Few coffee businesses make such international headlines as Truth Coffee Roasting from Cape Town did after it first appeared on the coffee scene a few years ago. Newspapers, coffee websites and travel guides all raced to call Truth ‘the best coffee shop in the world’ and hipsters all over the world creamed their pants just by looking at Shanna Jones’ pictures that catapulted Truth into bucket list heaven.
Truth was founded by local coffee legend David Donde, who spent many years working in the nascent Capetonian specialty coffee scene before opening what is, without a doubt, the piece de resistance of his career so far.
Naturally, expectations were sky high as I approached Truth for my first official, unannouced visit on one ominous, sunny capetonian afternoon. The heat was real and Truth was rammed to say the least. From the outside looking in, you could immediately tell that this was not you average coffee shop. Indeed, I don’t even feel silly saying that it was something like I’ve never seen before anywhere else.
After requesting a seat, the wonderful hostess led me to a free spot at the large communal table that is one of many different seating arrangements available. From where I sat, I had a very good view of the brew bar and retail shop, which very much resembled the ‘exit through the gift shop’ experience you get at museums. Hell, Truth is ia museum in its own right!
Following a close inspection of the menu, I settled for the exotic sounding ‘sunrise espresso’, a double shot of espresso with fresh orange juice and a dash of milk, blended together and served in a Martini glass. Wow! It was very unusual indeed. Shortly after gulping down my beverage, I was tapped on the shoulder by Truth General Manager Ken Walten, who was informed of my presence and took a few moments out of his busy schedule to show me around the place.
The first thing that came to my mind when I stepped foot in the space was that Truth is like the love child between Burning Man and Alice in Wonderland. It’s a steampunk extravaganza that is only enhanced by its extremely cool and outrageously friendly staff. From the cool guy dispensing water to guests waiting in line outside to its wonderfully hospitable GM, Truth offers a real lesson in excellent customer service. It doesn’t just look cool. It delivers.
After making our way through the restaurant, Ken and I found some refuge inside the roastery from the busy toing and froing going on outside. The colossal Probat roaster, aptly named Colossus, stands inside an enclosure that is reminiscent of a Roman theatre. In fact, you could say, when it is in use, it is the beating heart of Truth.
The roaster is almost a century old and requires regular looking after if it is supposed to last another century. In an often completely digitalised world, it is charming and refreshing to know that some of our modern day comforts are made with technology that was invented when our great grandparents were young.
All in all, it is a lot to take in, to be honest and my reaction is surely something that Ken and his team are more than used to. What struck me the most was how Truth is all about the details, big and small, high and low. While many coffee shops these days want to be so minimalist that they even hide their espresso machines below the counter (see Mod Bar), at Truth your eyes will continuously feast on the many decorations, outfits, pipes and trinkets that make this space so incredibly unique.
“We really want to offer our customers the very best experience possible. I want to serve dishes and coffees that are worth crossing the city for, you know?” Ken explained as we made our way back into the main room. “Why should we serve premade croissants when we can have the best pastry chef in South Africa make them for us?” The chef in question is none other than Kamal Hamzaoui.
Ken went on to tell me that Truth was amongst the first modern businesses to set up shop in this part of town that is more famous for its dark history than anything else. Today, the area known as District Six is a vibrant neighbourhood with many creative businesses calling it their home and offers a great launch pad for exploring the city.
After saying my goodbyes and discovering the city for the rest of the day, I returned to Truth the next morning to enjoy one of their delicious breakfasts during a slightly quieter time of the day. To accompany my steampunk benedict, I chose Truth’s beautiful Burundi from the Kivubo and Condi co-operatives. It was brewed in a Clever Dripper accompanied with a tiny hourglass so I could initiate the release myself. Just as I was about to finish, Ken swung by and asked how everything was. “Just fucking magical,” is all I could muster with my mouth half-full.
