Coffee is not complicated. Doing it properly, every single time, is.
That's the whole of it. One blend, pulled the same way in Sea Point since 2012, by people who have been doing it long enough to know when it's off.
Why Mischu
Before “mischu” ever existed, there was Mikhael, our co-founder. Originally from Lebanon, he came to South Africa in 2006, bringing with him a passion for coffee and expertise as a barista trainer.
Back home, he was known as “Micho”.
Here, his South African friends called him “Mishew”, “Michu” or “Mischu”, each giving his name their own spelling. In 2012, he opened this café, picked his favourite typo, and put it above the door. The typo has aged well, becoming home to South Africa’s Best Cappuccino and a place that has grown with its people.
And the family story continues in our blends, each one named after one of Mikhael’s children: Isabella, Sienna and Rafael.
Mikhael Bou Rjeily“You simply can't serve the best coffee if you don't appreciate where it's all coming from.”
What the judges said
We don't put these on the window. They matter because they were won with the same blend that you're buying.
Specialty Coffee Café of the Year
LUXlife South Africa, Bakle & Brew Awards
Best Cappuccino
LUXlife South Africa Choice Award
Gold — South African F&B Awards
Gold — Aurora Award
Best Coffee in Cape Town
OFLocal
Best Coffee in Cape Town
OFLocal
Best Coffee in Cape Town
OFLocal
Best Cappuccino in SA & CT
Best Espresso in CT
Corner of Regent and Tramway
Doors open around a quarter to seven, which is early enough to catch the people who actually need it. Light comes in off the street all morning. There's Latin music on, usually a bit louder than a coffee shop is supposed to have it, and a full view of Sea Point getting on with its day. Take a page out of our regulars' book, they're here for a reason.
Bring your dog. You won't be the only one.
The breakfast and lunch menu took five years to arrive, because the coffee had to be right before anything else went on a plate. When it did come, it came with a Middle Eastern accent — Mikhael's, and it suits the room.
Half the city's baristi learned it here
We train baristi for cafés and restaurants across Cape Town, and help new places find their feet, sorting out the machine, the grinder, the workflow, and everything else nobody mentions until opening week.
It's the part of the business we're quietest about and proudest of. If you've had a good flat white somewhere on the Atlantic Seaboard, there's a fair chance the person who made it stood behind this bar first.
Come for a cup, or put the kettle on at home
Either way you're getting the same coffee. We'd rather you tasted it than read about it.