The Bike and Bean
Where: Snell Parade, Stamford Hill
Open: Daily 6am to 5pm
Call: 082 773 6870
I can pull a decent coffee, but I’ve never been good at frothing milk.
I have tried, and even been shown by one of Durban’s best baristas, but somehow I just don’t get it. A home cappuccino for me is a dire affair, a milky creation that might, if you’re being kind, be described as a sloppy latte. So I always admire a good barista’s skill.
The hard first three months of lockdown were tough. That’s when the country’s super nanny NDZ included coffee in her infamous cooked chicken diktat. So when the first real relaxation came in June, and we were allowed an exercise window of three hours and a real coffee, that Saturday we hit the promenade and the Bike and Bean.
Obviously the rest of Durban had the same idea. The socially distanced queue was almost back to Suncoast. We took turns standing in it while the others walked the promenade. But despite pulling more coffees in three hours than they had probably ever done before, the baristas didn’t flag. The rich golden cappuccino was like nectar. It restored the soul.
Popping in this week, there was still a socially distanced queue, but fortunately not all the way back to Suncoast.
The Bike and Bean is basically a glorified takeaway - albeit one with a neighbourly, community feel.
Inside is one long counter made up out of old wooden doors, and a group of friendly staff waiting to take your order. The menu is chalked up on the board. The barista takes your coffee order while you're still queueing to pay for it. You’re given one of those square buzzers which will alert you when the food is ready.
Outside are a few wooden tables - all full - and a row of socially distanced plastic chairs along the verge for people to take in the sea. What a good idea. I did just that as I enjoyed an excellent Americano.
Food options are simple. There’s the Bean 10 with bacon, eggs, cheese, avo and mushrooms, or a Full House with bacon, egg and mushrooms, both at R45. Then there are things like avo on toast, to which you can add feta and onions, or a three cheese sarmie with basil pesto, or any number of combinations with eggs, bacon or avo in a roll. A few toasted sandwiches complete the picture, while the most expensive food offering is a chicken burger with either pepper or mushroom sauce at R50. There’s even the intriguing funny eggs, although chatting through masks over the whirl of the coffee machine, I didn’t quite get what was funny with them.
On the day I was there they were out of avos, which limited things a bit, but I opted for the omelette, R45. It was substantial and well stuffed with cheese, bacon and mushrooms, and came with some spicy beans on the side. The toast was extra at R6. It was delicious and a substantial breakfast.
Also on the food list is a range of home-baked items, individually wrapped. Date balls, crunchies, choc-chip biscuits, coconut clusters and muffins all feature. I relished a very good chocolate brownie (R19) with a second cup of coffee while watching the world go by.
The whole time cyclists glided past, runners trundled by, there were a few paddlers out on the ocean. A shirtless guy showed off chiselled abs shamelessly to a gaggle of Durban North cycling mommies. They were obviously decked out in their “uniforms” with one in blue leopard print lycra, another in pink. Yet a third was actually wearing leopard coloured leopard print.
But it wasn’t only about bodies beautiful. People of all walks of life were relaxing after a morning’s exercise whether on the promenade or in the ocean. Even on a gloomy day with the squalls of drizzle visibly approaching, the coffee machine continued to whirr away.
Food: 3 ½
Service: 3 ½
Ambience: 4
The Independent on Saturday