Joburg's Bolton Road Collection reinvents itself as Social Parkwood

Within just a few years, Parkwood’s Park Corner has been transformed from a tired retail and residential building to one of the biggest social hubs in the Rosebank area.

Restaurants and bars like Coalition, Saigon Suzy, A Streetbar Named Desire, Bolton Road Collection and Publik, now steadfastly attract Joburg’s hip crowd, whether it’s for after-work drinks, dinner, or long weekend lunches.

The most recent change is to Bolton Road Collection, which owner Bruce Beattie has reinvented into an upmarket, casual bar renamed Social Parkwood.

We chat to Beattie to find out more.

Why the change from Bolton Road Collection to Social Parkwood?

As much as we loved the Bolton Road Collection concept, we felt as though Park Corner as a destination was moving into a more casual bar space. It was because of this that we decided to relook at things, and it felt as though the time was right to do something different and exciting.

What’s your vision for it?

We wanted to take aspects of a shebeen and a canteen and merge them together in such a way that it produced an upmarket, casual bar which strives to deliver a complete experience – whether you are simply out for drinks and a few nibbles, or a social dinner with friends.

Can you describe the new decor scheme?

We wanted to tap into our African heritage without this becoming a themed bar. We were set on paying homage to our culture – from the colours we chose, to the murals we commissioned.

We wanted to design an African oasis, a casually cool spot where one can relax and socialise in and among the hustle and bustle.

Tell us about your food menu?

The overall theme is South African inspired. We wanted to take traditional dishes and put a South African twist on them by using flavours and products that represent our country and all of our incredible cultures.

Some of our standout dishes are the avocado fritters, the salted lamb rib, the sriracha grilled prawns, the tshisha nyama sharing board, the bucket of wings and the lamb shank.

Any cocktails you’d especially recommend?

Our drinks offering is centred largely around local products and ingredients. We crafted all our cocktails in-house and we played around with a few different flavours to produce an interesting selection.

We would recommend our F’rose, our Mu’Tea, PBJ Sarmie Sour and Mexican Mampoer – along with all of the usual suspects such as our local gins and beers.

This article was originally published in the Sunday Times Neighbourhood: Property and Lifestyle guide. Visit Yourneighbourhood.co.za