Africa’s tallest residential building – known for its colourful past – has a new food and drinks bar called 5101. Housed in the iconic Ponte Tower’s 51st floor, the space will cater for events, brunches and sundowners.

Our home. @thegift777 #pontelove #Johannesburg #dlalanje

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5101 is the project of Mike Luptak – who lives at Ponte and whose tour company, Dlala Nje, offers experiences in this part of town – and Nickolaus Bauer, an eNCA journalist who used to live in apartment 5101. Together they have been changing negative perceptions about this part of town and Ponte in particular.

The interior of 5101. Photo by Barry Goldman.

While 5101 launched in December 2017, local eatery La Camerounaise is doing the food catering until the bar kitchen is finished on the ground floor of the tower. (Mike says they are looking at the fastest ways of getting the food from the kitchen to the customers – maybe with a drone going up the dazzling core of the building!).

The core of Ponte City. Good luck to the drones! Photo by Barry Goldman.

The brunch fare at present features Cameroonian beignets (puffy fried pastry like doughnuts) and flamed smoked carapau (mackerel). Those keen for a sundowner can make a booking any time from 6pm, when the tour groups also arrive for drinks. Needless to say, the view is breathtaking.

One of the drinks available is the special 5101 cocktail, concocted by bartenders at Joburg’s new Mootee bar and designed to evoke this part of South Africa. The cocktail is a beautiful and delicious combo of tepache (pineapple beer ferment), South African brandy and Caperitif. The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality, dating from when explorers would hang the fruit outside their doors upon returning from foreign lands, as an invitation for visitors to come and hear their tales.

It’s a great spot for sundowners after a tour. Photo by Barry Goldman.

Booking is essential for a table at 5101. Those who have made reservations will be welcomed at the gate to the parking ramp, where there is plenty of secure parking. Get in touch at 5101@dlalanje.org.