Matcha parties at Bean There, yes please.

Nicole here, occasional events + marketing assistant at 44 Stanley and full time coffee drinker! Or at least, aspirationally: in my free time I am a barista competition judge and contributor to The Coffee Magazine (make sure to pick up a copy at Bean There!) Lately I’ve been thinking: we are spoiled for choice at 44 Stanley for coffee — whether you are looking for a quick cuppa, a speciality single origin or even matcha: these days it’s hard to have a bad cup of coffee in the centre. Let’s dive in.

After lunch cappuccino A lost art if you ask me. Unacceptable if you ask an Italian — but thankfully we’re in Joburg and a capp is a perfect ending to brunch. At 44 Stanley I recommend enjoying the garden courtyards of Salvation Cafe or La Pergola with your post meal coffee, or otherwise sitting on the benches of Saint Germain for a bit of people watching.

Latte art Big shout out to Afters Treats & Eats baristas for some of the best latte art in the city, in addition to being the coziest brunch and bakery on these winter days.

Specialty coffee We are so lucky at 44 Stanley to have Bean There, one of the pioneers of not only specialty but also sustainability in the coffee chain, in South Africa. Entering there 20th year in September, their slogan ‘Seek the Best’ embodies the ethos of specialty: working with the highest quality and best practices from seed to cup to produce the best cup of coffee. Often times in specialty you’ll see the term “single origin” being thrown around: while “single origin” coffee doesn’t necessarily mean top grade, it does indicate that the coffee beans have been picked from a single farm allowing for greater control in the quality process.

I deeply admire Bean There’s commitment to working with the same African farmers year after year, helping farmers grow their infrastructure into a sustainable business. Perhaps just as important, Bean There demonstrates an investment in their local community as well: hosting bi-weekly cuppings (think: coffee tasting) led by their baristas. If you ever wondered exactly how roasteries come up with the flavour notes on your bag of beans, join a cupping! I was skeptical if my palette could possibly be so discerning when I joined my first cupping in early 2020… and now five years later I’ve judged multiple iterations of South Africa and Indonesia’s barista competition! Cuppings are a great way to learn a little bit more about your daily pick me up, and the team at Bean There couldn’t be friendlier (or less judgemental: no coffee snobbery here)

Matcha, on a coffee list? By now perhaps you’ve seen kohi’s famous matchas (available hot or ice and with fun flavours!) on your TikTok or Instagram feed. You are perhaps also wondering why I’m including matcha on a coffee list but for me it’s about that ‘je ne sais quoi’ kohi brings to Joburg’s coffee scene. In addition to an excellent specialty coffee line up served by some true barista legends, kohi felt like the matcha pioneers in the city — and for that, we must cheer!

Because, if I could leave you with one thought on coffee drinking in 44 Stanely: in my experience, being curious and open to new trends, beverages or simply trying the barista’s recommendation instead of your ‘usual’ often leads to something surprisingly delightful.