Rooftop at Hallmark House Review
The Rooftop at Hallmark House is in the heart of Johannesburg and features an incredible view of the Joburg skyline. With a wraparound balcony, you have uninterrupted, 360-degree views of the city. The views are great and the vibe is on-point!
The rooftop also hosts DJs and events (like film showings) throughout the year.
Bonus: if you want to combo the rooftop with dinner, head to The Marabi Club in the hotel basement. I highly recommend it! Make a reservation beforehand.
The Basics:
- Cost: R100/pp entry if there is an event
- Reservations are not required but you can book online.
- Hours: Monday-Thursday 4pm onwards (only drinks), Friday 2pm onwards (food and drinks), and Saturday/Sunday 12pm onwards (Food and drinks).
- Highlight: Go for the great views in the heart of Jozi and a cool hang-out spot with great service, food, and drinks.
Bookings
Bookings aren’t required on the regular although if you know you want to visit, then go ahead and book. You can book online here and pay the R100/pp entry charge in advance.
Without a booking, you’ll pay at the door. They have a card machine.
You may be able to get away with not paying the R100 entry fee if you’re also going to The Marabi Club. Ask at reception. We were told we could visit the rooftop until our reservation time for dinner when we visited in June 2021.
Check out this cool mural when you enter the hotel.
Food and Drinks at the Rooftop
There are light tapas available as well as a small selection of main dishes. We got the “grilled ciabatta fingers with butternut hummus & Tuscan bean dip” and it was so good. The bread was so perfectly toasted. The tapas are around R60 and the mains R150. One veggie main dish is available.
If your group is more than 10 people, you can order the platters for around R60/pp. They look like a super good deal and you’ll get a bunch of tapas.
All your typical drinks are available. Both times we’ve visited the Rooftop at Hallmark Hotel, I’ve ordered vino. The vino bottles range between R180 to R300.
Check out the menu here.
Cheers to Ponte City. We did the Ponte City Challenge the same day we visited in November.
Rooftop at Hallmark House Views
The rooftop views are amazing at Hallmark House. You can choose to sit inside (with glass doors that open in good weather) or sit outside on the tables, bar tables, or couches.
Most recently we sat on the corner couch facing the Vodacom building (Ponte City) and the Telkom Tower. The views were spectacular.
Our waiter was so nice and took a bunch of photos of us. It was a full-on photo shoot with multiple pictures at different angles.
We also witnessed a lightning storm from the Rooftop at Hallmark House though I didn’t manage to get a photo of it…
Check out these nighttime views.
Budget
Your budget for the night will just depend on what you order. For the lowest cost, you can enter and get a couple of beers for under R200/pp. (Beer is around R30). Or enter and then split a bottle of vino. However, if also get snacks, a bottle of vino, or some main dishes, then you could be spending upwards of R400/pp.
When to visit and who to go with
The vibe is great for an evening with friends or your love. It doesn’t really have a family-esque vibe to me but if your family is into the rooftop views then go for it! The music can get loud so maybe choose to sit inside away from the speakers if that bothers your crew.
Summer and winter vibes on the Rooftop at Hallmark House
We visited both in the winter (June) and in summer (November). If you dress for the weather in the winter (bring a jacket for the wind) then you should be fine. It almost goes without saying that the vibe is more popping in the summer months.