Hoping to finish my next book, I took a trip to Cape Town. I was looking for places that would boost or at least aid the writing process. By means of a twitter pole, locals began recommending worthy venues. Soon my trip became a mission. 10 coffee shops in 10 days. Here was what I thought of my favourite spot.

Truth Coffee Cult (Buitenkant Str, Cape Town) twitter: @TRUTHcoffee

The mother of all inspiration, and by far my most productive stop in Cape Town. Truth Coffee Cult has managed to blend the fascination of the early industrial age with a childlike sense of adventure. It felt as though I was boarding the Nautilus (Captain Nemo’s vessel in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea) or stepping into The Time Traveller’s laboratory (as described by HG Wells in The Time Machine). I was transported to another place, where every sensation and every emotion could be scrutinised and documented in detail. It was steroids for the imagination. All the furniture and accessories that made up the decór, had been purposely added to the collective whole to baffle the mind. And then, the coffee…

For a change I ordered the Café Mocha, a drink I am most critical about. It was superb! Being able to drink a Mocha without sugar and without milk, is a tricky thing to accomplish. If the chocolate element is too creamy, one is inclined to add sugar and if it is too sweet, one is inclined to add milk. If the combination is done to perfection, the intensity of the coffee grabs hold of you, and the intricacy of the dark chocolate lingers on the palate long after the cup has gone. This was all I needed to plough through my writing work. Well done to the baristas! You are artists, all of you. I have even decided to mention Truth Coffee Cult in my next book. How could I resist?

At Truth Coffee in Cape Town with my wife, Marlene.