Coffee Crawl Day #8: The Copper Coffee Bar, Natal Midlands

The Junction, Nottingham Road, Kwazulu-Natal, 0081

It was a beautiful day in the Natal Midlands and after taking a tour of the Nelson Mandela Capture Site, my family and I decided to visit Nottingham Road to do some window-shopping. Usually, the coffee shops visited on our Coffee Crawl was pre-determined, with us often driving out to get to them. However, The Copper Coffee Bar was not a place that we sought out, but rather one that just appeared upon our path, seeking us out instead.

Placed inside an antique store, the Copper Coffee Bar has the most delightful feeling of transporting you back in time, and because it is only a corner bar with a few places to sit, it has an intimate feel about it. The first thing that I noticed when I walked in was the gorgeous antique steampunk coffee machine that is still in use. Dated as made in 1920, four glass panels cover a network of brass pipes within the La San Marco machine, revealing the inner workings, where most modern ones are covered. I was utterly obsessed, taking photos to the point where the barista eventually invited me behind the bar to have a closer look at it. The shop is fitted so that the coffee bar is in the front, with the antique shop behind it, so whilst you are drinking your coffee, you can travel back through time and have a look at all of the treasures from bygone eras on show.

The cappuccino that I ordered was very good, with a perfect 10mm crema on top, and tempered so that I could immediately start drinking it. The coffee that they use is a single origin Ugandan blend from Manna Roasteries. The coffee beans are grown at an altitude of 1600 – 1900 metres in a place called Sipi Falls, which borders the Mt Elgon region. The altitude gave the coffee a good amount of acidity, yet it was not overpowering. The coffee had a nutty undertone and a chocolatey aftertaste. My only qualm was that the coffee could have been a little bit stronger, but this is just a question of personal preference.

To be honest, the coffee here really exceeded my expectations. When I first sat down, I wasn’t sure whether the focus would be an antique store that happens to serve coffee, or a really good coffee shop that was attached to an antique store. I can say with full confidence that although I had my reservations, this brew was a very good quality artisan coffee, definitely worth coming back for. This coffee bar is still very new, but I predict that in future, this little joint will still build a faithful fan base and build a name for itself in the Midlands.

The best thing about this coffee was the element of surprise. I wasn’t expecting to find this quaint coffee shop in the first place, and it turned out to be such a great idea. The quality of coffee that this bar produced really blew me away, and I would recommend making a stop here on your next holiday in the Midlands.