We love food but, more importantly, we love good food at discounted prices. We may have to arrive early, stand in queues or skip a few red lights, but it’s all worth it when we get to dig into hearty breakfasts, sushi, scrumptious burgers and buffets – without having to pay an arm and a leg. Here are some of our favourite happy hour deals, so wind your watches and get moving.

Johannesburg

Café Sofia (Greenside)  
The deal: Pasta and a glass of wine for R62 between 9am and 10pm on Tuesdays. Also get half-price cocktails every day between 6pm and 8pm.

Col’Cacchio Fairland  
The deal: Kids under 12 eat dinner for free until 7pm from Mondays to Thursdays.

Ginko
The deal: Free coffee with any breakfast ordered between 7am and 9am. There is a also a lunch buffet between 12 noon and 3pm (priced according to weight).

Rodizio Fourways
The deal: Buffet lunch for R155 (adults) and R45 (children under 12) between 12.30pm and 3.30pm on Sundays.

Tres Jolie  
The deal: Kids under 12 qualify for a free meal from the kids’ menu from 6pm until close on Friday and Saturday. 

TSG 4Ways
The deal: Buffet breakfast for R55 (adults) and R35 (children under 12) between 8.30am and 11.30am on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. 

Pretoria

Capeesh  
The deal: Half-price pizzas between 12 noon and 9.30pm on Mondays. Half-price pastas between 12 noon and 9.30pm on Tuesdays.

Stone Cradle  
The deal: Enjoy the buffet dinner menu at R95 per person between 6pm and 10pm from Tuesday to Thursday in July.

Durban

Al Fresco’s  
The deal: Specials that change weekly between 5pm and 6pm on Fridays.

Cape Town

Andiamo  
The deal: La Famiglia cardholders can enjoy English breakfast or a health omelette for R39 between 9am and 11.30am from Monday to Friday; any pizza or pasta for R59 and a carafe of house wine at R19 for lunch on Mondays and Tuesdays; and two pizzas or pastas for R99 from 6pm on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Arnold’s
The deal: Arrive and order before 7am and get a full English breakfast for R13. All starters are half-price every day between 4.30pm and 6.30pm.

Barristers Grill Cafe  
The deal: Order one of 12 pub lunches on the menu for R35 every day from 12 noon to 6pm.

Bella Bellota  
The deal: Half-price burgers and pastas between 5pm and 7pm from Monday to Sunday.

Blowfish
The deal: Half-price sushi between 5pm and 8pm on Wednesdays.

Café Caprice
The deal: Two-for-one burgers between 12 noon and 10pm from Monday to Thursday.

El Burro  
The deal: Half-price build-your-own tacos and selected enchiladas between 12 noon and 5pm from Monday to Friday.

Hudson’s (Greenpoint, Kloof Street and Claremont)  
The deal: Half-price appetisers between 4.30pm and 6.30pm from Monday to Friday. Also get half-price cocktails and beer on tap during this time.

Leaf Restaurant
The deal: Half-price sushi before 6pm.

P.I.S.C.O. Bar  
The deal: Two-for-one drinks, lounge music and Peruvian tapas between 5pm and 7pm every Thursday and Friday.

Mezepoli
The deal: Two-for-one cocktails between 4pm and 7pm every Friday.

Pastis  
The deal: ‘Merry Hour’ from 4.30pm to 5.30pm Tuesday to Thursday, during which gourmet burgers and beef espetada are half-price, as are all 25 craft and imported beers.

Peddlars on the Bend
The deal: Order any two main meals and receive a complimentary bottle of the restaurant's wine of the month (valued at up to R200) every Tuesday night.

Rick’s 
The deal: Weekly changing lunch specials for R45 between 11am and 5pm from Monday to Friday. There are also drinks specials every day between 11am and 7pm.

River Café  
The deal: Tea or coffee and a muffin, scone, croissant or cake of the day for R35 between 3pm and 4.30pm from Monday to Saturday.

Salushi  
The deal: Half-price sushi between 12 noon and 5pm from Wednesday to Saturday.

The Square  
The deal: Half-price sushi every day between 5pm and 7pm.

Winelands

1802 Restaurant  
The deal: Business lunch (choose between two main courses) and coffee or tea for R45 on weekdays between 12.30pm and 2.30pm. 

96 Winery Road  
The deal: Order a burger and a beer for R105 from 12 noon to 3pm on Mondays to Saturdays during July. Pensioners receive 20% discount on meals during lunchtime from Monday to Thursday.

Bistro Allee Bleue  
The deal: Buffet-style Sunday roast, accompanied by jazz, between 12 noon and 3pm every Sunday.

eat@simonsvlei  
The deal: R95 for steaks (fillet, rump, sirloin, T-bone and ribeye) between 8pm and 10pm on Fridays.

Radish  
The deal: 30% off all gourmet burgers between 12 noon and 9pm on Mondays.

Garden Route

The Med Seafood Bistro  
The deal: Get seated by 6.30pm and qualify for a 30% discount on the à la carte menu.

By Kelly Pluke

Have we left anyone out? Send an email with details of the happy hour food special to info@eatout.co.za.

If you want a full list of amazing specials that last all day – or, in fact, all winter – see our list here.