Manaka Coffee — Restaurant in Gauteng

I made a quick visit to Manaka Coffee to try their selection of hot beverages.

I had an Americano. I am not sure if they gave me a double or single (you can choose) but I think mine was double (nonetheless, whether it was single or double, it was very delicious 😋😄). That was the most delicious Americano I ever had! For those of you who do not know, an Americano is basically coffee with water and then you add sugar or milk. Think of the household coffee that we drink, for example, those instant chicory/coffee blends that we drink, then we add boiled water from the kettle with sugar, fresh milk or creamer. Those are fundamentally actually (similar to) Americanos, although there are a few more extra details that distinguishes the instant coffee to that of the machine ones in stores (there's a whole history why the drink is called an Americano actually. Read up on it).

The Manaka Americano had a fruitiness to it. Before I added sugar and milk, I took a few sips just to taste it in its purest form. It was so delicious, I could have drank it just plain like that without additions!

Another aspect that impressed me about Manaka Coffee is the idea that when I encountered them on social media, I thought it was just another business parading/pretending to be or trying to be a coffee shop. You know those ones who do their business, but they do not really have what it takes and are not really passionate about coffee. However, when I walked into Manaka Coffee at Polofields, I was impressed with regards to how sophisticated it looked, how efficient the staff members were (while you stand in the queue they take your order before you get to the front) and it was busy, meaning that they are a reputable coffee establishment in the Midrand area. They also serve savoury foods and desserts amongst others.

Keep it up Manaka Coffee. I cannot wait until you open more coffee shops in other areas around...

I must say, I was quite disappointed with the experience we had at Manaka this past Sunday. We arrived here slightly after 3 and actually got served our meals after 4. This is after repeatedly asking how long it would take. They were more invested in a large table that came after us. Multiple patrons who arrived long after we did, were served before us. When the food came, we had a junior burger which was quite good, chicken basket was good too, crossaint with livers was supposed to have a poached egg, came with scrambled egg, not a train smash, but not what I asked for. Sriracha wrap was okay, Philly cheesecake roll was sooo dry and hard, we could barely bite into it, lacked flavour and barely had anything going on in it to justify the price point. Honey cake was ok, wouldn't order it again. Coffee freezos were amazing but only served after we were almost done with our meals which is a bit pointless. Service and delays were appalling. Definitely not going back there again...

We popped in for breakfast after a bit of shopping and seeing the positive reviews. It was quite disappointing. The quiche was for sure old or had been reheated too far as the pastry and filling were both rubbery. The “side salad” comprised of yellowing lettuce, chopped baby tomatoes and what seemed to be grated cheddar cheese. At R100 for this dish, the portion was measly and the quality was below average. My partner had an eggs Benedict which was okay but the eggs weren’t done as requested and the whole thing lacked seasoning. We ordered the fresh squeezed juices but had to change one of the orders as they ran out of an ingredient. It arrived at our table warm and was average tasting. The service was okay but nobody checked on how we found the meal. It was also disappointing to see the barista/part owner discipline an...