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.
MABONENG · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
&Union Beer Salon draws a steady local crowd in Maboneng. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
THE CENTRE · $$$ · 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.
LINDEN · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Craft Beer Pub draws a steady local crowd in Linden. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
THE CENTRE · $$ · 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.
MABONENG · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Cuban Fork Bar draws a steady local crowd in Maboneng. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
MABONENG · $$ · 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.
SANDTON · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Doppio Zero draws a steady local crowd in Sandton. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
THE CENTRE · $$ · 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.
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.
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.
Looking beyond Johannesburg? See our guide to the best wine bars worldwide, or compare wine bars city by city.