Wine expertly chosen, chilled and poured; a large range of wines available by the glass; a knowledgeable waitron to help guide you, and a relaxed, but vibey atmosphere. The wine bar took off in the USA in the noughties, and in recent years, South African restaurateurs have followed suit. Offering specialist tastings or wine flights (a selection of small tasting portions of wine, a bit like a liquid form of tapas) our local winebars are a great place to get to know some of our spectacular local wines. In many cases, they also serve fantastic food. Since the line between wine bar and restaurant can be a little blurry, we've also included some places that function quite happily as both.
 
Johannesburg
 
@Monte Winebar
On offer: over 60 wines by the glass.
 
Cantare
On offer: wine pairings as specials menus.

The Elm Tree Restaurant
On offer: wine tastings of wine from the Cape and tapas snacks for small groups. The winery is also open to the public during the de-stemming process, and the bottling of the wines.
 
Wine Sense
On offer: wine flights are available and waitrons are trained to suggest good food and wine pairings too.
 
Pretoria

Cynthia’s Indigo Moon
On offer: all wines (140) are available by the glass and a preservation system is used similar to modern wine bars. The resident sommelier Georgio Meletiou engages with the customers on their choice of wines and pairings.

De Kloof
On offer: WineStation is used to preserve and dispense wines. Guests can sample any of the wines in this system at their leisure to make sure they order exactly what they like. Wine pairing is also on offer.
 
Rhapsody’s
On offer: wine pairings and over 25 wines by the glass.
 
Durban
 
Havana Grill
On offer: specialised dinners with wine pairings and an extensive wine list with over 15 wines by the glass.
 
Cape Town
 
5 Rooms Restaurant
On offer: waitrons are trained to give good suggestions of wines that pair well with particular dishes. There are over 30 wines offered by the glass. Wines are kept in a special vacuum machine and wine cooler to be kept at the right temperature.

Barristers Grill Café
On offer: free tasting every Wednesday from 6pm to 8pm
 
Bascule Whisky, Wine and Cocktail Bar
On offer: in addition to wine by the glass, there are also 400 whiskies on offer.
 
Belthazar Restaurant & Wine Bar
On offer: wine tastings and 250 wines by the glass.
 
Caveau
On offer: a plethora of wine-by-the-glass options as well as waiters that are trained to suggest wine matches with food.
 
Cru Café
On offer: wine flights offering a taste of different wines, as well as 60 wines by the glass.
 
French Toast
On offer: a chic environment with 80 wines by the glass. Wine flights are also available, consisting of three 50ml tasters.
 
La Boheme Bistro and Wine Bar
On offer: over 70 wines offered by the glass.

Oblivion
On Offer: this vibey bar has a wine festival twice a year (the next one is in July) and 12 wines by the glass
 
Toro Wine Bar
On offer: wine tastings and 10 wines by the glass.
 
Winelands
 
10 Chapters Wine Bar
On offer: wine tasting or book for food and wine pairing for 10 people or more.

Wijnhuis
On offer: wine tastings – taste 3 red and 3 whites for R50 or choose which wines you want to taste and pay accordingly.

By Kelly Pluke and Katharine Jacobs

Are we missing your favourite wine bar? Let us know!