The rotating single-origin espresso alongside the house blend puts this clearly in specialty territory. The cardamom buns are worth coming for regardless.

Own roastery in Woodstock backs this Beach Road deli-cafe. The neighbourhood's go-to rather than a specialty detour.

Pas Normal Studios' Sea Point HQ doubles as a café, and the flat white is better than the cycling-kit branding makes you expect.

A Sea Point breakfast and brunch spot with drip and cold brew on the menu. The kind of place that knows its regulars and isn't trying to be anywhere else.

Platō is a Cape Town brand that treats espresso as the point, not the product. Sea Point has its off days, but the calibration is there.

A Sea Point neighbourhood spot built around Isabella's blend, a house espresso the competition-trained founder developed. The food is good enough to come for on its own.

The baked goods are the reason to come. The flat whites are well-made, which means it works as a coffee stop too.