Luxurious velvet & leather seating, beautiful dark wood finishes, a custom world first Spirit Idrocompresso espresso machine, an onsite Rooibos Espresso bar, Coffee Roastery & coffee lab, a selection of gorgeous French-inspired pastries & chocolates that’ll make you drool… this is what awaits you at Coco Safar.
This beautiful cafe & pâtisserie which opened back in January of this year has totally transformed what used to be known as The Adelphi Centre on Main Road, Sea Point. I popped in about 3 weeks ago for a lazy brunch followed by Rooibos, coffee, sorbet & gelato tastings – all of which are brewed/made onsite. Needless to say, I left there a couple of kgs heavier than when I arrived…
Coco Safar to me is the kind of place that is not only great to unwind and enjoy something delicious, but also to visit if you’re looking for a gift for that “foodie” friend or family member that appreciates the finer things in life.
Let’s start with a quick tour of the space:
As we settled in to peruse the breakfast menu, we enjoyed a couple of flat whites (R29) made with their own coffee beans that area roasted onsite. I really loved the presentation:
Their coffees are served with a delicious little lemon poppy pastry and a small glass of water so you can cleanse you palate before taking your first sip.
For those who are looking for a little vitamin boost, they also do really lovely freshly pressed juices:
On the left: apple, celery, spinach & cucumber (R35 for a small one & R50 for a big one). On the right: pineapple, orange, strawberry & mint (R30 for a small one & R45 for a big one).
To eat, we settled on sharing the Belgian Waffle & Chicken (R110) and the Croissant Benedict & Greens (R95). Both came highly recommended by the manageress who noted that these are two of their hot sellers, and we quickly understood why.
The Croissant Benedict consists of a light, flaky croissant covered with a rich & creamy Hollandaise sauce, house cured lamb-pancetta, and a medium poached egg, served with roasted tomatoes & greens. It’s truly delicious… I was left wanting more.
The Belgian Waffle and Chichken was equally impressive… a fluffy waffle topped with slow cooked chicken, honey & Rooibos mustard, lamb pancetta & a fried egg. You’ll want to savour every bite.
After finishing those two savoury dishes, and almost licking our plates in the process, we knew we also needed to try something sweet. The Banana Bread & Fruit (R60), popped out as us immediately:
Warm rosemary banana bread served with caramelised banana, a berry compote & yoghurt cream… summed up in one word? Heavenly.
You can of course also order something from their pâtisserie section, which is very tempting, but I would recommend that you consider taking a little takeaway box to be enjoyed later:
After brunch, we moved over to the Rooibos Espresso Bar where we got a tasting of their premium Rooibos offerings from the Cederburg Mountains. The tea is extracted in their botanical microbrewery, then blended with Coco Safar’s exclusive Canadian-spiced maple syrup to create a very interesting caffeine-free taste experience.
On the menu: A Rooibos-infused tonic water, a Citrus Coffee cold brew, a Red Rooibos cold brew & a Green Rooibos cold brew. I’m not the biggest Rooibos person myself, but it was definitely interesting to sample these unique creations, of which the tonic water & green Rooibos brews were my favourites.
Then they also do a range of sorbets & gelatos, some with very interesting flavours, like Strawberry & Basil, Balsamic Vinegar & Earl Grey. These can be enjoyed on their own, or in a Rooibos float…
We loved the Strawberry & Basil gelato & the Tonic Water so much, we decided to take some home with us.
The last stop on the agenda was a coffee tasting at their Capsule Emporium. The first cool thing I have to point out is that their coffee capsules are fully compostable, which gets a big environmentally friendly high 5 from me. The second is that they have different coffee tastes to cater for all, whether you like your coffee with a punch, or you prefer something a little softer.
Their coffee selection is named after famous cities from around the world & serves as the inspiration behind the different blends. They also have a tea espresso called Kaapstad, “Lekker. Cool. Ravishing”, and definitely a great gift idea.
Because I love a lighter coffee taste, I thought the Saint-Tropez would end up being my favourite, but interestingly, the “Spirited. Boisterous. Gutsy” Jakarta was the one that really caught my attention.
Alongside the coffee & tea capsules, they also have other lifestyle products which you can buy. This is why I think Coco Safar is such a great gifting spot too. I mean just imagine surprising someone with a gift basket filled with amazing coffee, tea, gelato & sweet treats? If that doesn’t make their day, then they’re most definitely dead on the inside. 😉
I really enjoyed the Coco Safar experience & definitely want to go back to also try their recently launched dinner offering which consists of a 2 or 3 course set menu (R395 and R495 respectively). Come to think of it, their lunch menu did look pretty decadent too. Have a look at their full breakfast & lunch menu over here.
For delicious food, a gorgeous setting and a great selection of new things to try, I’m going to give Coco Safar a score of 
on my Miss K Kiss-o-Meter scale. If you feel like treating yourself to something special, I highly recommend that you pay them a visit for your very own Coco Safar experience.
They are open Mon – Fri, from 7am to 9pm, Saturdays from 8am to 9pm and Sundays from 8am to 6pm, and you’ll find them at 277 Main Road, Sea Point – previously the Adelphi Center, but now called the Artem Centre.
For any further info, questions or bookings, you can contact them on 021 433 1336 or generalenquiries@cocosafar-sp.co.za.
xxx