Hugh's is elegant and sophisticated, designed as a space for listening with plush velvet banquettes, a drinks menu, and a light food menu. For now the offerings are slim – beef burgers, and battered hake and chips that nod to a beer sponsor. So go for the music rather than the food. We loved the flugelhorn cocktail, a savoury winner, and a nod to Hugh's talent on that instrument. Taking things up a notch is the late master's well-polished musical instrument, a spotlight directed on it, to the left of the stage. We found it difficult to take our eyes off the powerful portrait by photographer Brett Rubin, who was Masekela's official photographer from 2012 until the musician's death in 2018, that looks out at the audience to the right of the stage.
Opened in January 2026, Hugh’s is a partnership between the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation – represented by Masekela’s daughter, Pula Twala, and Adam Levy, the visionary behind Play Braamfontein. The result is a space that feels both nostalgic and new: a living tribute to Masekela’s enduring spirit and deep love for the city. Both Twala and Levy share memories, albeit of different experiences, of the iconic Carlton Hotel – once the toast of the city at its shiniest and most glittery. Now shut down, it was that hotel that they held in their minds when designing Hugh's and the way in which visitors would experience this nightspot in the city. The Carlton opened in 1972 and was a cornerstone of Johannesburg high life until its closure in 1997, serving as South Africa's premier five-star "international" hotel during apartheid.
Hugh's is good news for Joburg – and those who have long lamented the closure of The Orbit Jazz Club in Braamfontein, and more recently The Marabi Club in New Doornfontein, now have somewhere new to hang out.
For Twala, Hugh’s is a revival of memory. “The old-school wood finish, the glow of KWV brandy, my father smoking Courtleighs and looking out over his city,” she recalls. “We don’t see Johannesburg like that any more. But this, this is the heart of the city.”
And of course, music sits at the heart of it all. The stage comes alive with a mix of emerging local talent and established legends. Expect soulful improvisations, unexpected collaborations, and the kind of listening-room intimacy that's made the Untitled Basement on Reserve Street nearby a top Joburg music destination.
Whether you’re a die-hard jazz lover or simply looking for a night out that feels distinctly Joburg, Hugh’s offers an experience rooted in sound, memory, and the city itself.
Hugh’s is currently open on Thursday evenings*, with plans to introduce more operating days as the venue establishes itself. Be sure to check their website for updates.
More than just a jazz club, Hugh’s donates a portion of every ticket sold to the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation and supports youth music initiatives such as Kids Love Jazz.
*Updated February 2026.
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