Sophiatown Bar and Lounge

Sophiatown Bar and Lounge Review

Although not in the same league as the more famous Nambitha and Wandie's traditional township restaurants in Soweto, the Sophiatown Bar and Lounge in Newtown is popular and much easier to get to. The restaurant is decorated with photos and murals of '50s musicians like Miriam Makeba, and patrons gather around braziers on chilly winter nights. Jazz music vies for attention with the rather boisterous crowd, and the place has the feel of a shebeen (township bar). The food is a good example of black South African cuisine. A specialty is pap-and-wors—a traditional South African maize-meal porridge (pap) that is white and stiff with boerewors, South African sausage. The restaurant serves other dishes popular in the townships such as mogodu (tripe) and samp and beans, as well as ostrich steaks or burgers. Simpler meals like steak and fresh salads are also served.