Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa, is a foodie’s paradise. With a thriving culinary scene, the city offers a diverse range of dining options that cater to all tastes and budgets.
Its diverse population makes it a hub of creativity and energy whose most frequented spots are the Apartheid Museum, the Gold Reef City theme park, the Lion Park, the Johannesburg Zoo or the Constitution Hill complex. Whether you’re looking for a touristic walk, a fine dining experience, a cozy neighborhood bistro, or a lively gastropub, you’ll find it in Johannesburg.
Here are some of our favorite among the many restaurants and bars in Johannesburg:
Hell’s Kitchen
Why you should go: Can you imagine travelling without leaving a single city? Hell’s Kitchen makes this experience possible in Johannesburg. This popular restaurant offers an eclectic menu of international cuisine and is known for its bold flavors and unique dishes and drinks. Tapas, friends and live music. The ultimate plan!
Atmosphere: It is a casual, rustic-style restaurant with a menu featuring American comfort food.
Recommendations: You must definitely try their burgers and ribs. Also, if you are a whiskey lover you’ll be spoiled for choice!
Prices: Main courses are on average around R150 each. They have a wide range of whiskeys starting at around R30 up to R225. Side dishes, small bites and other drinks are fairly reasonable priced here too.
Kitchener’s Carvery
Why you should go: Kitchener’s Carvery is a cozy and casual restaurant that offers a menu of traditional South African dishes and is known for its hearty portions and great value. This is the second oldest bar in Joburg and is known as one of the best dance floors in town!
Atmosphere: A traditional South African restaurant with a meat-focused menu and a casual and young atmosphere, where you can find locals and students. They have several different music nights on so make sure to check their event calendar!
Music: Music is an essential ingredient of this bar, with live gigs within its walls of more than 100 years where you can enjoy the vibes of genres such as funk, house, techno or disco!
Recommendations: Their roast beef and lamb are highly recommended! We are getting hungry just telling you about it.
Prices: Food and drinks are very affordable, with prices around R40 for drinks and R80 for food.
Marble
Why you should go: Marble is a fine dining restaurant that offers a menu of contemporary South African cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients. With fire at the heart of its cuisine, this restaurant located in Keyes Art Mile is one of the most sublime in the city. Its décor leaves no one indifferent either, with four local artisans behind the interior design who have turned Marble into an art gallery.
Atmosphere: A fine dining restaurant with an upscale atmosphere and a menu featuring contemporary cuisine.
Recommendations: Go here to try their steak and seafood dishes. Marble is a good choice for nice wines and cocktails too!
Prices: Starters go for around R120 each, mains are priced from R215 up to R950. They also have a selection of specialty meats ranging in price from R454 up to R2490. Cocktails are around R180 on average.
Kolonaki
Why you should go: Kolonaki is a stylish and sophisticated Greek restaurant that offers a menu of classic dishes made with fresh ingredients. The ancient Greek gods would have licked their fingers tasting the dishes at this restaurant!
Atmosphere: A Greek restaurant with a warm, Mediterranean-inspired atmosphere and a menu featuring classic Greek dishes.
Recommendations: The menu at Kolonáki features a variety of Greek dishes, such as tzatziki, Greek salad, meze platters…The restaurant also has an extensive list of wines and spirits, including Greek wines and ouzo. However, we highly recommend tryung their gyros and moussaka!
Prices: Small dishes are on average R50 each, a great choice to order a few and share with the
Modena
Why you should go: Modena is a chic Italian restaurant that offers a menu of traditional dishes made with the finest ingredients. Its main objective is to reflect the simplicity of Italian cooking: hearty, homely and delicious but always trying to innovate.
Atmosphere: An Italian restaurant with a chic, modern atmosphere and a menu featuring authentic Italian dishes from all the regions of this sunny country!
Recommendations: Real Italian food lovers must go here and try out one of their freshly made pasta or pizza.
Prices: The options on their breakfast menu are around R100 per item. Antipasti are around R150 per item. Main dishes of risotto, homemade pasta and pizza vary around R170 per dish.
Aurum
Why you should go: Aurum is a stylish and contemporary restaurant that offers a menu of modern cuisine. Its distinctive features are private dining rooms, a pool deck, a wine library with a range of exclusive wines and a bar and lounge. Without a doubt, a place to have a complete and unique experience in the city of Johannesburg!
Atmosphere: Aurum is an upscale and elegant restaurant with a menu featuring contemporary cuisine and a focus on locally-sourced ingredients.
Recommendations: You cannot leave the city without tasting their seasonal dishes. Also, this is the perfect place for wine connaseurs!
Prices: Small bites vary between R30 and R110 per item. Main courses are around R500 each and cocktails and wines are around R120 each.
The Green House bar
Why you should go: This lively bar and restaurant in Sandton offers a menu of international cuisine and is known for its creative artisan drinks. Your new favourite spot if you’re looking for a casual yet stylish dining experience!
Atmosphere: The Green House is an urban oasis, with a laid-back atmosphere and a menu featuring pub fare and drinks.
Music: The bar is well known in the city for its dynamic live acts, with stars such as the Philharmonic Orchestra and saxophonist Kathy del Mai, among others. Big names in the electronic music scene such as Black Coffee have also made their way to the bar!
Recommendations: The Green House Bar is a great place for cocktails and burgers, but we highly recommend trying their modern tapas!
Prices: Drinks vary from R30 up to R250 each. They do bottle service too for wines, tequila, brandy, gin and vodka starting at around R215 up to R12000 per bottle.
Bespokery
Why you should go: Calling out for fussy foodies! This cozy neighborhood bistro is the place to be. Bespokery offers a menu of contemporary cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients and is known for its wide choice of wine! Not forgetting, of course, his great expertise in low-carb, vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free food.
Atmosphere: Bespokery is a casual restaurant with a menu featuring a variety of international dishes.
Recommendations: You must try some of the fusion dishes and unique drinks they serve at Bespokery! Their confit lamb shoulder or aubergine caponata, to name a few.
Prices: Great value for money. All food dishes are about R100 on average, drinks are around R80 each.
La boqueria
Why you should go: ¿Unas tapas, amigo? La Boqueria is a lively bar that offers a menu based on classic Spanish dishes that will make you feel as if you were on the Mediterranean shores chilling on a Barcelona terrace.
Atmosphere: Its decoration, with ceiling fans and rustic wooden furniture, gives the traditional touch that characterises this touristy southern European country that inspires La Boqueria.
Recommendations: Definitely the fresh paella and homemade sangria. But if you’re inclined towards more Latin flavours, don’t miss their Peruvian ceviche, Mexican tacos and Argentinian inspired asado.
Prices: Tapas dishes are around R50 per item. Drinks are also reasonably priced at around R60 each.
Level Four
Why you should go: Level Four rightly includes the word level in its name, because the experience it offers is undoubtedly a superior one. This stylish and sophisticated restaurant offers a menu of contemporary cuisine and is known for its stunning views of the city. Their dishes will catch your attention just by looking at them!
Atmosphere: Its chic rooftop, elegant décor and first-class cuisine make it one of the most distinguished places in the city.
Recommendations: Enjoy one of their signature cocktails with a view over the city or extend the experience at their accommodation facilities!
Prices: Side dishes are around R50 each and main courses vary between R140 and R330. Drinks are around R100 each.
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