Eating in Braamfontein 

Artivist

Perfectly encapsulating the true vibe of Braamfontein, Artivist is a multipurpose space with an eatery, a bar and a gallery all in one. Plus it features music and performance. They dish up Pan-African and Mediterranean cuisine and have held pop-up foodie events. Feel like a culture vulture surrounded by artworks while you sip your latte, enjoy lunch with friends or meet for cocktails after work with an awesome playlist adding to the vibey atmosphere.

86 Public

You can't go to Braamies without popping into 86 Public. Craft pizza is the name of the game here and they pull it off very well. From butternut and blue cheese on a beer base to prosciutto, gorgonzola, pear and caramelised onions on sourdough, 86 Public knows how to combine flavours. It's no wonder they opened a branch in Illovo.

Party in Braamfontein 

Bannister Hotel

One of the coolest places to have breakfast in Braamfontein is at the Bannister Hotel. And there is a very good reason why we love it so much: breakfast is a choice from a set menu or a buffet and the coffee is bottomless. Yip, bottomless, and you don't have to stay at the hotel to dig in at the restaurant downstairs.

Kitcheners

One of the oldest pubs in the city, Kitcheners serves great toasted sandwiches – and they throw one helluva party. As Kitcheners hosts live music, DJs and comedy shows almost every night of the week, your best bet to find out what's going down at this joint is to keep an eye on their Facebook page. If you've never partied in Braamies, then Kitcheners is a great place to start

Great Dane

Continuing on what we've said above: if you've never partied in Braamfontein before, then Great Dane is a great place to end. They open late at night and close in the early morning. Some of the country's biggest music acts (think Die Antwoord) have performed here. On some nights there's a password to get in and the only way to get the password is to scour their Facebook page for it. Great Dane is owned by the same dude who ran Town Hall in Melville and owns Brian Lara's Rum Bar in Linden, so you know it's a good place to party

Find a place to sleep

Bannister Hotel

Twice in one article, eh? The Bannister Hotel offers comfortable beds, awesome décor and brilliant service. Their breakfast buffets are what dreams are made of, and if you're going to visit Braamfontein after dark then the Bannister Hotel is the place to rest your head for the night.

The Devonshire

Yeah, sure it's not quite Braamfontein but we must include it. Besides, there's always an Airbnb around every corner these days. The Devonshire is a beautiful inner-city hotel situated at the top of Jorrison Street (close to Constitution Hill). This inner-city hideaway boasts secure parking, room service and even on-site baby sitters. The Devonshire offers easy access to the city and is the perfect distance from Braamfontein's party centre.

Note, these venues are not solely dedicated to hip hop but are known for featuring this genre of music. One love.

Randlords

The top of the Braamfontein with some boom bap beats in the background, a drink in your hand, and the city skyline spread out in front of you. That is why we love Randlords so much. Every now and then they spoil us with a lekker hip hop. Just check the venue's calendar to find out when the next show will be.

Poolside

Maboneng is the hippest place in town. It has become a melting pot for all of the country's cultures to mix and match and become this giant beast that just spews cool... yeah, something like that. Poolside is a pretty rad venue, not only to catch a tan, but to listen to the coolest MCs around. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for gig updates.

Kospotong

The best hip hop in Jozi comes from the streets of the inner city. Kospotong often has live music jamming so loud that the whole of Gandhi Square listens up. Good old fashioned rap music is the order of the day on a monthly basis. They also host pretty chilled jazz bands every now and then ... and the food ain't bad either.

Zen Nightclub

We're headed back to Maboneng with this entry. Zen Nightclub is a pretty chilled place to get your groove on. Nothing goes as well with hip hop as a Hennessy on ice. At Zen you can enjoy both. As always, just check their calendar for events.

Banister Hotel

This happens every now and then, but the Banister Hotel has hosted some cool hip hop shows in recent times. It's a super cool venue in Braamies and makes for a lekker outing. The acoustics in the venue is quite impressive, and you get to order draught beer while your favourite local acts spin the decks and man the mics.

By Shawn Greyling

Have we left any of your favourite hip hop venues out? Let us know in the comments section below. Sharing is caring so post this on social media for us. Lekker.