We’re on the hunt for a good cup of coffee. Simon’s Town is one of South Africa’s oldest small towns situated in Cape Town and is home to a very rich maritime history and the South African Navy.
More importantly, it’s home to good coffee, with rich aromas wafting down the streets and cosy nooks to get comfy in.
To get to this picturesque village from the City of Cape Town you can either take the slower, and more colourful coastal route through Muizenberg and Kalk Bay, or the faster Ou Kaapse Weg route over the mountain.
On Jubilee Square, you will find a statue of the legendary Just Nuisance, a Great Dane, and the only dog that was ever officially enlisted in the Royal Navy.
This small town is also home to a wide range of restaurants, coffee shops, antique stores, health and beauty shops, beautiful accommodation, and some adventure spots too.
We found five – old and new – delightful coffee shops where you can get your coffee kick, as well as a light meal.
1. Think Coffee
Located along the main road, Think Coffee is a casual black-and-white-themed coffee shop that offers great coffee, fresh pastries, toasted sandwiches, and a wide range of cold beverages, including smoothies too. The space is beautifully decorated with refreshing finishing touches like the books on the coffee table, the photo frames on the walls, and the small bits of decorative items placed on the tables.
Find the store at 92 St George’s St.
Contact: [email protected]
Trading Hours: Monday to Sunday, 8am – 4pm
2. Plus Coffee
Plus Coffee is a newly established coffee shop that opened up in early 2021 after the owner closed down his restaurant. This coffee shop is a small and very intimate spot to wind down or kick-start your day with a cup of coffee and a snack. When you pop by, you will notice the fresh organic food displayed at the entrance. A range of sandwiches, pies, rusks, muffins and vegetable cookies are served. The staff are incredibly kind and they make an effort to converse with their customers.
Find the store a few doors away from Think Coffee in St George’s St.
Follow their Instagram page: @pluscoffeesimonstown
Contact: 021 180 3592
Trading Hours: Monday – Sunday; 7am – 4pm
3. Cafe Pescado
Cafe Pescado is a restaurant located just across Jubilee Square. The building is the site of the first Anglican Church in South Africa which was built in 1814 and was established for the Royal Navy. In the year 1824, the building was partially washed away in a flood. After the flood, the church was then moved to the Dockyard, and then to its current site as you come into Simon’s Town.
The building then opened up as the Criterion Theatre in 1921 but closed down due to the Group Areas Act in 1967. Barry’s Furniture shop was later founded in the exact building too.
Cafe Pescado was opened on 3 September 1996 and celebrates 25 years this year.
Contact: 021 786 2272
Trading Hours: Monday – Sunday; 10:30am – 9pm
4. Celebration Cafe
Picture: Celebration Cafe/Instagram
The interior walls of Celebration Cafe are covered in postage stamps that were stuck up by the postmaster who once lived in the building hundreds of years ago. Bay View House is the name of this three-story building and it was built in the early 1800s. A lot of history runs through its walls and I was told that this very building was once a jail, a hospital, and even a horse stable.
The first floor of the building is a vintage shop; the middle story is home to Celebration Cafe where they serve breakfast and lunch; the top story of the building is a guest house that sleeps six.
Celebration Cafe’s concept is ‘create your own plate’ with all of the food they have on the menu. Their guests can simply mix and match the foods and create their own dish.
Contact: 071 701 9615 / [email protected]
Trading Hours: Tuesday – Sunday; 9am – 3pm
5. Lighthouse cafe
The Lighthouse Cafe is a beautiful and bright restaurant/cafe with a very rustic and inviting feel to it. Throughout the shop are splashes of colour, be it the cushions, vases, menus, or curtains. Their mouth-watering and affordable menu will keep you in your seat asking for more. The Lighthouse is open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch, then dinner from Wednesday to Saturday.
Contact: 021 786 9000 / [email protected]
Trading Hours: Sunday – Tuesday; 8:30am – 4pm
Wednesday – Saturday; 8:30am – 10pm
Pictures: Zimasa Kitamzi
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