Tropical cocktails

You could call me biased, given this is the 3rd Highbury restaurant in my list, but if you're doing so then you've clearly never tried the Biang Biang Noodles at this unassuming little BYOB gem

The Hardbrücke is a long, brutal concrete bridge that runs through a former industrial area. I like the view down to the rail tracks and the many construction sites. And, within spitting distance, you can find a few good places to spend a nice evening, such as Helsinki (for concerts), Rosso (for pizza), and Les Halles (for beer and tapas).

POOL is an emergent platform for curatorial and artistic production, experimentation and research, working with artists to support and commission new work situated in the area of New Doornfontein, which is also home to a few artists studios.  Emerging from a joint investigation into the role, form, and organising systems of art institutions in South Africa, POOL considers from a curatorial and artistic perspective, the question of what it means to institute and how to institute in a South African (and specifically Johannesburg) context. POOL is organised as an experiment in alternative instituent forms and as a site through which to stretch curatorial methodology and artistic practice through the frames of self-organising and self-instituting. They often have very interesting projects on exhibit and workshops taking place - best check their facebook page for this - https://www.facebook.com/poolspace/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel. While you're in the area you could also have lunch at the Troyville Hotel up the road. 

Well known as being J.R.R. Tolkien’s inspiration for ‘Middle Earth’ in the Lord of the Rings books, Cannock Chase (colloquially ‘The Chase’) is somewhere that friends and I have frequented for many years. If you go to a part called Broc Hill at just the right time, you can literally just sit there and watch the sun disappear behind the horizon, and witness some stunning gradients in the sky. Also a great place for running and photography—you even get to see the odd few deer just bounding around. Cannock Chase is officially listed as one of England’s ‘Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ (AONB).

Delicious drinks, nice courtyard, good music. 

One day when I was walking around in the hills behind my house, I happened upon this bizarre street. It was as though someone had taken postmodernism and tried to make it into a block of houses. Each one has its own internally complete theme, involving strange colors and sculptural elements attached to the outside walls (gold eggs, wisps of wrought iron). This led me on subsequent walks to name them: the Corbusier House, the Barn, the Preschool Blocks house, the House of Wicca… and so on.

Right next to the art academy of Antwerp, this small café is a terrific place to sit down and enjoy the view of people passing by. Their coffee is very good and they also have a variety of ways to prepare it, if you're into that stuff.

Smartly curated and art savvy, Mauve has been putting together reliably excellent shows with a focus on contemporary painting since 2012. Mauve’s bar features a neon cactus, a choice of favourite drinks and a crowd of artists in their natural habitat.

A vegetable-is-king-kinda-restaurant where meat and fish dishes are considered to be sides. Nice wine, nice atmosphere!

Great Bar with LIVE music! absolutely worth a visit! Backyard/Outdoor area closes 9pm for music indoors! :)

Great coffee and records shop