Alto234

Alto234 is a rooftop sky bar on the 57th floor of The Leonardo at 75 Maude Street in Sandown, Sandton, in Gauteng province, South Africa. It is promoted as Africa's highest urban bar, and its 360-degree outlook takes in the Sandton skyline and, on clear days, much of greater Johannesburg. The crowd is a mix of hotel guests, business travellers, visiting tourists and well-dressed locals marking birthdays or anniversaries. Smart-casual dress is the sensible standard for a venue in a premium tower, and most guests are in their late twenties and older. The atmosphere is polished and view-driven rather than a loud dancefloor scene. Drinks centre on cocktails, with sunset the peak moment when the city lights up and the sky changes colour. Prices fall in the $$$ band, so visitors are paying partly for altitude and setting. Music is played at a level that allows conversation rather than dancing. The bar keeps the following hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 12:30 to 23:00, closed on Mondays. Because it opens at lunchtime, it works as a daytime viewpoint as well as an evening venue, and midweek afternoons are noticeably calmer than weekend sunsets. There is no cover charge, but reservations are advised for sunset, when tables with the best views are taken first. Bookings can be made through alto234.co.za. No nightclub-style bottle service is part of the offer; the format is table service with drinks and food. Sandton is one of the safer and better-serviced parts of Johannesburg, with the Sandton Gautrain station within a few kilometres, and ride-hailing apps are the simplest way home after dark. Weather matters here: cloud, wind or haze can affect the view and the comfort of the upper levels, so clear afternoons and evenings give the best experience. Visitors with a fear of heights should be aware that the setting is 57 floors up.