Morningside's Naked Kitchen is the perfect spot to set up your coffice

Finding a good coffice can be surprisingly tricky business. You need to find somewhere quiet enough to actually get some work done that's still trendy enough for people to be quietly impressed at how you spend your days.

The food needs to be gourmet without being too pretentious and the drinks menu needs to offer more than just a selection of artisanal beers when you want something a little stronger. The Naked Kitchen ticks all of these boxes.

Tucked away in Morningside, Johannesburg, the Naked Kitchen combines upmarket casual coffee vibes with deli-style food and a drinks menu that's sure to send a shiver of smug glee up the spines of the Bryanston set.

The décor is clean and European, mixing wood, marble and tiles in a way that bring the word Scandinavian to mind.

In a departure from the norm one orders from an ever-changing deli counter that offers a range of foods that look and taste as fresh as something a poet would say about a dewy spring morning. The restaurant also boasts a strong focus on coffee.

According to owners Shaun Els and Victor Barbosa, this mixture of elements and the manner in which they manifest themselves was inspired by their travels and a desire to bring the gourmet deli trend to South Africa.

"A love for coffee, paired with an acute attention to quality, was the driving force that led us to begin this journey, which drove us to open Naked Coffee," said Barbosa.

One of the Naked Kitchen's best qualities is that it is highly Instagrammable. Walking in, one immediately gets the itch to post what you're eating, drinking and where you are. It is photogenic and in this day and age that is just as important as having delicious food.

THE LOWDOWN

What to eat: The Vietnamese chicken and the salmon fish cakes.

The toasted banana bread with peanut butter is also great for those who enjoy the taste of carbs.

What to drink: Bulleit Iced Tea or a good Old Fashioned.

When to go: Around lunch time or during peak traffic.

Who you'll bump into: Corporate types, soccer moms with their uniformed children, people who wear ripped designer jeans and tight T-shirts that cost a pretty penny.

Budget: Roughly R200 per person if you’re not having more than two or three drinks.

Where to find it: Morningside Shopping Centre, corner of Rivonia and Outspan roads.

• For more information contact 011-326-6688

• This article was originally published in The Times