Cosy up with a drink!

You shouldn’t let the cold stop you from getting out the house. It’s tempting to stay in and hibernate. But there are plenty of Sandton Central places to visit despite the climate.

In fact, how does the thought of a drink to warm you up sound? Especially if it’s in a cosy bar.

Here are some recommendations of bars to take the edge off the day. Where you can unwind, and where, if you love the vibe, can be where everybody knows your name. For this month’s selection, we visit three classy hotel bars, where the hospitality is enough to make you rush from home. And why not? Jump into an Uber or Taxify, and head into Sandton Central.

The Lacuna

The Maslow Hotel is pure class. Where business meets pleasure. And the Lacuna, The Maslow’s bar, is a perfect place for both. Businessmen discussing a potentially million-making deal while nursing their whisky and nibbling the country’s best biltong. Friends chatting about new ventures to join in. And solitary writers plying their craft with a draft beer while tip-tapping their MacBook.

The air is warm without being hot, and the lighting is amber gentle. For those who love their sports, there’s a large flat screen squirreled into its own corner. Clever interior design decision; it keeps the TV from being a centre piece and distraction. The bar is, after all, about more than just watching the latest football match.

And the food is great. We enjoyed their burrito tempura crumbed calamari. Spicy salsa, slight burn, perfect on a cold winter night.

If you’ve still got work to do afterhours, come visit the Lacuna for a relaxed environment with the world’s most hospitable staff, and delectable delicacies to stave off hunger. There is no more comfortable spot to enjoy a break from the kids or co-workers than this.

Vivace

A little-known gem located in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Vivace is not… bad luck, despite being located on the 13th floor. It’s an interesting place. And you may not know it because it’s geared to the international market. Still, drinks aren’t too expensive, considering. A double Johnny Black is only R140. You shouldn’t be spending too much on drinks, anyway. Think of your liver. Sure, it keeps the cold at bay, but it makes getting out of bed in these icy conditions tougher than it already as it is.

The bar has an open design and you have every floor above you visible all the way to the hotel’s ceiling. It creates a very open-air feel, but one wonders how it benefits the residents in their rooms.

Not that that’s your problem.

The international flavour gives it a sense out of time and place as you might expect. Hearing American accents could be annoying to some, but also has the effect of making you feel, for a moment, like you’re not in Joburg anymore. The climate control keeps the temp at a slightly pleasant cool. The ambient lighting is quite a bit dimmer than the Lacuna, but the warm tones still give the bar a cosy feel.

Central One

Right down the road from the game-changing Gautrain is Central One. A more jazzy-styled bar, there’s no shortage of TV flat screens for those into their sports. The bar itself is colourful, with neon lights that have (barely) any gauche to them. There’s deck outside, for those up for it. The tall outdoor gas heaters will keep the cold at bay, allowing you to enjoy the bracing air without being too affected by it.

There’s a lovely menu of eats too. But it’s the chateau gateaux that’s truly special. Enough sweetness to induce diabetes in an elephant, perhaps, but worth it.

The red velvet cake deserves special mention. It’s stronger than hard tack at taking your worries by the hand and leading them off a cliff.

The lighting, as with the other two on our list, is warm, and has amber tones. Combined with the jazzy music, it creates an easy-going hip stop on your night out. Relaxing, cosy, and inviting.

Click HERE for more fine ding and drink options