METRO BenmoreGardens Shopping Centre, Sandton , Johannesburg Telephone: +27 011 883 2304 There’s something very chic and European about Metro. This elegant eatery at the recently renovated Benmore Gardens Shopping Centre is an attractive space, boasting one of Johannesburg’s smartest lounge bars. Downstairs there’s an airy dining area, where decent Italian-influenced food is served, while upstairs there’s a stylish, strikingly designed bar, all crisp creams and whites splashed with deep red. It’s a cosmopolitan venue, slightly over-priced for the area though compensating in terms of atmosphere, and attracts a crowd of youngish professionals. The bar is well stocked with South African wines and other goodies and they do a decent cocktail.
LATINOVA 160 Jan Smuts , Johannesburg
Telephone: +27 011 447 1006 Located in the smart Rosebank area of Johannesburg, Latinova is, as its name suggests, devoted to Latin music in all its forms, the first of its kind in South Africa. It’s an exciting, vibrant club, attracting big name DJs on the Latin scene and a diverse, music-loving crowd. The place practically sizzles, salsa beats filling the air with a truly electric atmosphere. It’s been around for a couple of years but still feels fresh, a place you can rely on to supply a good time, lively and colourful. They host salsa workshops and regular Latino Carnival nights that keep people dancing into the early hours.
THE WAITING ROOM 273 Long Street, Cape Town , Cape Town
Telephone: +27 21 422 4536 This deliciously hip rooftop bar above the Café Royale exudes a particular urban cool. Looking out over the bustle of Long Street, The Waiting Room is an attractively designed, chic space, the perfect spot for a sundowner before dinner or for chilling out to live music. The design is striking and stylish, boasting an abundance of blonde wood, a ceiling laced with fairy lights, and furniture full of retro curves and colours. The deck is one of the coolest places in Cape Town for a cocktail and their Saturday club nights are particularly lively.
Johannesburg is where South Africa wears its wallet. A city built on gold and powered by the relentless pursuit of wealth, it has the energy of New York and the traffic system of Los Angeles. Often regarded as the Crime Capital of the world, the disparity between the wealth of the suburbs and the poverty of the surrounding townships is the cause of the crime. But despite the stress and frenetic pace of life, the people are warm and open and up for the "jol". The best hotels are in the suburbs of Sandton and Rosebank but for cool bars and restaurants head for Parkhurst, Greenside and Melville. And do a tour of Soweto to catch the hip Kwaito vibe.
