Father Coffee: The Pinnacle of Caffeine Hipness

Braamfontein is hip. It’s so hip I can barely stand it. Every week at least one new restaurant/shop/bar/hotel/gallery opens in Braamfontein, each one hipper than the last. I love going there (Braamfontein is a 10-minute drive from Melville) and watching the hipness evolve.

Father Coffee is the hippest of them all, by a long shot (pardon the pun).

Father Coffee in Braamfontein. It’s hip with a capital H.

Father Coffee opened a few weeks ago at 73 Juta Street, across from the hippest bar in Braamfontein (Great Dane) and below the hippest market in Braamfontein (Neighbourgoods). I visited for the first time yesterday afternoon.

I don’t often blog about super-hip spots like Father Coffee, because: 1) I feel they get enough attention from the numerous hip Jozi lifestyle blogs that have been popping up lately; and 2) Extreme hipness usually annoys me. But the moment I walked into Father Coffee, I knew I would write about it. The place is hip in the best possible way.

I love the decor in Father Coffee. The interlocking, zig-zag wood paneling on the walls makes me feel strangely zen. The flat wooden seats are strangely comfortable. (There aren’t many places to sit though – I have a feeling Father Coffee is a bit less zen on a busy Saturday morning.)

Father Coffee makes wood paneling look cool. I also like the type-font of the sign. Good branding.

I like Barry Weedon, one of the founding fathers of Father Coffee. Barry might be the biggest hipster I’ve ever met, and he rocks it. He’s totally at ease in his hipster-ness. And the guy knows coffee.

Barry.

I like Father Coffee’s coffee. It’s serious and strong and tasty. I enjoyed a double Americano and my friend Anita had a ristretto, which is a fancy type of espresso.

Admiring our coffees before we consume them. (Side note: Yesterday was the 4th of July, which is why Anita was wearing star-spangled leggings.)

Father Coffee serves food. We didn’t have any but I hear it’s good. You can also drink blood-orange juice imported from Sicily, made from oranges grown in the fertile volcanic-ash soil at the foot of Mt. Etna. Okay, I know this sounds kind of ridiculous. But I tried the juice and it’s delicious. Father Coffee can pull it off.

Someday when I’m feeling particularly adventurous, maybe I’ll try a skhotado, Father Coffee’s signature drink. A skhotado consists of ultramel, a double ristretto, and Red Bull. It sells for R100. Bold.

Father Coffee sells coffee beans, too.

Check out Father Coffee on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. (Social media is so hip.)

There are a few more “Hip Braamfonein” spots that I’d like to feature on 2Summers. (And I’m sure a few new spots will open up tomorrow.) This may be the beginning of a series.