9 Best Restaurants in Johannesburg, South Africa

This intimate, dinner-only establishment prides itself on attention to detail with immaculate plating that plays on a fusion of color, texture, and storytelling. It hosts chefs-in-residence who design tasting menus (from three to seven courses; price quoted for seven courses), with options for meat lovers, pescatarians, and vegetarians, that can be complemented with a wine pairing selected by an experienced sommelier. It’s a memorable culinary experience that is accentuated by a sophisticated, yet comfortable, atmosphere in The Peech Hotel’s heritage house, with its parquet flooring, basalt-gray walls, and backlit bar.

Although Parkhurst is known for the countless restaurants that line 4th Avenue, the refined space at Embarc is in a league of its own, making fine dining accessible to all through its relaxed environment. Fusing high-quality local produce and artisan products with international flavors, coupled with a thoughtful combination of contrasting flavors and hues, creates delectable dishes that can be eaten as starters or shared as mains. Embarc is owned by a chef-sommelier duo who pay utmost attention to every aspect of this welcoming establishment. Highly recommended, especially if you only have one night out on the town.

The relaxed fine-dining, Mediterranean-inspired fare at Ethos has as much appeal as its decor and design, which is characterized by beige hues, Doric columns, brass accents, and flowing ceiling baffles. Dishes are carefully curated to highlight how the natural flavors of various foods also complement each other in terms of texture, color, and thoughtful presentation. Servers are astute in advising how to best pair meals with the restaurant's extensive collection of South African wines.

A golf cart whisks you up the hill followed by a glass elevator ride to this chic establishment with an infinity fountain that appears to overflow into Zoo Lake and faces the direction of Sandton and Rosebank. It's a popular sundowner spot, as it beautifully displays Jo'burg's urban man-made forest, and the menu showcases seasonal, regional cuisine with vegan and gluten-free options but has a particular flair for South African meats, such as lamb chops, oxtail, pork belly, and a selection of locally bred Wagyu prime cuts. Though it's based at the Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff, the majority of its diners are not hotel guests—testimony to how good it is.

Award-winning chef and owner Wandile Mabaso has worked with renowned chefs in Michelin-star restaurants in New York and Paris, before returning home to open this experiential dining spot that works to elevate the African experience. The restaurant specializes in contemporary French haute cuisine created with indigenous ingredients presented in four courses. 

This is a good place for hungry meat lovers, specializing in prime South African meat (as well as Wagyu and Argentinian beef) that have been aged to perfection by Alan Pick, the butcher-owner. Kudu, springbok, ostrich, and other game are staples on the menu, and only the most tender cuts are served, but there's also chicken or line fish options. End your meal with a classic South African dessert like malva pudding. The interactive butcher shop features prominently in the restaurant, and special cuts can be ordered for the meal or to take home. 

Don't come expecting a quiet romantic lunch or dinner, as the huge space lends itself to a loud and sometimes frenetic scene. Game meat such as warthog, impala, and crocodile vies with tamer fare such as pork and mutton for space around an enormous open fire in the center of the restaurant. Great hunks of meat are brought around to your table on Masai spears and carved directly onto your plate until you surrender by lowering the flag on your table. It's an African twist on the traditional Argentinian churrascaria. A limited vegetarian and pescatarian à la carte menu features uniquely African dishes such as aviyal (a spicy mixed vegetable dish cooked in coconut milk) and maafe (a vegetable and fruit curry with peanuts).

Famed for award-winning chef and co-owner David Higgs (whose cookbook, Mile 8, can be purchased on-site), Marble plates epicurean meals that can be expertly paired with wine. The open-plan kitchen is the restaurant’s focal point, where the chef’s table presents an intimate look into how Higgs and his team prepare food over a live wood fire in a quintessentially South African manner. Marble draws its elegant style from its location along the Keyes Art Mile (opposite the Everard Read Gallery and next to Circa), which is accentuated through its high ceilings, plush bar, and sweeping landscape views that flaunt Jo'burg's sunsets. Head sommelier Wikus Human—named Best Sommelier in South Africa for 2021 by the South African Sommeliers Association—curated his cellar from scratch when the restaurant opened in 2016. He can advise how to pair your meal based on your preference and budget, whether it’s with a R300 bottle or one that will set you back R250,000; though the average ranges from R400–R700 for a white wine, and R800–R1,500 for a red, and he’s not afraid of disgorging a premium bottle by the glass. Because of its off-site storage facilities, Marble has the opportunity to store and age wines, giving oenophiles the chance to savor older vintages.

Thanks to the Bermar preserving system, you can sip on bubbles by the glass at this high-end establishment while you feast on Neapolitan-style pizza prepared in an imported pizza oven, topped with handmade local buffalo mozzarella and served on terra-cotta pizza plates. But don't assume this is just an Italian restaurant or a fancy pizzeria, as renowned chef and business partner David Higgs (the very same of Marble Restaurant) adds signature dishes like wood-fired pawns, smokey bistecca alla Fiorentina, and frutti di mare onto the ever-changing menu, to be enjoyed with the restaurant’s extensive wine collection. The window seating gazes upon the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in the heart of the financial district, where after dusk the street is lined with flashy sportscars—indicative of its patrons. You’ll need to book a table to partake in its energetic vibe, particularly from Thursday through Sunday when the bar with its live DJ set becomes the place to be seen before or after dinner.