Why go
About a dozen coffees are set out on the wall like periodic-table elements, E for espresso, La for latte, Ca for cappuccino. Espresso LAB, which also trades as Espresso Lab Microroasters, has roasted small boutique batches in Cape Town since 2009, and its Woodstock counter sits inside the Old Biscuit Mill.
Named producers, small batches
Ordering here starts with the roasting. The bar puts named producers and origin lots ahead of generic blend language, and favourites have included Rugali CWS in Nyamasheke, Rwanda; Frinsa Estate in Pangalengan, Indonesia; Volcán Azul in Valle Centrale, Costa Rica; and a Gedeb lot from Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia. Two blends sit alongside the single origins, with beans running from Costa Rica to Ethiopia, and raw and roasted coffee is stored on site next to the accessories for sale. The core order is direct: espresso for clarity, latte or cappuccino for milk, cold brew tonic when the day is warm.
A white-tiled laboratory in the Old Biscuit Mill
The Woodstock room sits down a couple of stairs in a basement-level shop marked by a coffee spoken here sign. The Old Biscuit Mill around it draws diners and shoppers through the week and turns especially busy on Saturdays, when the food-and-drink market and the fringe market run. Inside, the space is brightly lit and white-tiled, orderly but alive, closer to a laboratory than a lounge. Beans, coffee pots, flasks and retail gear sit beside the service area, making the room cafe, roastery showcase and equipment shop at once. Guests perch inside or out in the courtyard, and ordering stays quick even when the Mill is full.
Recognition and what to order
The reputation rests on specialist coffee rather than on a broad dining proposition. Woodstock is the award-winning flagship, and Espresso LAB is ranked number 40 on The World's 100 Best Coffee Shops list for Africa, which calls it one of the local and international pioneers of the specialty movement and cites its close producer relationships and environmentally responsible working practices. For a focused order, start where the identity is strongest: espresso from the wall menu, then a latte or cappuccino if you want milk. Tea and hot chocolate are on the board too. Think of Espresso LAB first as a roaster's counter for a precise cup in a fast, coffee-centred room.
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Frequently asked questions
What coffee does Espresso LAB roast?
Small boutique batches, roasted in Cape Town since 2009, with named producers and origin lots put ahead of generic blend language. Favourites have included Rugali CWS in Nyamasheke, Rwanda; Frinsa Estate in Pangalengan, Indonesia; Volcán Azul in Valle Centrale, Costa Rica; and a Gedeb lot from Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia. Two blends sit alongside the single origins.
What should I order first?
Espresso, chosen from the dozen or so coffees set out on the wall like periodic-table elements. If you want milk, the latte or the cappuccino follow naturally, and the cold brew tonic is the option worth taking on a warm day. Tea and hot chocolate are also on the board.
What is the room like?
A basement-level shop down a couple of stairs inside the Old Biscuit Mill, brightly lit and white-tiled, orderly but alive. Beans, coffee pots, flasks and retail gear sit beside the service area, so it works as cafe, roastery showcase and equipment shop at once. Seating is inside or out in the courtyard.
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