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5 Best Pubs in Johannesburg (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

Vespera Quill
By Vespera Quill, Expert in Local Experiences and Cultural Analysis · ✓ Data verified August 2026 · 8 min read

Pick the wrong night out in Joburg and you end up somewhere too loud to talk or too quiet to matter. The pubs and cocktail bars in Johannesburg on this page have logged over 11,000 Google reviews between them, and every one sits within a tenth of a star of the others, so the real differences show up in what regulars actually say about the vibe.

Short answer: Jolly Roger in Parkhurst leads with 4.2 stars across 2,757 reviews, a memorabilia-packed pub known for pizza and a rowdy weekend crowd. Close behind is Six Cocktail Bar in Melville at 4.2 from 2,687 reviews, and Shakers Cocktail Bar in Maboneng at 4.3 from 2,166 reviews. Expect drinks and food in the R100 to R400 per person range on a typical night.
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How Johannesburg's top pubs and bars stack up

# Business Rating Reviews Best for
1 Jolly Roger 4.2 ★ 2,757 Overall / pub classics with food View ›
2 Six Cocktail Bar 4.2 ★ 2,687 Cocktails and a Melville night out View ›
3 Shakers Cocktail Bar 4.3 ★ 2,166 Late-night energy in Maboneng View ›
4 Hogshead Illovo 4.3 ★ 2,148 Craft beer and a full pub kitchen View ›
5 Kitchener's 4.2 ★ 1,459 Heritage bar in Braamfontein View ›
5 Best Pubs in Johannesburg (2026)

The lineup, reviewed

Jolly Roger logo
#1 Overall🕑 Open 7 days

Jolly Roger

4.22,757 Google reviews

Jolly Roger is a Parkhurst restaurant and pub built around old memorabilia and a well-worn, welcoming interior. It runs as a full kitchen alongside the bar, serving pizza and pub food to a regular weekend crowd, and stays open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. It sits directly across from another Parkhurst venue with a similar name, which regulars are quick to point out is a different place entirely.

What people praise

  • Regulars describe the atmosphere as cozy and authentic, full of old-school character
  • Pizza gets singled out repeatedly, including half-price pizza nights
  • Friendly, attentive staff come up across multiple reviews
  • Late hours on weekends (open until 2am) suit a longer night out

Worth knowing

  • Drink prices draw complaints, especially spirits
  • Gets loud and crowded on weekends
  • Street parking only, though reviewers call the area safe to walk
Reputation scorecardrank in Johannesburg
Rating4.2 / 5
Review volume2,757 · 98th
Confidencehigh
Recency8 weeks ago
Info completenessphone · hours
Rating breakdown49% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Jolly Roger ranks first on the strength of its review volume and a genuinely loyal following for the food. If you want a proper pub night with a kitchen behind it, this is the safe pick.

Book now+27114423954 Directions

Parkhurst, Randburg, 2193

Six Cocktail Bar logo
#2🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Six Cocktail Bar

4.22,687 Google reviews

Six Cocktail Bar sits on 3rd Avenue in Melville and runs as a cocktail bar with a food menu, open until 2am every night of the week. It leans into live entertainment, with jazz nights and karaoke called out by reviewers, plus a smoking area with its own jukebox. Its own website is currently down, redirecting to a Facebook login error, so the venue's reach right now is mostly word of mouth and Google reviews.

What people praise

  • Reviewers repeatedly call out the atmosphere as fun and captivating
  • 2-for-1 cocktail deals before 7pm get specific praise
  • Jazz on Wednesdays and karaoke on Fridays add regular events
  • Staff described as friendly and hospitable across several reviews

Worth knowing

  • Some reviewers report slow food service and inconsistent kitchen quality
  • Table and reservation mix-ups come up around event nights
  • Website currently inaccessible
Reputation scorecardrank in Johannesburg
Rating4.2 / 5
Review volume2,687 · 93th
Confidencehigh
Recency8 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown56% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Six is the closest rival to the top spot on review count and matches it on rating. It's the stronger choice specifically for a cocktail-and-live-music evening in Melville.

Website Book now+27836237950 Directions

90 3rd Ave, Melville, Johannesburg, 2092

Shakers Cocktail Bar logo
#3🕑 Open 7 days

Shakers Cocktail Bar

4.32,166 Google reviews

Shakers Cocktail Bar is a Maboneng cocktail bar open until 2am daily, built around DJ sets, dancing, and a VIP section with a rooftop. It's an unclaimed Google listing, so there's no official website or business-run profile to cross-check against reviewer descriptions. Reviewers describe multiple distinct areas inside, including a main bar, rooftop, and VIP section.

What people praise

  • Highest rating on this page at 4.3, with reviewers praising the DJ and dancefloor energy
  • Multiple reviewers mention feeling safe with visible security at the door
  • Affordable food and drinks come up as a recurring theme
  • Layout gets credit for having space to dance, not just stand

Worth knowing

  • Restroom upkeep is a repeated complaint
  • No official website to confirm hours or event schedules directly with the venue
Reputation scorecardrank in Johannesburg
Rating4.3 / 5
Review volume2,166 · 88th
Confidencehigh
Recency3 months ago
Info completenessphone · hours
Rating breakdown57% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Shakers holds the highest rating of the five, built on its reputation as a dance-first night out. It ranks third here mainly on review volume, not quality.

