If you’re looking for an exciting nightlife location to get good beer, wine and dance your butt off a bit, then look no further than Pata Pata in the hip Maboneng Precinct. Walking into this establishment instantly makes you feel like you’ve wandered into a pub, but with a more lively African twist. When we went on a Saturday night, this place was packed as dozens of people were outside chatting. Inside, there was a lead singer dressed in a half-cheetah costume singing his heart out and a band playing behind him to a dizzying beat. Half of the restaurant’s patrons were standing up at their tables grooving.

The interior of Pata Pata features rustic wood along with fun antique art and a decidely African theme. You’ll also find a large seating area with plenty of elbow room. Inside is spacious with plenty of seats and tables. However, it’s rather loud, so we opted to cozy up on the red velvet chairs outside. Like the vibe, the food here is also somewhat pub style, and features items like the Pata Pata burger with chakalaka, and juicy prego rolls. You can also order other traditional South African fare like boerewors, mielie pap, samp and beans, morogo and more. The desserts on display are divine as well and make the perfect after dinner meal if you already ate at one of Maboneng’s 20 restaurants and want to kick it up a notch at Pata Pata for late night fun. Since we were somewhat full already, we ordered the lemon cheesecake along with the red velvet cake and several glasses of wine. Both desserts were delicious and among the best we’ve had in South Africa.

We stayed for over an hour and the band played on the whole time we were there. There isn’t a restroom at Pata Pata so if you absolutely must go, you have to walk a block down to the boutique hotel and use theirs.
It’s an excellent place to go with a group, and I wish I’d known about the offerings of Pata Pata beforehand, as I might have stayed there all night.