Johannesburg

The 10 Best Wine Bars in Johannesburg

The natural-wine wave reshaped Johannesburg's wine bars — these are the ten worth a Friday evening. The wine bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — the central districts all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.

  1. 01

    &Union Beer Salon

    MABONENG · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    &Union Beer Salon draws a steady local crowd in Maboneng. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

  2. 02

    Blind Tiger Johannesburg

    THE CENTRE · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Blind Tiger is the Parkhurst speakeasy hidden behind a bookshelf inside a coffee shop — push the right book, the shelf swings open, into a dim 45-seat 1920s-the. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

  3. 03

    Craft Beer Pub

    LINDEN · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Craft Beer Pub draws a steady local crowd in Linden. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

  4. 04

    Croft & Co Johannesburg

    THE CENTRE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Croft & Co opened quietly on 4th Avenue about four years ago, and Parkhurst's discerning regulars found it almost immediately. The bar seats 40 across a lon. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

  5. 05

    Cuban Fork Bar

    MABONENG · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Cuban Fork Bar draws a steady local crowd in Maboneng. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

  6. 06

    Darling Brew Tap House

    MABONENG · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Darling Brew Tap House draws a steady local crowd in Maboneng. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

  7. 07

    Doppio Zero

    SANDTON · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Doppio Zero draws a steady local crowd in Sandton. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

  8. 08

    FoxP2

    THE CENTRE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    FoxP2 is walk-in only. Arrive before 8pm on weekends to secure a seat. The bar is small, convivial, and fills quickly on Thursdays and Fridays. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

  9. 09

    Frank's Bar Johannesburg

    THE CENTRE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Frank's Bar opened on De Beer Street in 2019 and quickly became the anchor venue for Braamfontein's cultural scene. The neighbourhood — Joburg's answer to Brook. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

  10. 10

    Great Dane

    THE HEART OF THE CBD."/> Great Dane is walk-in only. The CBD location makes it ideal for a lunchtime beer or post-work pint. The after-work crowd fills the room between 5pm and 7pm on F. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Use this guide either as a single curated route through Johannesburg or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten wine bars that any serious drinker in Johannesburg would tell you to put on the list.

&Union Beer Salon draws a steady local crowd in Maboneng. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Blind Tiger is the Parkhurst speakeasy hidden behind a bookshelf inside a coffee shop — push the right book, the shelf swings open, into a dim 45-seat 1920s-the. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

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