GETAWAY December 2006

GETAWAY December 2006

Cape Town’s best espresso

Bean there

It is small, strong, black and the perfect ending to a great meal. It is one of Italy’s most famous creations: espresso. Dieter Losskarn is on a quest for the perfect version of this hot beverage in the Mother City, on board another Italian icon, a Ferrari F 430 Spider.

Photographs: Elke Losskarn

I couldn’t possibly wish for a better companion during my search for Cape Town’s best espresso. Not only is Carlo Viglietti a keen espresso aficionado, but in SA, he also has the most thorough knowledge about those famous, predominantly red sports cars from Maranello. In fact, Carlo breathes Ferrari. Despite the fact that he and his elder brothers are the South African importers for Ferrari and Maserati, he still works on the cars himself. And he makes his own espresso, which I am served in the workshop with its sacred ambience. Of course, the little white porcelain cups bear the Viglietti name as well as the Ferrari logo.

So, what’s the secret behind a perfect espresso? What should it look like? The general rule is: the busier the place, the better the coffee. In Italy, espresso connoisseurs have their fix in bars close to the autostrada. Due to the fact that so many caffès are sold there, there is constant grinding, brewing and serving.

That’s exactly what David Donde, the owner of Origins Coffee Roasting in Green Point’s Hudson Street, is preaching. He allows no compromise when it comes to coffee quality: “About four hours after grinding, the aroma of the coffee is gone, and you can actually throw the stuff away“. His thoughts about vacuum-packed, pre-ground espressos are actually too abusive to be printed here.

All the other places we looked at were busy as well, which can be taken as a good sign. They all have coffee grinders fixed to their chrome-gleaming machines. The most important visual component of a perfect espresso is the crema. A reddish-brown, fine foam on top of the coffee, which sticks to the walls of your cup, when you spin it around. By the way, the cup should never be full, half to three-quarters is the perfect amount. If there is no crema, or if you can see the black coffee underneath when your espresso is served, return it, because it’s not the real thing. According to David, the secret behind perfect crema is the grinding process of the fresh coffee beans. Every espresso machine, whether it is operated manually or automatically, needs its own individual grinding grade. The other important component is the pressure generated by the machine. And remember, even though an espresso might look like a rather small amount of coffee, it isn’t a shooter, so never ever down it. The best way to experience the aromatic flavour is by sipping it in homeopathic quantities until it is gone. Sugar is fine, but real purists don’t need it. And decaf is for those, who take warm showers in the morning.

A couple of years ago it was almost impossible to find decent espresso in the Mother City. In Italy, if anyone dared to offer the stuff that used to be served in SA at that time (and rumour has it that it is still being served in some places), this person could well find himself being pushed off a bridge with his feet in buckets full of dried concrete for desecrating an important cultural part of the country’s heritage. Luckily, the situation has somewhat changed. There are several places where you can’t go wrong. Nevertheless, it is very difficult to pick the “best“ one. I think it entirely depends on your mood. If you are battling a terrible hang-over you should go for David’s Brazilian espresso, one of a variety of 20 (!) he has to offer. Heavy stuff, indeed, guaranteed to blow you out of your socks! Accompanied by a small glass of Grappa, it’ll fix you up for the next night out .

Giovanni’s has been a Green Point landmark for years. That’s exactly what traditional espresso bars look like in Italy. No wonder you always hear Tarantino-movie-like accents there. Their espresso is molto bene. Their secret for the right fix is Piero the barman, who has perfected the art of espresso-making over the years. And in Giovanni’s shop you can stock up on any Italian delicacy imaginable, from parma ham to tiramisu.

Vida e Caffe is the McDonaldization of espresso bars, which I don’t mean in a negative way. Despite the fact that they are Portuguese, their espresso is great, served with pride and often the only chance to get a decent version of the hot beverage in otherwise caffeine-deprived areas. The white and red trendy Vida places are mushrooming everywhere in the city.

Another top address is Rcaffé in Long Street, which is run by a really nice couple, Sharon and Julian Segall, who used to own the Oakhurst farmstall in Hout Bay. They also serve lekker snacks and light meals.

But if you really want to increase your knowledge about coffee or if you’re planning on spoiling your guests with a perfect espresso in the course of your next dinner party you will have to consult David. His passion for coffee definitely makes him Cape Town’s Mr. Bean. If you follow his advice, nothing will stand between you and a successful Cup of Good Hope.

And what about the Ferrari, you might be asking yourself. Is it only standing around for decoration purposes or does anybody actually drive it? Ecco, in Long Street, with the walls of the historic Victorian houses reverberating the deep lion rumble of the V8, I immediately get the sensation that it might be just as addictive as my daily fix of espresso. Accelerating this vehicle gives you a similarly enormous kick. But in order to get a real feeling for the red legend we have to take it out of the urban environment, into the wild. That’s exactly the reason why I picked another place that serves great espresso, just a little bit further out. Hout Bay is not only featuring Luigi’s traditional trattoria (including a “Forza Italia“room dedicated to Ferrari), but with Chapman’s Peak Drive, it offers one of the most inviting pieces of tarmac on the Peninsula. Here, the Spider can no longer hide its F1 racing pedigree. The bloodcurdling sound and awesome responsiveness of the engine leaves me breathless. Si, Carlo, I am in fact enjoying myself.

And when Luigi finally flags us down in front of his restaurant with his personal Ferrari banner, a brilliant idea crosses my mind. Apparently, Jozie also has some great espresso places to offer and it is only about 1400 kilometres away, kilometres of smooth blacktop across mostly wide open spaces...