Johannesburg can feel inaccessible and unlike Cape Town, which people fall in love with handily because of its natural beauty and laid back lifestyle, Jozi is a hardscrabble city that is always churning. If Cape Town is a watercolor, than Johannesburg is a high contrast photograph that requires an interpretive guide. Past Experiences founder, Jo Buitendach, is just such a guide and her Braamfontein Art Tour provides an interesting perspective of the city.
Two years ago I moved to South Africa. I never expected to live here, but I know I am where I am meant to be. Happy South African two year anniversary to me!
There is something about The Leopard in Melville with mismatched mid-century chairs, faded Micky Mouse printed napkins, and right next to my table a framed photo of an Air Gabon airplane that I loved from the second I settled into my table. The menu is eclectic and a bit cheeky.
Having eaten my way through many of South Africa’s top restaurants, Five Hundred at the Saxon Hotel is my favorite; rivaling other fine dining experiences I have had in Europe, New York, and San Francisco. There is an element of theater at fine dining restaurants with the choreographed, efficient movements spilling out from the kitchen to the service, and no where in Johannesburg is this more on display than at Five Hundred.
The latest addition to Joburg’s flourishing food market scene is The Sheds @ 1 Fox located in converted warehouses in Ferraistown. I hope the denizens of Jozi add this to their market rotation because this is a welcome addition to the burgeoning Jozi food scene.
The Orbit Jazz Club and Bistro in Braamfontein has been on my Johannesburg must do list for quite some time, but it took a colleague visiting from Malaysia to organize an evening of Jazz for a group of work colleague – all of whom are likely in bed on a Sunday evening instead of listening to amazing Jazz. The Orbit Jazz Club and Bistro opened a year ago and hosts many jazz performances (some blues, salsa acts) throughout the month and with ticket prices that average R120 for a show, this is a must do for any visiting tourist of Joburg denizen.