ABOUT US

ABOUT US

Cafe 1865 Lourensford Street Somerset West Restaurant

The name Café 1865 refers to the year Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was first published. This choice is no coincidence.

This book is extraordinary. One can reflect on its meaning endlessly, and everyone finds something deeply personal within it — something about their own inner world. For us, above all, it is the remarkable transformation of the mathematician Lewis Carroll into a world-renowned writer who created a universe so similar to ours, and yet filled with wonder.

In much the same way, the founder of the café, Irina Datsenko, spent her entire career in a large corporate environment — working her way from assistant accountant to head of the accounting department of a major company. All the while, she carried a quiet dream of a different life: one closer to nature, to the south, and to the ocean.

After many years of reflection, she made the brave decision to leave behind a successful career and depart from the grey, demanding rhythm of Moscow, moving as far south as felt possible. Cape Town and Somerset West became our home, and we are endlessly happy here.

This is why the phrase “Follow the White Rabbit” holds such meaning for us. By following your true desires, you discover a wondrous path called life — and, in time, you find your own beautiful garden, your own home.

Several years later, guided by the very same principles, Geraldine Steyl chose to leave her corporate career in Johannesburg and join this beautiful project.

We are deeply committed to our philosophy of honest, flavourful, and fresh food; to building a genuine community around our café; and to an unwavering attention to detail and impeccable quality — something we work on every single day.

We feel profoundly grateful to be in this magical corner of the world, bringing new flavours and meaningful collaborations to life, supporting local producers, and gathering around us truly wonderful communities.

  • Heard great things about Café 1865 and it definitely lived up to the reputation! The food was unbelievably delicious and full of flavor, with very reasonable prices. There’s a nice selection of teas and the coffee was excellent too. Service was friendly and efficient, making the whole experience even better. Will definitely return and highly recommend!

    Karol

  • Cafe 1865 has a lovely atmosphere, so peaceful. Friendly staff and the best coffee.
    I myself am a big coffee lover and since I have tried many coffees at different places, this coffee was absolutely perfect. Not just a perfect blend of beans, but the temperature of the steamed milk and the silkiness was absolutely perfect. Thank you for the great experience. Absolutely perfect value for the coffee. Waiting period was perfect, the space and time waiting was perfect. Thank you!

    Elze Marie Nothnagel

  • Whatever we tried to eat in this cafe, was absolutely delicious and high quality food! And as a tea lover I absolutely appreciate the huge variety of a great quality loose tea which comes in a teapot with a candle underneath it to keep it warm. The atmosphere and service is fabulous. The staff is very welcoming and friendly and we always feel home there. So, we are very grateful to find such a gem in Somerset West and ever since it has been our favorite place to come for breakfast or lunch or just for tea and coffee or pizza. Thank you for the great experience every time we come to eat!

    Asel SN

  • Cafe 1865 is the best cafe in Western Cape in my opinion. We found this cafe by accident and we were very impressed with their amazing menu, great atmosphere, excellent service, great quality food, huge variety of high quality loose tea and a wonderful coffee. They have both savory and sweet options. Their blinis with salmon and blinis with creamy mushrooms are amazing! The eggs Benedict with bacon and tomato jam and also Benedict with salmon are the best I had in Western Cape. The beetroot soup is fabulous. Their sweet pancakes with cherry jam are wonderful as well and their chocolate cherry cake and zebra cake are very delicious. Their pizza is fantastic and it comes with a special pesto sauce for a crust. Mad hatter pizza is my favorite.

    Asel SN

  • This is by far my favourite place to eat! Every time I get food from here it is not only so delicious and flavourful, but is always presented so beautifully. There are multiple different vegan and vegetarian options on the menu. The atmosphere is very mystical, cozy and nostalgic with their Alice in Wonderland theme, along with the decor being unique, anesthetic, and inviting – I highly recommend!

    Tayla Griffin

  • I cannot praise this little hidden gem enough – seriously!
    Service was impeccable – Owner extremely hands on as well.
    Food was absolutely delicious – Hot, fresh and so flavourful.
    Thank you for the Club Card as well – we will most definitely be back!

    Stephanie Lauren Griffiths

  • What a lovely place, met the owner, she was attentative and we had a friendly conversation. The I terror design is stunning, unique and inviting. I adore the lady that was serving us, she made the experience even better, she looked after us, and we shared laughs. The food was perfect! I had a pizza that was to die for! My mother really enjoyed the Teriyaki Chicken Katsu! I live in Gordonsbay but will absolutely make the effort and drive to Somerset West just to have a meal with Cafe 1865! Thank you Maeghan and Irina!

