Hygge Hygge: Cosy Café Dining in Stellenbosch

Did you catch the Danish lifestyle trend that made the headlines a year or two back? It’s called hygge (pronounced “hooga”) that’s all about creating a cosy environment that embraces you. A hug if you like. Sisters Melissa Crous and Carmen Moller fell in love with the concept, devoured the book, and styled their Stellenbosch café according to its principles. Candles, cushions, plants, food for the soul, everything pretty and picture-perfect.

“The important thing isn’t how you pronounce it; it’s that you feel it,” says Melissa. “Cosiness, feeling at home, that’s what we try to translate on the menu. There’s something here for everyone. We cater for vegans and we also cater for bacon lovers.”

A dream come true

Christine Meintjies

Carmen had dreamed of having a café since she was nine. She opened Eten Health Bar, a healthy takeaway spot in the De Wet Centre across the way early in 2020, just before the first lockdown. It flourished despite the circumstances, and in 2021 the proliferation of To Let signs along Church Street encouraged her to enlist Melissa’s help to go after the bigger dream. They transformed what used to be a diamond shop to an airy, welcoming refuge, with folding glass windows opening onto the street, a forest of hanging plants, smooth wood tables and counters and comfortable seating.

Pretty tasty

Breakfasts and lunches overlap on Hygge Hygge’s menu. Dishes are wholesome, healthy, but also indulgent and generous, made with locally sourced ingredients. Think pretty-as-a-picture smoothie bowls, harvest bowls of roast vegetables, elaborate avo roses over beetroot-pink hummus on toast, alongside a perfectly poached egg. Dainty decorations of edible flowers and beautiful plating make you want to photograph and share each dish before tucking in.

Stacked burgers are a lunch staple: beef, chicken or vegan patties loaded with roasted tomatoes and crispy kale, unstinting quantities of the crispiest sweet-potato fries and vegan harissa mayo on the side. Several of the lunch dishes come vegan as standard with the option of adding chicken or beef, which makes it easy to order, whatever your dietary requirements.

Good coffee + Cheeky cocktails

The sisters developed their own roast of South American beans: Yawn – smooth and rich, and so delicious we bought a bag to take home. Fresh juices from Babylonstoren and creative smoothies start the day in nutritious style; the winelist features local estates such as Kleine Zalze, Waterford and Thelema. And then there’s a selection of crafty cocktails – Chil Hier Margarita, Dirty Harry and The Kate Moss, to name a few – too delicious to pass up.

Stay for dinner

Snacks and shared platters set the tone for relaxed evenings. Cosy up with candles and blankets around beautifully arranged plates of cheese and preserves, nachos, classic toasties, moreish vegan treats, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours, while you watch the world go by at the heart of Stellenbosch’s café society.

Good to know Hygge Hygge does bottomless mimosas for brunch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Times Monday + Tuesday, 7:30am – 5pm
Wednesday – Saturday, 7:30am – 9pm
Sunday, 8am – 2pm (all-day breakfast)
Contact 066 426 9023, melissa@hyggestellenbosch.com
Where to find it 11 Church Street, Stellenbosch

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