+27780320025 Directions

300 Commissioner St, Jeppestown, Johannesburg, 2043

Hogshead Illovo logo
#4🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Hogshead Illovo

4.32,148 Google reviews

Hogshead Illovo is part of the Hogshead chain, a craft beer, grill and pub brand with branches across Gauteng including Illovo, Douglasdale, Rock Cottage and Centurion. Its own site describes an award-winning craft beer selection on tap, house-ground beef burgers, and slow-smoked meats cooked on site for up to 14 hours. It runs later on weekends, open until 2am Friday and Saturday, and the owner replies personally to reviews on the Google listing.

What people praise

  • Reviewers praise the setting and views, and call the venue clean and well kept
  • Ample on-site parking gets called out as a real advantage over other venues on this list
  • Big TV screens and a mix of indoor, outdoor and smoking areas suit different crowds
  • Management responds to reviews individually, including addressing specific complaints

Worth knowing

  • Noise level during busy periods makes conversation difficult, per multiple reviews
  • Food quality gets mixed marks even where service is praised
  • Reviews here skew a little older than the other venues on this page
Reputation scorecardrank in Johannesburg
Rating4.3 / 5
Review volume2,148 · 83th
Confidencehigh
Recency8 months ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown50% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Hogshead Illovo is the most food-forward option here, with an actual kitchen brand behind it rather than a single independent venue. It's the pick if a proper meal matters as much as the drinks.

Website+27112680871 Directions

10 Illovo Muse, 198 Oxford Rd, Illovo, Johannesburg, 2196

Kitchener's logo
#5🕑 Open 5 days/wk

Kitchener's

4.21,459 Google reviews

Kitchener's is a long-running Braamfontein bar on De Beer Street, run by the Play Braamfontein precinct as one of several distinct venues in that group, alongside a smaller sister bar called Little Kitchener's. It's described by its operator as a heritage bar with late-night energy and a loyal local crowd, with room for roughly 300 people standing. It keeps late hours through the week, open until 2am Friday and Saturday.

What people praise

  • Reviewers describe a genuine sense of history and character to the building and crowd
  • Live music and happy hour events get positive mentions
  • Burgers and pizza both draw specific praise despite a limited menu
  • Regulars say the atmosphere picks up notably later in the night

Worth knowing

  • Lowest review count on this page, at 1,459
  • Some reviewers note portion sizes and service slip-ups on busier nights
  • Weekday opening hours listed are shorter than the weekend schedule
Reputation scorecardrank in Johannesburg
Rating4.2 / 5
Review volume1,459 · 78th
Confidencehigh
Recency8 months ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown51% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Kitchener's ranks fifth mainly on review volume, not on complaints. If a bar with real history and a loyal Braamfontein crowd is what you're after, it earns a look despite the smaller number of reviews behind it.

Website+27607936107 Directions

71 Juta St, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2017

6

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How we score

Rating is the live Google average for each venue. Review volume measures how many customers actually left a rating, ranked against the others here. Confidence weights the rating by that volume, so a high score built on a handful of reviews scores lower than one built on thousands. Recency checks how recently people are still leaving reviews. No business can pay to change any of these numbers.

How much do drinks cost at a Johannesburg pub or bar? (2026)

None of these venues publish a fixed drinks menu we can cite directly, but reviewers who tagged a price per person put most nights in the R100 to R400 range depending on whether food is involved, with one Six Cocktail Bar reviewer noting a bigger night out closer to R700 to R800 per person. Expect the final number to depend heavily on whether you’re drinking only, eating a full meal, or catching a specials night.

Serving all of Johannesburg

These five spread across Parkhurst, Melville, Maboneng, Illovo and Braamfontein, which between them cover most of Johannesburg’s main nightlife strips. Searching for pubs or cocktail bars near me in Joburg will likely turn up one of these five first, since they’re the busiest by review count in the northern and inner-city suburbs alike.

What to check before you head out

  • Does the venue take bookings, or is it walk-in only on weekends?
  • What time does the kitchen close versus the bar?
  • Is there a cover charge on event nights like live music or karaoke?
  • Is parking available on-site, or is it street parking only?
  • Does the venue have a smoking area, indoors or out?
  • What’s the dress code, if any, for weekend nights?

Frequently asked questions

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from public Google data. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner (badge and top placement), but that never changes another business’s score or position.

How did you choose these pubs and bars?

We pulled real Google ratings, review counts, and review text for pubs, bars and cocktail bars operating in Johannesburg, then ranked them by a mix of rating and review volume so a strong reputation matters more than a handful of five-star reviews.

How often is this updated?

This page reflects Google data verified in August 2026. Ratings and review counts change constantly, so treat the numbers here as a snapshot rather than real-time.

Are these all traditional pubs?

No. Jolly Roger, Hogshead Illovo and Kitchener’s operate closer to the traditional pub model with food and beer on tap, while Six Cocktail Bar and Shakers Cocktail Bar are cocktail-first venues with DJs and late-night events. All five made this list because they’re the highest-rated, most-reviewed venues covering that broader pub and bar scene in Johannesburg.

Which of these is best for a big group?

Hogshead Illovo and Kitchener’s both offer more indoor and outdoor seating built for groups and families, while Shakers and Six lean toward a standing, dancefloor-first crowd that suits a night out more than a sit-down group booking.

The bottom line

Jolly Roger is the safest default: the most-reviewed name here, with a proper kitchen and a loyal following, even if drink prices draw some grumbling. If cocktails and live music matter more than food, Six Cocktail Bar in Melville and Shakers in Maboneng both edge it out on rating and energy. Book ahead or arrive early on weekends; all five get genuinely busy after dark.

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