COFFEE-COZA

VOVO TELO, MILPARK Seduced by the aroma of coffee and freshly baked bread, all that’s missing for Bridget Hilton-Barber is the connection I rushed into Vovo Telo Bakery & Café to escape the Joburg cold — and rushed straight into coffee and bakery heaven. OMG. This gorgeous little coffee shop is set in a barn-like building tucked in a cosy corner of 44 Stanley, and the first thing that greeted me was a stand of freshly baked breads — ciabatta, rye, French loaves, seed loaves…

Aah, the smell of baking mixed with the smell of coffee, an impossibly delicious combination. I ordered a flat white which came with a pretty heart shape on the foam, and a warm chocolate croissant, and sat purringly admiring my surroundings.

Vovo Telo’s décor is simple and pretty: pale mint-green walls, fab kitsch paintings and giant mirrors, a wall painted with big hearts, enormous glass chandeliers, bare wooden tables … and what a nice touch, blankets draped on the chairs in case you are cold.

The coffee is a delicious blend of African and South American, and the waiters wear T-shirts saying I want my coffee, which just about sums it all up, doesn’t it? So how do I connect to the internet? I ask my lovely waiter. Er, you don’t. Nooit, damn, aargh. I have wandered into a Wi-Fi free zone. This is strictly bring-your-own-dongle territory. What a crying shame, I thought to myself, and ordered another flat white cappuccino. 44 Stanley Ave, Milpark, Joburg 011 482 4139 www.vovotelo.com Cappuccino R17; filter coffee R16; double espresso R17. Parking is outside on the street and hard to find at peak times.

COFFEE RATING: WI-FI RATING: 0