Dining out is one of life’s greatest pleasures. By paying a visit to a fine dining restaurant, you are able to get away from the humdrum routine of daily existence and step into a world of delicious taste sensations, crisp white table linen and the clink of crystal glasses. On the other hand, if you prefer to visit a family restaurant where the locals go, then it is possible to do this too. You may not be waited on hand and foot in the lap of luxury as is the case with a 5-star establishment but at least you will not have to cook the meal and then wash the dirty pots and dishes afterward. No matter what your preferences are, there will most likely be a place to suit you amongst the many restaurants Johannesburg has to offer.

When you start to investigate the wide variety of restaurants Johannesburg possesses, you will notice that they fall into different categories:

Pubs and cafes

The emphasis in pubs is normally on the alcohol served there but there is usually some sort of snack food available albeit of dubious quality. Cafes, on the other hand, are a good bet as they offer decent filling meals at reasonable prices but are mostly only open during the day for breakfast, lunch and ‘afternoon tea’.

Franchises

These are the restaurant chains with the catchy names that offer standard wobble-free fare. Even though they are rather predictable because the menu is the same whichever one you visit, you at least know what you are getting.

Trendy

You go to trendy eateries to see and be seen, so the emphasis is on style rather than substance, which means that the food might not live up to the reputation of the place.

Ethnic

Ethnic eateries are where you will find, not only the native dishes of the indigenous inhabitants of the city or country you are visiting, but the dishes of many other nationalities as well. The world is now a very small place, and you no longer need to visit Japan to find decent Japanese food, for instance.

Fine dining and ’boutique’

These establishments fall in the upper echelons of the restaurant hierarchy and are of a high quality although they are typically more expensive. Here you can expect to find customised menus and nouvelle cuisine-style dishes.

If you are from out-of-town and looking for restaurants Johannesburg has to offer, there are a number of ways you can go about this. If you are in possession of a laptop with internet access then it is easy to find restaurants by surfing the net. If you do not have your 3G card with you, you might still be able to do an internet search from your place of accommodation as many of these places now offer wireless internet in the lounge area. Of course, you could always ask the concierge but then you may be directed no further than the on-site eating establishment your accommodation provides.