Ah I’ve been a fan of Mugg & Bean since the first one opened in South Africa many years ago. I was in my early twenties at the time and I spent many hours with my friends drinking their bottomless coffee. They were known back then for their massive muffins which we would eat until we felt ill. I’ll be honest, I’ve had a quite a few issues with Mugg & Bean since then. Their muffins got smaller, their coffee didn’t taste so great and often the service wasn’t great. So for a while I didn’t go back. Lately, though, I discovered them again and visited their branch at Cavendish Square in Claremont. It’s a lovely Mugg & Bean. Very big, with an upstairs and a downstairs, and quite hidden from the hustle of the busy shopping centre. The service was good and my Americano was actually delicious. My friend who was with me said the bottomless coffee wasn’t amazing, so maybe the trick is to rather choose a good Americano or cappuccino if you are a bit of a coffee snob.

The food is very well priced and at only R49.90 I enjoyed one of their torta sandwiches which is advertised as classic Mexican street food of baked torta rolls with fresh and delicious fillings, served with onion rings on the side. I chose the BBQ pulled pork, which came on a bed of greens, topped with fresh pineapple, tomato, jalapenos, red onion and coriander pico de gallo. Oh wow, it was delicious. The meat was so soft and tender and it was incredibly filling. I would definitely go back and have this again, but perhaps without the pineapple (my personal preference though).