    Liezel Coetzee

  • Best pizza I had in a very long time and glad to discover this new addition to the Somerset West scene. Excellent quality food, and an arty design theme to the interior that makes for a special experience

    Pieter Grobler

  • Cafe 1865 in Somerset West is an absolute gem! We visited recently and had the pleasure of enjoying their delicious pizzas, burgers, and signature smoothies. Each dish was perfectly prepared and packed with flavor—their smoothies, in particular, were a highlight.
    The atmosphere was warm and inviting, making it the perfect spot to relax and enjoy a meal. Our waitress, Grace, truly elevated our experience. She was exceptionally friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu, offering great recommendations with a smile.
    If you’re in the area and looking for fantastic food paired with outstanding service, I can’t recommend Cafe 1865 enough. We’ll definitely be back!

    Werner Otto

CAfe 1865

57 Lourensford Road, Somerset West

Book a table

072 702 0985

072 702 0985

info@cafe1865.co.za

Operating hours

Monday-Friday 8:00-17:00

Saturday-Sunday 8:00-14:00

  • Heard great things about Café 1865 and it definitely lived up to the reputation! The food was unbelievably delicious and full of flavor, with very reasonable prices. There’s a nice selection of teas and the coffee was excellent too. Service was friendly and efficient, making the whole experience even better. Will definitely return and highly recommend!

    Karol

  • Cafe 1865 has a lovely atmosphere, so peaceful. Friendly staff and the best coffee.
    I myself am a big coffee lover and since I have tried many coffees at different places, this coffee was absolutely perfect. Not just a perfect blend of beans, but the temperature of the steamed milk and the silkiness was absolutely perfect. Thank you for the great experience. Absolutely perfect value for the coffee. Waiting period was perfect, the space and time waiting was perfect. Thank you!

    Elze Marie Nothnagel

  • Whatever we tried to eat in this cafe, was absolutely delicious and high quality food! And as a tea lover I absolutely appreciate the huge variety of a great quality loose tea which comes in a teapot with a candle underneath it to keep it warm. The atmosphere and service is fabulous. The staff is very welcoming and friendly and we always feel home there. So, we are very grateful to find such a gem in Somerset West and ever since it has been our favorite place to come for breakfast or lunch or just for tea and coffee or pizza. Thank you for the great experience every time we come to eat!

    Asel SN

  • Cafe 1865 is the best cafe in Western Cape in my opinion. We found this cafe by accident and we were very impressed with their amazing menu, great atmosphere, excellent service, great quality food, huge variety of high quality loose tea and a wonderful coffee. They have both savory and sweet options. Their blinis with salmon and blinis with creamy mushrooms are amazing! The eggs Benedict with bacon and tomato jam and also Benedict with salmon are the best I had in Western Cape. The beetroot soup is fabulous. Their sweet pancakes with cherry jam are wonderful as well and their chocolate cherry cake and zebra cake are very delicious. Their pizza is fantastic and it comes with a special pesto sauce for a crust. Mad hatter pizza is my favorite.

    Asel SN

  • This is by far my favourite place to eat! Every time I get food from here it is not only so delicious and flavourful, but is always presented so beautifully. There are multiple different vegan and vegetarian options on the menu. The atmosphere is very mystical, cozy and nostalgic with their Alice in Wonderland theme, along with the decor being unique, anesthetic, and inviting – I highly recommend!

    Tayla Griffin

  • I cannot praise this little hidden gem enough – seriously!
    Service was impeccable – Owner extremely hands on as well.
    Food was absolutely delicious – Hot, fresh and so flavourful.
    Thank you for the Club Card as well – we will most definitely be back!

    Stephanie Lauren Griffiths

  • What a lovely place, met the owner, she was attentative and we had a friendly conversation. The I terror design is stunning, unique and inviting. I adore the lady that was serving us, she made the experience even better, she looked after us, and we shared laughs. The food was perfect! I had a pizza that was to die for! My mother really enjoyed the Teriyaki Chicken Katsu! I live in Gordonsbay but will absolutely make the effort and drive to Somerset West just to have a meal with Cafe 1865! Thank you Maeghan and Irina!

    Liezel Coetzee

  • Best pizza I had in a very long time and glad to discover this new addition to the Somerset West scene. Excellent quality food, and an arty design theme to the interior that makes for a special experience

    Pieter Grobler

  • Cafe 1865 in Somerset West is an absolute gem! We visited recently and had the pleasure of enjoying their delicious pizzas, burgers, and signature smoothies. Each dish was perfectly prepared and packed with flavor—their smoothies, in particular, were a highlight.
    The atmosphere was warm and inviting, making it the perfect spot to relax and enjoy a meal. Our waitress, Grace, truly elevated our experience. She was exceptionally friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu, offering great recommendations with a smile.
    If you’re in the area and looking for fantastic food paired with outstanding service, I can’t recommend Cafe 1865 enough. We’ll definitely be back!

    Werner Otto