The extraordinary heritage building Somerset House on Gandhi Square, known as the Thunder Walker, is a restaurant, underground bar and events space operated by local tour company JoburgPlaces that takes advantage of the historic building’s many period features, from top floor ro basement. JoburgPlaces offer unique city walking tours and also create specialist storytelling dinners.

Located on Gandhi Square, with an entrance on Fox Street, this unique early 20th Century tiled arcade was transformed by JoburgPlaces in partnership with building owners Olitiziki Property. At the heart of the Thunder Walker building is the gloriously sunny Scatterlings Arcade. With its gleaming majolica tiles, wrought iron balconies and abundant potted palms, it's a delightful space to enjoy lunch and a drink. There's also a small deli where you can buy Scatterling's tasty pan-African lunches to heat and eat at home.
 

Sharing space with the cafe in the arcade is the Town Treasures shop which sells an array of beautiful antiques, books and other items such as printworks by local artists, traditional Ndebele blankets, hand-woven baskets, colourful African shweshwe masks and accessories, traditional Ethiopian ceramics and exquisite Persian carpets, all sourced from local inner-city small businesses. 

Downstairs in the building's basement, the old bank vaults of the United Building Society have been turned into the Zwipi Underground Bar, a quirky space set amid hundreds of Edwardian safety deposit boxes.

From March 2021 Thunder Walker is open Sat and Sun for lunch (walk-ins), otherwise booking is required for One Table lunch, or dinner seven nights a week. One Table meals are offered as a range of set menus, and served in private rooms – from a table for two to a banquet dining table for 30 people. Storytelling can be booked to accompany the meal – an experience that unlocks the colour of Joburg's history and contemporary life as a city.  This is also a popular venue for weddings.