Restaurants in Johannesburg
Top-notch international restaurants, including the authentic Indian Bukhara, crowd the classy suburb of Sandton. Head to Melrose Arch and Newtown for the full-flavoured babotie (mince casserole), or sample it in spartan Soweto for a more authentic experience. Cyrildene is synonymous with Chinese cuisine and Carnivore restaurant with serious meat cravings. Most restaurants take a break between lunch and dinner. Standard tipping is 10%.
Top-end
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1. moyo - Top-end: (More than R300 for a three-course meal without drinks)
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moyo in Melrose Arch serves food from all over the African continent amidst African-inspired décor and design on five themed floors. Entertaining Gumboot dancers, Mbira players and storytellers accompany the long menu, which offers everything from Nigerian soups and Moroccan mezes to Swahili curries and seafood Mozambique-style.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening hours
Daily 12pm-late
Address
Shop 5, The High Street, Melrose Arch, Johannesburg 2070
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 684 1477
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2. Orient - Top-end
Show moreWith its super-slick interior, world-class dim sum, and security-conscious location, Orient is an absolute must for foodies who love Asian and find themselves in Johannesburg. Among a wide-ranging menu that includes all the usual favourites (including satays, spring rolls, spicy soups, red, yellow, and green curries and pad Thai), interesting alternatives abound - Hong Kong Pears, Chi Chee Gao, Bang Bang Duck, and Grilled Banana Fish, to name a few. And if that's not enough to tempt you, they also make great sushi.
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Main courses R44-168
Opening hours
Mon-Thurs noon-2.30pm & 6-10pm; Sat-Sun noon-10pm
Address
4 The High Street, Melrose Arch, Johannesburg, South Africa
Telephone
011/684-1616
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3. Gramadoelas - Top-end: (More than R300 for a three-course meal without drinks)
Show moreLocated in Newtown, in the Market Theatre, Gramadoelas is a fine historical restaurant decorated with antiques, chandeliers, African art and theatre memorabilia. The food is traditional South African, from babotie (mince casserole) to Cape Malay curries and melktert (milk tart). North African dishes feature too, just ask the waiters to talk you through the menu.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening hours
Mon 6pm-11.30pm; Tue-Sat 12pm-3pm & 6pm-11.30pm
Address
Market Theatre, Bree Street, Newtown, Johannesburg 2001
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 838 6960
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4. La Belle Terrasse and Loggia - Top-end: (More than R300 for a three-course meal without drinks)
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Continental cuisine, whether it be breakfast, dinner or Sunday brunch, comes with silver service and an extensive wine list at La Belle Terrasse and Loggia in Westcliff. Spectacular city views add a touch of romance to the elegant décor, complementing classic dishes like foie gras, risotto and beef fillet.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening hours
Daily 6.30am-10.30am & 7pm-11pm (Sunday brunch 11.30am-3pm)
Address
Westcliff Hotel, 67, Jan Smuts Avenue, Westcliff, Johannesburg 2193
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 481 6000
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5. Bukhara - Top-end: (More than R300 for a three-course meal without drinks)
Show moreAt Bukhara in Sandton, North Indian chefs prepare authentic tandooris and curries along with traditional South African dishes from a glass-enclosed kitchen. Marble flooring and teak wooden tables decorate this upmarket restaurant, popular with sophisticated local diners since 1995. Choose a fine bottle from the award-winning wine list to go with your meal.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening hours
Daily 12pm-3pm & 6pm-11pm (until 10pm Sun & Mon)
Address
Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, Johannesburg 2196
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 883 5555
Mid-range
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6. Cape Town Fish Market - Mid-range: (R175-R300 for a three-course meal without drinks)
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Historical photographs from various museums decorate the Cape Town Fish Market restaurant in Sandton, evoking the flavour of the mother city in its heyday. The extensive menu offers a variety of South African and Japanese dishes, including seafood, sushi and fish curries, while the fresh fish display allows for custom-made platters.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening hours
Daily 11am-11pm
Address
Shop BC 21, Banking Court Level, Sandton City, Johannesburg 2196
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 884 8529
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7. Osteria Tre Nonni - Mid-range: (R175-R300 for a three-course meal without drinks)
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The unpretentious Osteria Tre Nonni in Craighall Park specialises in regional Italian dishes. The restaurant has starched white tablecloths and taverna-style straw-bottomed chairs, but with around 20 varieties of pasta and risotto, imported San Daniele ham (not any old Parma ham) and perfectly cooked ossobuco (braised veal shank), food takes the front seat here.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening hours
Tue-Sat 12pm-3pm & 6pm-10pm; Sun lunch only
Address
9, Grafton Avenue Centre, Grafton Road, Craighall Park, Johannesburg 2196
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 327 0095
