dead on her feet. The coffee (R25) was undrinkable. It was tongue-scaldingly hot, bitter and with a light airy foam. It went straight into the gutter.
By now we were buzzing, and we’d only just hit Gordon Road, which has its own array of independent coffee shops. We’ll carry on our daft quest next week.
The Independent on Saturday