Vida e Caffé, Grassy Park

Updated: 28-03-2019

Grassy Park is not the obvious location for a Vida e Caffé. This popular coffee shop has made it’s brand synonymous with upmarket locations in malls, corporate spaces and trendy hot spots. But Mohamed Bray, who owns this branch was convinced that Vida was missing an opportunity and pitched them a new location in Grassy Park on the Cape flats. And they have been smiling ever since.

You wouldn’t think it but the Grassy Park community has an up and coming youth and professional culture. People who trek to the city everyday to work in corporate and who don’t mind paying R25 for a cappucino. The fact that it’s located at a filling station and is still busy is testament to the fact that there was a gap in the area for a quality coffee brand. In fact maybe other upmarket brands would recognise this and follow suit.

It was great to visit a Vida where I could buy something to eat and not just the coffee. Although Mohamed did insist I try their current promotional blend, the Electra. The normal house blend is the Estrella. He advised I have a Meia de Leite which is an espresso with steamed milk. I found this blend sharper and more acidic than the house blend but the more I had the better I liked it. This branch in size is somewhere between their bigger branches you would find in a mall and the small kiosk type you would find in the Shell service stations. There is one table with chairs and counter seating with bar stools available. It’s more of a takeout venue at the moment but they tell me they do get people coming to have breakfast there on the weekends. Their authentic Portuguese style menu besides their well known coffee contains pastries, muffins, sandwiches, cookies and for the health conscious, yoghurt and muesli cups, juices and skinny coffee options.

The staff is friendly and vibey. Evan, in true Vida style is always quipping loudly about how I should be trying this, that or the other. I convince him to let me film him making a cappucino which he does in tandem with his star barista.

I hadn’t had breakfast yet so I ordered a Paozinho at R47, which is macon, mozzarella and smoked chicken on a pretzel. They toasted it for me which melted the cheese. I enjoyed the saltiness of the pretzel hugging the filling. It looks big because it’s long but it’s narrow so it’s not overwhelming. And to drink I had something cold to offset the crazy summer heat that set in this week. How did we go 10 degrees hotter overnight in Cape Town, and for the whole week nogal?!? The mango and coconut Frio is dairy free and was the perfect refreshing choice.

I bought a quattro muffin which contains 4 types of cheeses – mozzarella, cheddar, cream cheese and feta which was my light lunch plan and a slice of carrot cake which I just could not resist… I mean who could resist this 3 layer tower of yum!

The Grassy Park branch is a slightly smaller takeout style store. He has also opened a second location inside the Rondebosch Mediclinic which is bigger with more seating space. There are also several more stores which have since gone fully halaal. More here.