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8. Yamato - Mid-range: (R175-R300 for a three-course meal without drinks)
Show moreTucked away in Johannesburg's trendy Illovo suburb, award-winning Yamato tempts diners with set and a-la-carte menus, going beyond sushi and sashimi. Here you'll find crab, salmon and tuna on offer. Adding elegance to the simplicity of Oriental culture, even the décor is a refreshing alternative to regular Japanese restaurants.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening hours
Mon-Fri 12pm-2.30pm & 6.30pm-10pm; Sat 6.30pm-10pm; Sun 12pm-2.30pm & 6pm-9pm
Address
196, Oxford Road, Corner Chaplin, Illovo, Johannesburg 2196
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 268 0511/12
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9. The Butcher Shop & Grill - Mid-range: (R175-R300 for a three-course meal without drinks)
Show moreThe Butcher Shop & Grill in Sandton is where succulent boerewors (beef sausages) and tender, cut-to-order steaks meet with some of South Africa's best wines - think of Thelema, Le Riche and Boekenhoutskloof winemakers to name but a few. Book in advance for a table on the terrace overlooking Nelson Mandela Square.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening hours
Daily 12pm-10.30pm
Address
Shop 30, Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, Johannesburg 2146
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 784 8676/7
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10. Carnivore - Mid-range: (R175-R300 for a three-course meal without drinks)
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Carnivore is a 500-seater restaurant in Muldersdrift famous for its gut-busting meaty fare roasted on spears over coals in the central fire pit. Waiters hack off chunks of chicken, sausage, pork, lamb and some game meat on to your plate until you surrender. Make sure you are hungry when you arrive.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening hours
Daily 12pm-2.30pm & 6pm-12am
Address
69, Drift Boulevard, Muldersdrift, Johannesburg 1747
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 950 6067
Budget
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11. Cranks - Budget: (Less than R175 for a three-course meal without drinks)
Show moreWith its solid reputation for good food since it opened in the 1980s and eye-catching dragons and scorpions from Hong Kong as decorations, Cranks in Rosebank is the pick of the Thai-Vietnamese food scene. The menu at this reconstructed plastic junk house is as interesting as its décor. Try the mussels in tamarind sauce.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening hours
Tue-Sun 12pm-10.30pm
Address
Shop 52 Rosebank Mall, Craddock Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2121
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 880 3442
Transport
Taxi or hire car
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12. Assaggi - Budget: (Less than R175 for a three-course meal without drinks)
Show moreImporting passion and knowledge for Italian cuisine from the foodie town of Ravenna, owner Luciana Righi has turned Assaggi into an extremely popular restaurant. Originally a small deli, today the unfussy, 130-seat establishment in Illovo turns out dishes sublime enough to tempt even the most diet-conscious celebrities. Its inimitable bruschetta is the queen of starters.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening hours
Mon-Sat 12.30pm-2pm & 6.30pm-9pm
Address
30, Post Office Centre, Rudd Road, Johannesburg 2196
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 268 1370
Transport
Taxi
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13. Fournos Bakery - Budget: (Less than R175 for a three-course meal without drinks)
Show moreBakers work all night at Fournos Bakery in Dunkeld to prepare a huge variety of bread, cakes, quiches and pastries. A popular choice for business and family lunches, this legendary bakery offers huge breakfasts and light meals, and there is also a full deli counter selling imported meat, cheese and ready-made gourmet meals.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening hours
Mon-Fri 7am-6pm; Sat 7am-4pm; Sun 7am-2pm
Address
Dunkeld Shopping Centre, Corner of Jan Smuts Avenue and Bompas Road, Johannesburg 2024
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 325 2111
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14. Fisherman's Plate - Budget: (Less than R175 for a three-course meal without drinks)
Show moreStanding out among the restaurant-crowded Cyrildene district, Johannesburg's Chinatown, Fisherman's Plate is a gastronomic delight. The unhurried service and modest decor don't stop seafood lovers flocking to this restaurant, run with real enthusiasm by a husband and wife team for more than a decade. Fisherman's Plate operates on a first-come-first-served basis, so get there early.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening hours
Tue-Sun 12pm-2.30pm & 6pm-9pm
Address
The Courtyard, Derrick Avenue, Cyrildene, Johannesburg 2198
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 622 0480
Transport
Taxi
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15. Wandies Place - Budget: (Less than R175 for a three-course meal without drinks)
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Going strong for more than 15 years, Wandies Place is a former township pub and one of the first restaurants in Soweto to welcome tourists, amongst them Richard Branson, Jesse Jackson and the All Blacks. The traditional township fare, eaten informally at long tables, includes chicken and mutton stews with dumplings or pap (stiff maize porridge).Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening hours
Daily 8am-10am & 12pm-10pm
Address
618, Makhalamele Street, Dube, Johannesburg 1801
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 982 2796
Transport
Taxi or hire car
