24 hours in Joburg FREE RACING PULLOUT EVERY SATURDAY
Make sure it’s f ***** g cooked properly,” shouts the head chef to his kitchen staff as he slices a huge, juicy steak. Tall and commanding, David Higgs isn’t to be messed with as he barks instructions Gordon Ramsay-style.
He’s centre stage at a big “braai” (Afrikaans for barbecue) at his rooftop restaurant Marble in Rosebank – one of the hottest tickets in Johannesburg (marble.restaurant).
The open kitchen is in full view of diners and, with the language as lively as the flames on the grill, it makes for a colourful spectacle.
If you’re lucky enough to get a table, it’s not just the kitchen capers that make it a must-visit, the food is knockout too, accompanied by superb wines.
As a tourist, your money goes a long way.
My tasty slab of a rib-eye cost just €17, about half the price of a similar cut in an equivalent restaurant here.
My lunchtime steak sandwich the next day at The Che Argentine Grill in Maboneng was also top-notch – and cost just a fiver (cheargentinegrill. co.za).
But there’s so much more to the City of Gold – Joburg was founded on mining – than food.
Most people pass through very quickly en route to a safari, but they miss out on seeing a fascinating place.
Take in some of the key sights by heading into town for an overnight stopover, which I did on my way back from a game park.
I stayed at the five-star African Pride Melrose Arch Hotel in Melrose North. There’s a lively shopping precinct next door and plenty of affordable places to eat.
If you’d rather hang around the hotel, the outdoor pool is magnificent, but I was here to explore.
Behind the headlines about Joburg’s crime rate, poverty and horrendous traffic, there’s a lot to explore.
The Apartheid Museum in Ormonde is a must-see, but do prepare to be horrified (apartheidmuseum.org, €5).
The history of South Africa’s racial segregation is laid bare here through powerful and quite graphic exhibits.
The section on political executions – one of the most shocking – allows visitors to walk beneath the hangman’s ropes which are eerily suspended from the ceiling.
If you leave the museum feeling a little downbeat, there’s nothing like the glorious weather to pick you up.
I visited in mid-november when the temperature was an uplifting 300C. The Rib-eye Nelson Mandela Statue and the district of Maboneng
city is well-known for its year-round sunshine and mild, dry climate.
Going walkabout is the best way to explore the city.
The uber-hip Maboneng is just the spot for a lazy amble – and you’ll find it a world away from the common view we have of Joburg.
Cool cafés, bars, restaurants and boutique hotels line the colourful streets of this youthful, vibrant area.
From a 40ft high mural of a young Nelson Mandela in boxing kit to stunning models striding down the middle of the road on their way to a photo shoot, there’s something eye-catching at every turn.
I spent an hour watching the world go by, enjoying a local beer (Carling Black Label, believe it or not) and a friendlier, more chilled-out place you would struggle to find anywhere in the world.
Jo’burg is also a lot greener and grander than you’d think too.
Yes, the inner city is as you’d imagine, but head to the leafy suburbs of Houghton and Linksfield in the north and it’s all golf courses and big houses.
We passed a road sign directing people to the former home of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, who lived here in the 60s.
Who knew? But then I told you this city was full of surprises...
from €1,187pp including Virgin Atlantic flights on February 18, room-only at the five-star Melrose Arch Hotel. virginholidays.co.uk, 0044 0344 557 3870
the largest second-hand book store in the southern hemisphere. Collector’s Treasury has close to one million books. If time permits, head out to Soweto to see Nelson Mandela’s house – the locals are very friendly.
southafrica.net There’s so much more to Joburg than the headlines