Most Historic Pubs in Johannesburg With Real Character and Good Stories
Words by
Liam van der Merwe
Most Historic Pubs in Johannesburg With Real Character and Good Stories
By Liam van der Merwe
I have spent the better part of a decade walking into every old bar in this city, and I can tell you that the historic pubs in Johannesburg are not just places to drink. They are living rooms for the city's memory, the kind of spots where miners once cashed paychecks, where journalists plotted stories over whisky, and where the walls still hold the smoke-stained stories of a city that grew from gold dust into something complicated and loud and real. If you want to understand Johannesburg, you do not start in a museum. You start at the bar.
The Rand Club: Where Johannesburg's Power Brokers Once Gathered
You cannot talk about heritage pubs Johannesburg has to offer without starting at the Rand Club on Commissioner Street. Founded in 1887, barely two years after Johannesburg itself was established during the gold rush, this place was the unofficial boardroom of the mining magnates who shaped the entire South African economy. I have sat in the same leather chairs where Cecil Rhodes reportedly debated policy and where the Anglo-Boer War strategies were whispered over brandy.
The building itself is a three-story Edwardian masterpiece with a library that holds over 10,000 volumes, many of them first editions that survived the fires and upheavals of the 20th century. The bar still serves a proper gin and tonic the way it was made in the 1920s, with actual Angostura bitters and a twist of lemon peel cut thick the way the old bartenders insisted upon.
The Vibe? Dark wood, cigar smoke ghosts, and the quiet hum of old money still doing business.
The Bill? R85 to R180 for most drinks, with the house whisky selection running up to R350 for older pours.
The Standout? The library tour on Thursday afternoons, where the curator pulls out original Rand Club minute books from the 1890s.
The Catch? The dress code is strictly enforced. No jeans, no trainers, no exceptions, even for tourists who did not read the website.
The best time to visit is a Friday evening after 6 PM when the after-work crowd thins out and the older regulars take over the front lounge. Most tourists do not know that the Rand Club almost closed permanently in the 1990s when membership dropped below 200. It was saved by a handful of old members who bought the building themselves and reopened it to a slightly wider public.
Local tip: Walk around the block to the old Stock Exchange building afterward. The contrast between the two structures tells you everything about what Johannesburg valued then and what it values now.
The Radium Beerhall: Melville's Oldest Surviving Bar Counter
The Radium Beerhall on 4th Avenue in Melville has been pouring drinks since 1929, making it one of the oldest continuously operating bars in Johannesburg. I have spent more evenings here than I can count, and what keeps me coming back is that nothing has been overdone. The pressed tin ceiling is original. The bar counter is the same one that served beer to American soldiers on leave during World War II, and the jukebox still plays vinyl on certain nights when the owner feels like it.
This is the kind of place where you order a Black Label draught for around R35 and sit under the faded photographs of old Johannesburg, watching the Melville foot traffic drift by. The Radium became famous in the 1960s and 1970s as a meeting point for anti-apartheid activists who needed a place that was public enough to seem casual but tucked enough for private conversations. The back room has a door that leads to a narrow alley, and that exit was used more than once when the security police came through the front.
The Vibe? Smoky, loud, unpretentious, and completely itself.
The Bill? R30 to R60 for a beer, R45 to R90 for a meal.
The Standout? The live jazz on Sunday afternoons, which has been running in some form since the 1980s.
The Catch? The outdoor tables on 4th Avenue get very hot in January and February. Arrive early or sit inside.
Visit on a Sunday afternoon between 2 PM and 5 PM for the jazz sessions. The crowd is a mix of old Melville regulars, students from nearby UJ, and tourists who read the right blogs. Most people do not know that the original bar counter was salvaged from a demolished hotel on Commissioner Street, and if you look closely at the far end, you can still see a brass plaque with the old hotel's name.
Local tip: Order the toasted cheese sandwich. It has not changed in 30 years, and that is exactly the point.
The Fontein Tavern: Yeoville's Forgotten Heritage Pub
The Fontein Tavern on Raleigh Street in Yeoville is one of those old bars Johannesburg almost lost during the 1990s when the neighborhood went through its roughest period. I walked in here for the first time in 2015, and the owner, a man named Patrick, told me he had been behind that bar since 1978. The walls are covered in hand-painted murals of the Drakensberg mountains, done by a local artist in 1983, and the beer is served in the same glassware that has been washed and reused for decades.
