Maria’s Coffee is a roastery and café in Graaff-Reinet that has been roasting its own beans for a decade. Five distinct blends are roasted in small batches on site, each named for a feature of the Karoo landscape — Camdeboo, Aalwyn, Tandjiesberg, Karoo Veld, and Groot Kerk. The café serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch alongside the coffee.

Before you leave, browse the pantry for house-made preserves, rusks, and other provisions crafted in the Karoo, all available to take home or order online. The green fig preserve, cooked slowly until glossy and translucent, is a particular specialty, meant to be served with mature cheddar or spooned over thick yoghurt.

The roastery and café share the same space, so the smell of freshly roasted beans fills the room. The original location in Graaff-Reinet remains the heart of the operation, with a newer branch in Paarl. The coffee is the draw, but the food and pantry items make it a place to linger.