Situated inside the picturesque, character-filled courtyard of 44 Stanley in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, is a beer garden that has both craft beer and loads of style on tap. The Stanley Beer Yard is the place to enjoy local beers and German and Portuguese-style bar food in a very vibey atmosphere.

Inside the pub you will find gorgeous, hunting-lodge style interiors filled to the brim with artifacts, ornaments, old maps and vintage curios, which you could easily imagine to be an avid traveller’s collection of beloved trinkets and keepsakes.

With leather armchairs, long wooden tables and a huge log fire at the centre of the room, this cosy cavern is a great place to enjoy a glass of red wine while warding of the winter chill. However, if the afternoon sun is calling your name, there is a large space outside, where you can sit beneath the olive trees and while away a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Stanley Beer Yard specialises in craft beer (commercial beers are conspicuous by their absence), boutique wines and an eclectic selection of bar fare.  Hearty pub food at its best, you can tuck into dishes such as the Sausage Fest, a rich German sausage platter served with mustard and cool cabbage, or the Yard Platter, which is a selection of chicken and lamb sausages and a Karoo chop, served with cabbage and a Portuguese roll.

The trinchado is must-try – tender cubes of beef, served in the pan with a decadent, garlicky sauce and a generous portion of thinly cut chips. Their prego rolls and Portuguese prawns are also good. The Smokehouse Prego, which is made with pulled pork and a mustard-apple sauce, is succulent and packed with flavour.

Every Sunday you can tuck into Spring chicken, espetada and ribs grilled to perfection on their wood fired braai. Any of the menu items can be cut into smaller potions and placed on boards to share, which makes Stanley Beer Yard the ideal spot for social drinks and snacks.

Relax & while the day away