Braamfontein's most serious live music bar. South African jazz, Afrobeats, and soul acts four nights a week, alongside a cocktail programme that can hold its own on any continent.
Frank's Bar opened on De Beer Street in 2019 and quickly became the anchor venue for Braamfontein's cultural scene. The neighbourhood — Joburg's answer to Brooklyn, according to anyone who lives in Joburg — was already well-stocked with coffee shops and galleries when Frank's arrived. What it needed was a bar that took its cocktail programme as seriously as its music bookings.
The space is industrial in the good sense: exposed concrete, repurposed steel, warehouse ceilings, and no design element that feels arbitrary. The stage sits at the rear, raised about 40 centimetres, and sightlines are good from about 60 of the 70 seats. The sound system is exceptional — whoever spec'd it understood that live jazz and acoustic sets require a different approach to the thudding subwoofers most venues default to.
Thursday through Sunday, Frank's programs local acts across South African jazz, Afrobeats, folk, and occasional spoken-word nights. Thursday is the reliably good mid-week option; Saturday is the main event. We recommend arriving by 8pm on weekends to secure a good seat — the bar fills from 9pm and standing room goes fast.
The cocktail list is short and intentional. Eight original drinks, plus a classics list of six. The Johannesburg Sling — a take on the Singapore Sling made with local buchu gin and baobab fruit juice — is the standout original. For a broader look at what the city has to offer after dark, the live music bars of Johannesburg page covers 7 more venues worth knowing.
Frank's Bar sits on De Beer Street, one block from the main Braamfontein strip. Parking is available in the De Beer Street lot and along the surrounding roads. The area is well-served by Uber and is part of the Braamfontein precinct that has seen significant investment in safety and public space over the past five years. Walking from nearby Wits University takes around 8 minutes.
The kitchen operates Thursday through Saturday and serves a short menu of bar snacks: biltong boards, peri-peri chicken skewers, and flatbreads. Nothing complicated, everything well-executed. There is no cover charge on Thursday nights; Friday and Saturday have a R80 door charge from 9pm onwards, which is applied against your tab.
Frank's also has a good connection to the broader Braamfontein cultural scene — ask at the bar about upcoming programme nights. The full Johannesburg bar guide provides a city-wide view, while the Johannesburg cocktail bar list includes Frank's alongside 11 other options worth considering for a longer evening. If you are planning a two-stop night, Lucky Bean in Melville makes a natural earlier start before making your way to Braamfontein.