Who needs studying when you have Limnos?

So, admittedly, coffee among students is a 24/7/365 sort of thing but two factors make it particularly enjoyable. 1) Exam time (procrastination, anyone?) and 2) winter. Both have set in with a vengeance in Stellenbosch, making it the ideal time to sneak away from the books and grab a cuppa with Amy (pictured below ;)).

However, post 6pm coffee in Stellenbosch proved more challenging than we thought it would be. Maybe the good places that stay open late are hiding somewhere in Dorp Street (don't worry, we WILL find them), but we ended up at the newly opened Limnos in Eikestad Mall where, unlike the rest of the shops, we were welcome until 7pm.

The aesthetic appeal is great, with faux leather booths and gorgeous crystal chandeliers, making you feel like you've taken a step back into a 1930's coffee boutique. And have you seen the range of cakes and other sweet treats?! Eye candy indeed. However, would the coffee live up to the initial good impression?

The verdict is yes, we both had a cappuccino (R18.50 a pop) and we certainly weren't disappointed. The fact that it was served piping hot (an essential requirement that has been set), and made with a sweet medium roast blend proved to make for an extremely enjoyable drink that went well with conversation and a much needed session of socialization.

Best cup of coffee in Stellenbosch? Tough to say, but it's definitely not off the list.

Ideas for coffee!

Today was a twist on the "visit a coffee shop" vibe. And why would I when there are students among us who are selling amazing coffee! Introducing: Cuppaconvo! Basically they are taking the idea of drinking coffee to a whole new level.

In their own words Cuppaconvo is: "the conversation shared between people over a cup of coffee when friendship, innovation and ideas are born."  What better way to get people interacting and discussing ideas than over a cup of, lets be honest, amazing coffee.

So the deal this morning we set up a pop up coffee shop in the Studente Sentrum where we were giving the early birds free coffee... well almost free. In exchange all we wanted was creative and innovative business ideas that address challenges that we find around us.

 The ideas didn't have to be world changing, but it was a great opportunity to let people who otherwise walk around with ideas that they never share, and even those who don't, come share their thoughts and opinions. And who knows, maybe we've given them something to think about too.

It goes to show that sometimes the best cup of coffee isn't the one bought in a fancy coffee shop, it can just as easily be the cup that you drink while meeting new people and throwing thoughts around. After all, Coffee+Ideas= Magic

Go check out the people behind this awesome idea on @cuppaconvo and @entrepSU and drop them a line if you have an idea of your own that you want to get out there.

Wait, you got coffee and cheesecake WHERE?

A while back we had the best sort of day. A sun-filled public holiday in the middle of the week! It was spent wondering around with a friend (despite ill conceived promises made to ourselves that we would study). We didn't have any particular goal in mind besides taking in the loveliness and ultimately finding a place to have coffee. The latter proved slightly more difficult than anticipated as some establishments seemed to take the notion of "Worker's Day" rather seriously and actually gave their workers a holiday.

We eventually walked past the Slug and Lettuce on Ryneveld street and our eyes caught on a sign proclaiming "barista prepared coffee". Skeptical (this is a steak and beer sort of joint after all) but willing, we took a seat in the bustling marquee area inside and ordered Cappuccino and a cheesecake claiming "legendary" status.

The service at the Slug and Lettuce always seems... well... a little sluggish. With what seems to be only two waitresses serving a packed area there is a sizable delay in getting your order, by the time we got the cake our coffee was verging on lukewarm already. However the staff are friendly and the atmosphere so pleasant that it's difficult to find further fault. All in all it was a lovely (if slightly noisy) experience. The coffee was pretty good (at R14 a cup) but definitely lacks that "wow" factor that you would expect from a restaurant claiming "barista brewed".

BUT the baked lemon cheesecake is absolutely deserving of legendary status! Yum! It far overshadowed the Cappuccino in every way and (besides the amazing company and talking nonsense for a good few hours) definitely takes top prize as the high-light of the day.