What makes the Fontein Tavern worth going to is its stubborn refusal to change. You will find Castle Lager on tap for around R25, and the kitchen serves pap and chakalaka the way it was made when Yeoville was the cultural heart of Jewish and Portuguese Johannesburg. The tavern sits on a street that was once the center of immigrant life in the city, and the building itself dates to 1946, constructed from bricks salvaged from a demolished munitions factory.
The Vibe? Warm, worn, and completely without pretense.
The Bill? R25 for a beer, R50 to R80 for a full meal with sides.
The Standout? The pap and boerewors on a Friday night, which draws a crowd that has been coming for 30 years.
The Catch? The neighborhood has improved significantly, but parking on Raleigh Street after dark still requires attention. Lock your car and do not leave anything visible.
The best time to visit is Friday evening from 5 PM onward, when the kitchen is firing and the regulars are in full voice. Most tourists do not know that the murals were painted over during a renovation in 1999, only to be restored by the original artist's daughter in 2012.
Local tip: Walk two blocks down to the Yeoville Market on a Saturday morning afterward. The contrast between the old tavern and the new market tells the story of this neighborhood in a single afternoon.
The Keg and Knight: Braamfontein's Old-School Drinking Den
The Keg and Knight on Jorissen Street in Braamfontein is one of those classic drinking spots Johannesburg has kept alive almost by accident. I first came here in 2012 when Braamfontein was still a neighborhood of broken pavement and broken promises, and the Keg and Knight was a refuge for Wits University lecturers, journalists, and the occasional musician who had played the nearby Theatre on the Square. The building dates to the early 1900s, and the bar itself is a long slab of Oregon pine that was installed in the 1940s when the space was converted from a hardware store.
What makes this place worth your time is the whisky selection. The owner, a quiet man who has been here since the late 1990s, keeps a collection of single malts behind the bar that would surprise anyone who thinks Johannesburg only drinks brandy and Coke. A pour of something decent runs R60 to R120, and the kitchen does a steak sandwich for around R85 that is better than it has any right to be. The walls are covered in old Wits University posters and framed photographs of Braamfontein from the 1960s, when this street was the intellectual spine of the city.
The Vibe? Academic, slightly dusty, and genuinely warm once you settle in.
The Bill? R35 for a local beer, R60 to R120 for whisky, R70 to R100 for food.
The Standout? The Tuesday night whisky tastings, which are informal and run by whoever shows up with a bottle.
The Catch? The sound carries badly in the main room. If you want conversation, grab a table in the back corner near the kitchen.
Visit on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening when the university crowd is in session but the weekend chaos has not yet started. Most people do not know that the Oregon pine bar top was originally a door in a demolished mine house in Doornfontein, and the nail holes are still visible if you know where to look.
Local tip: After your drink, walk up to the Wits Art Museum on the corner of Jorissen and Jan Smuts. It closes at 5 PM on weekdays, so plan accordingly, and the collection of South African art is one of the best in the country.
The Ratz Bar in Melville: A Time Capsule of 1970s Johannesburg
Tucked away on 7th Street in Melville, The Ratz Bar is one of those old bars Johannesburg has somehow preserved in amber. I stumbled into this place around 2016, and the first thing I noticed was the carpet. It is the original 1970s shag, a deep orange-brown that has been vacuumed but never replaced. The bar has been in the same family since 1974, and the current owner's mother still comes in on weekends to check the till.
The Ratz Bar is worth going to because it is the closest thing you will find to a 1970s Johannesburg drinking experience that has not been themed or designed to look retro. The drinks are cheap, a local beer runs around R30, and the food is basic but honest. The real draw is the crowd. On any given night, you will find a mix of Melville creatives, old-timers who have been drinking here since the apartheid era, and the occasional tourist who wandered off the main drag. The jukebox still takes R2 coins, and the playlist has not been updated since roughly 1985.
The Vibe? Faded, friendly, and frozen in the best possible way.
The Bill? R25 to R40 for a beer, R50 to R75 for a meal.
The Standout? The jukebox, which has original pressings of Juluka, Johnny Clegg, and Bright Blue that you will not find anywhere else.
The Catch? The bathrooms are out back through a narrow passage, and the lighting back there is not great. Bring your phone torch.
The best time to visit is Saturday evening from 7 PM, when the place fills up but does not yet feel crowded. Most tourists do not know that the bar was a filming location for a 1981 South African film that was banned by the apartheid government, and the original poster is framed behind the bar.
