There’s no denying the Jozi CBD has a bad reputation, and that reputation is not totally undeserved. There are many places in downtown Joburg that are somewhere between mildly scary and terrifying to walk or drive through. But Marshalltown, the most central part of the CBD, is not one of those places. I love hanging out in this part of town, and there are new nice spots popping up there all the time. Troy’s Café, which just opened a couple of months ago, and Bridge Books, which has been around for years but has an exciting new space, are two of my favorites.
Troy’s Café
Troy’s Café is almost too small to be called a coffee shop. It’s more of a coffee window, opening onto Loveday Street from the ground floor of the Art Deco Aegis Building, which has just been restored into a trendy block of flats. But this coffee window has a vibe.
Troy’s Café in Marshalltown. Thanks to George, the barista, for posing for me.
Fiver places an order with George.
Troy’s is affiliated with the famous Troyeville Hotel, a Portuguese restaurant. This means that in addition to all the normal coffee shop things — cappuccinos, toasted sandwiches, muffins, etc. — Troy’s serves Portuguese snacks, like prawn rissoles and scrumptious pastéis de nata. (Troy’s also serves samoosas, which have nothing to do with the Portuguese connection but they’re delicious nonetheless.)
While Troy’s doesn’t have any indoor seating, this particular block of Loveday Street is a pleasant place to sit and watch the world go by from one of the shop’s outdoor tables.
Fiver and Lungi enjoy the vibes outside Troy’s.
Prawn rissoles and samoosas from Troy’s.
Pastéis de nata.
I’m particularly excited about Troy’s because it’s across the street from Rand Club, which I visit frequently, and right next to a cool art gallery, Asisebenze, which just opened and has regular exhibitions by Joburg artists.
Bridge Books
Bridge Books, an independent bookstore owned by my fellow American friend, Griffin, originally opened in 2016 and has moved around to several Joburg locations over the years. Bridge’s newest (and hopefully forever) home is in the historic Barbican Building, which is currently being renovated. Bridge has been in the Barbican for several months already, but the renovation of their space was just completed and it looks amazing.
Walking to the Barbican Building (left), which was built in 1931.
Inside Bridge Books, which also has a small coffee shop.
It’s so cozy.
Bridge Books is a lot more than a bookstore. It’s a community gathering space that welcomes everyone, regardless of age, race, class, gender, or nationality. Bridge Books is always trying something new, hosting cool events, and doing amazing, unexpected things to benefit the community. Bridge also has a lovingly curated selection of mostly African literature and children’s books in multiple South African languages. Please follow them on Instagram.
If you feel intimidated by downtown Joburg, a morning in Marshalltown is a great way to dip your toe in. Bridge Books is a pleasant, five-minute walk from Troy’s. Enjoy!
Troy’s Café is at 34 Loveday Street and Bridge Books is at 89 Helen Joseph Street, both in Marshalltown.
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I like the building’s architecture. And it does seem super cozy inside.
Sorry to be pernickety but neither the Barbican nor the Rand Club area are in Marshalltown. Marshalltown is a part of the old CBD around Marshall Street, which runs from Fordsburg to Jeppestown. It mainly centres around the old Anglo American building, the Mining District open air museum, the Carlton Centre, 1 Fox, the Standard Bank Art Gallery & Gandhi Square. The Rand Club & Barbican are properly in the middle of the old CBD.
The Troyeville Hotel is a famous landmark near Ellis Park & Victoria Yards offering accommodation, eccentric decor, great food & a fantastic rooftop bar & music platform, an excellent all-round jolling venue!
Although fragmented, there are wonderful pockets of excellence scattered around the old city! It’s a shame people don’t explore it fully.
Thank you for your upbeat blogs.
Okay, I just checked the map of Marshalltown and at least according to Google, the Rand Club and Troy’s are in Marshalltown but the Barbican is JUST outside. My apologies! Anyway thanks for the comment.
Absolutely love these spots, you just gotta love Marshalltown – you should also check out Sadie’s cafe, another gem!
Oh yes, I haven’t been since it was City Perk! Must add to the list.
“The best moments start with coffee and end with a good book.”