How have I never blogged about 44 Stanley Avenue, the coolest shopping and dining complex in Joburg, which is only five minutes from my house?
I guess it’s wrong to say I’ve never blogged about 44 Stanley; I’ve mentioned it countless times over the years (see here and here) when writing about specific restaurants or shops that are there. But I’ve never written a dedicated post about 44 Stanley as a destination and it’s about time I did — especially now, with the holidays upon us.
What is 44 Stanley Avenue?
44 Stanley is a cluster of former industrial buildings, erected in the 1930s, which property developer Brian Green turned into a dining and shopping complex about 20 years ago. There are shops, restaurants, art galleries, artist studios, apartments, and even a small movie theatre at 44 Stanley, all independently owned and incredibly hip and cool. The spaces turn over frequently but are never empty for long. There are a few mainstays, like the Salvation Café and Bean There Coffee Roastery, that have been at 44 Stanley for well over a decade.
A complex like 44 Stanley works particularly well in Joburg because of all the trees and plantings that grow prolifically in every corner of the center. It’s an exceedingly pleasant place to walk around and there’s always something new to see. It’s centrally located and feels safe and contained, while also feeling nothing like a shopping mall. There is always a diverse crowd of people hanging out there.
44 Stanley Avenue has stood the test of time – I remember going for lunch there on my very first visit to Joburg in 2009. I recommend it to practically every tourist I meet but I still feel like not enough people know about it.
A Morning at 44 Stanley, in Pictures
Thorsten and I recently spent a Sunday morning at 44 Stanley, eating at Salvation Café and browsing through a few shops. This is just a small slice of what’s on offer — I’m leaving out a ton of places. But here’s what we saw and did on that particular morning.
To all the 44 Stanley restaurants and shops that I haven’t mentioned in this post — Bean There, La Pergola, Forest Gelato, Little Addis, JFF Plant Shop, the Drum Magazine shop, all the incredible clothing boutiques, and so many others — I love you all, too! I also have a ton of places still to discover at 44 Stanley.
If you live in Joburg and haven’t been to 44 Stanley in a while, or haven’t ever been before, do yourself a favor and go this December.
44 Stanley is at 44 Stanley Avenue (duh) in Braamfontein Werf – just down the road from Melville and Brixton. There is plenty of safe street parking there, as well as an overflow parking lot across the road. Note that Salvation Café, Bean There, and many 44 Stanley shops are closed in the evening.
Hi Heather!
Great to be reading your writing again!
Love this place.
xxx
I need one of Thorsten’s t-shirts.
From T-shirt Terrorist in Parkhurst!
I love 44 Stanley! Haven’t been for a while but thank you for the reminder.
You’re welcome! Enjoy.
Loved it back in 2010, good to see it’s still excellent! Is the 2nd hand bookstore still in there?
It is!
OMG. Those eggs Benedict. They look amazing.
That place really has the best food. Very few restaurants survive this long in Joburg and there’s a reason why that one has.
Its a Yay! place. Gives the Hey-Shoo-Wows from Kalk Bay a ‘little” competition. Great reminder to go again …soon.
Attractive photos of the Precinct – Thanks once again.
You’re welcome!
Brian’s wife, Lulu, owns Lucky Fish close to Salvation Café. So it’s a real family affair. Love the place and need to spend more time exploring.
Does anyone rember the Beer Yard at 44 Stanley? It opened in 2013 but disappeared in about 2017 or 2018. Here it was:
https://underourownolivetree.blogspot.com/2013/05/stanley-beer-yard.html?m=1
That glorious venue opened my eyes to Darling Brew and served fantastic steak and chicken prego rolls. What a pity it folded. Heather, please visit Darling in the Western Cape for a tour of the Darling Brew brewery!
Hi Nelson, yes, the Stanley Beer Yard was great. I think it closed around covid time or maybe just before. I’m not sure why but the restaurants in that particular spot seem to struggle to hang on…I’ve never been to Darling so thanks for the recommendation!
Excellent post!
Wonderful ♥️