Local tip: Before you go, eat at one of the restaurants on 7th Street and then walk down to The Ratz for drinks. The bar does not serve food beyond chips and peanuts, and you will want a full stomach for the evening.
The Foundry in Newtown: Industrial Heritage Meets Craft Beer
The Foundry on Carr Street in Newtown is one of the newer entries on this list, but it sits in a building that dates to the early 1900s, when this part of Johannesburg was the industrial heart of the city. I have been coming here since it opened, and what I appreciate is that the owners respected the bones of the old foundry building rather than gutting it for a trendy fit-out. The original brick walls are exposed, the steel beams are original, and the bar is built from reclaimed railway sleepers that were pulled up from the old Crown Mines line.
This is one of the heritage pubs Johannesburg can claim that bridges the old and the new. The craft beer selection rotates, but you will always find something local and interesting, with pints running R45 to R75. The kitchen does a smoked meat platter for around R120 that is worth the trip on its own. The space is large enough that it never feels claustrophobic, and the outdoor courtyard is one of the best in the city for a late afternoon drink.
The Vibe? Industrial, open, and social without being overwhelming.
The Bill? R45 to R75 for a craft beer, R90 to R150 for food.
The Standout? The smoked meat platter, which uses a blend of spices the chef developed from old Johannesburg butcher recipes.
The Catch? The courtyard gets windy in August and September. If you are sitting outside, bring a jacket and hold onto your napkin.
Visit on a Thursday or Friday evening from 5 PM, when the after-work crowd gives the place energy without the weekend crush. Most people do not know that the building was originally a brass foundry that supplied fittings to the mines, and if you look at the back wall, you can still see the scorch marks from the furnaces.
Local tip: Combine your visit with a walk through the Newtown Cultural Precinct. The MuseuMAfricA is right across the street, and it closes at 5 PM on most days, so hit the museum first and then cross the road for a beer.
The Glynn Morris Bar in Hillbrow: A High-Rise Relic
I will be honest with you. The Glynn Morris Bar in Hillbrow is not for everyone. But if you want to understand the full story of historic pubs in Johannesburg, you need to know about this place. Located in a building on Soper Road, the bar has been operating in some form since the 1960s, when Hillbrow was the most fashionable address in the city. I first came here in 2017 with a friend who grew up in the neighborhood, and what struck me was how the bar has held onto its original Art Deco fittings, the curved bar counter, the geometric light fixtures, the terrazzo floor, while the world outside changed completely around it.
The drinks are inexpensive, a beer runs around R25, and the crowd is a mix of long-time Hillbrow residents, curious visitors, and the occasional architecture student sketching the interior. The bar does not serve food, but there are vendors outside who sell kota and vetkoek for a few rand. What makes this place worth going to is the view. The building is tall, and from the upper windows you can see the entire Johannesburg skyline, from the Hillbrow Tower to the old mine dumps on the southern horizon.
The Vibe? Raw, real, and unlike anything else in the city.
The Bill? R20 to R35 for a beer, R15 to R30 for street food from vendors outside.
The Standout? The Art Deco interior, which is one of the most intact examples in Johannesburg.
The Catch? Hillbrow requires situational awareness. Go during the day or early evening, stay on main roads, and do not flash valuables. This is not a place for nighttime wandering.
The best time to visit is Saturday afternoon between 2 PM and 5 PM, when the light through the windows is at its best and the crowd is relaxed. Most tourists do not know that the bar was originally the private lounge of a residential hotel that housed visiting musicians and actors during the 1960s and 1970s, and that Miriam Makeba reportedly drank here.
Local tip: Take a metered taxi or use a ride-hailing app to get here. Walking through Hillbrow is fine on a busy afternoon, but having a car waiting saves you the stress of figuring out transport afterward.
The Nottingham Road Hotel in Keg Bar: A Durbanville Detour with Johannesburg Roots
This one requires a short drive, but I am including it because the story connects directly to Johannesburg's history. The Nottingham Road Hotel, located in the Keg Bar area along the old road out of the city, has been a stopping point since the 19th century, when travelers heading to the coast would rest here before the long journey. I came across this place in 2019 during a weekend drive, and the bar inside the hotel has a collection of old Johannesburg mining photographs that the owner inherited from his grandfather, who was a prospector on the Witwatersrand in the 1920s.
