Aficionado Pop-Up Bar

Checked out the hip new pop-up bar Aficionado on the ground floor of the Sandton Eye building diagonally across from the Gautrain station. The entrance is on the street! (Enter on Rivonia). Can't say that about too many places in Sandton.

Now that you've found it, here are some things you should know ...

1. The raison d'etre for the pop up is the introduction to South Africa of the Guatemalan rum called Ron Zacapa. It is good. Very good.

2. Order the Zegroni, their variation on the Negroni. The presentation is everything. It comes in a cocktail glass on a tray and is covered by a glass bell dome filled with cinnamon smoke! The waiter lifts the dome and the smoke escapes. Delicious smell!

3. Ask if Keenan the bartender is there and if so, request that he make your cocktails. Keenan does an incredible impression of both Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown in Cocktail juggling multiple bottles and cocktail shakers at the same time. A lost art. Practically brought a tear to my eye.

Aficionado is only open until the end of November. It popped up at the beginning of October for two months. You really shouldn't miss it!