The building itself dates to the early 1900s, and the bar is a dark, wood-paneled room that feels like it has not changed in 50 years. A local beer costs around R35, and the food is straightforward pub fare, pies and toasted sandwiches for R50 to R80. What makes this place worth the drive is the sense of continuity. The same family has run the hotel for three generations, and the stories that come with the photographs on the walls are worth more than any museum exhibit I have seen.
The Vibe? Quiet, rural, and deeply personal.
The Bill? R35 for a beer, R50 to R80 for food.
The Standout? The mining photograph collection, which includes images of Johannesburg's early days that I have never seen reproduced anywhere.
The Catch? It is a drive. You are looking at 45 minutes to an hour from central Johannesburg, depending on traffic. This is a weekend trip, not an after-work drink.
Visit on a Sunday afternoon when the hotel is serving lunch and the bar is at its most relaxed. Most people do not know that the road the hotel sits on was originally a ox-wagon route used by traders moving between the coast and the interior, and that the hotel's cellar was once a storage point for goods being transported to the mines.
Local tip: On your way back, stop at one of the farm stalls along the road for biltong and droëwors. It is the kind of drive that rewards taking your time.
When to Go and What to Know
Johannesburg's drinking culture does not follow Cape Town's wine-country rhythm or Durban's beach-town pace. The city drinks year-round, but the energy shifts with the seasons. Summer, from November to February, is when the outdoor bars and beer gardens come alive, but it is also when afternoon thunderstorms can clear a terrace in 10 minutes. Winter, from June to August, is when the indoor pubs feel most alive, the whisky bars fill up, and the city slows down enough for long conversations.
The best nights for pub-hopping in Johannesburg are Thursday and Friday. Saturdays can be hit or miss, many places are either packed to uncomfortable levels or surprisingly quiet, depending on the neighborhood. Sundays are for the old-school spots, the places where the regulars have been coming for decades and the pace is slow and deliberate.
A few practical notes. Most pubs in Johannesburg accept cards, but the older and more traditional spots may prefer cash. Tipping is standard at 10 to 15 percent. Driving after drinking is both illegal and genuinely dangerous in this city, use metered taxis or ride-hailing apps, which are widely available and affordable. And finally, do not be afraid to talk to the bartender. In my experience, the best stories in Johannesburg's historic pubs come from the people who pour the drinks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Johannesburg expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers.
A mid-tier traveler in Johannesburg should budget between R1,200 and R2,000 per day. This covers a decent hotel or guesthouse at R600 to R900 per night, meals at R150 to R300 per day if mixing casual and sit-down dining, transport via ride-hailing at R100 to R200 per day, and drinks or activities at R200 to R400. Fine dining and safari day trips push the budget higher, but the city itself is more affordable than Cape Town for equivalent quality.
Is the tap water in Johannesburg safe to drink, or should travelers strictly rely on filtered water options?
Tap water in Johannesburg is generally safe to drink and meets national quality standards. The city's water is treated and monitored by Johannesburg Water, and most locals drink it without issue. However, some travelers with sensitive stomachs prefer bottled or filtered water for the first few days while adjusting. In older buildings with aging pipes, a filter is a reasonable precaution.
What is the one must-try local specialty food or drink that Johannesburg is famous for?
A bunny curry, a hollowed-out bread loaf filled with curry, is Johannesburg's signature street food. It originated in the Indian community of Durban but was adapted and popularized in Johannesburg's townships and city center. You will find versions ranging from R30 to R80 at takeaway spots across the city. For a drink, try a Springbokkie, a layered shot of Amarula and crème de menthe, which is a staple at South African bars and braais.
Are there any specific dress codes or cultural etiquettes to keep in mind when visiting local spots in Johannesburg?
Most pubs and bars in Johannesburg are casual, jeans and a clean shirt are fine almost everywhere. A few heritage venues, like the Rand Club, enforce a smart-casual dress code and may turn away visitors in shorts or flip-flops. In township shebeens and more traditional spots, respectful behavior matters more than clothing. Do not point with your finger at people, use your whole hand instead. When sharing a drink, it is customary to pour for others before yourself.
How easy is it to find pure vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based dining options in Johannesburg?
Johannesburg has a growing plant-based scene, particularly in neighborhoods like Melville, Braamfontein, and Rosebank. Dedicated vegan restaurants number around 15 to 20 across the city as of 2024, and most mainstream restaurants now offer at least one or two vegan options. Grocery stores like Woolworths and Wellness Warehouse stock a wide range of plant-based products. Outside of central Johannesburg, options thin out, so travelers in more suburban or rural areas should plan ahead.
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