Bubbles and cocktails flowed on Wednesday night as Rockets Bryanston was relaunched after renovations to one of Joburg’s most popular nightlife spots were recently completed.
With the construction done, the new three tier event spot is open for business with a re-imagined look and feel.
Local celebs, including like Da Les, Junior De Rocka, Ayanda MVP, DJ Fresh, La Sizwe, media and influencers were part of the launch event on Wednesday. Guests were treated to drinks and finger foods from their new menu.
The newly renovated venue now also has a recording studio on the ground floor, dubbed Rockets Media.
The restaurant remains on the first floor, with the bigger and swankier Lolita club floor on the second floor getting a huge transformation with a 360 degree DJ booth and an 18.5 x 4.5m screen on the roof of the dance floor.
The top floor is an ode to both Ibiza and their Rockets Umhlanga Beach Club branch in Durban, with beachy and international touches, while offering patrons an escape from the thud of the second floor with picturesque views of the Joburg north.
"The inspiration for this revamp was a natural progression. Over time, we noticed many similarities from new competitors in terms of the elements of our design, making it crucial for us to innovate and set ourselves apart once again,” said Rockets founder and chief executive Sean Barber.
"Our goal was to create something unique on every floor that couldn't be replicated, bringing Rockets into a new era."
Most of the action at the venue is likely to take place on the Lolita dance floor on the second floor.
The club floor
This floor has received a huge transformation, the balcony is gone, the Corona-branded bar is significantly smaller and there are new swanky green ribbed couches.
The floor space is 30-40% bigger after the balcony facing the Hobart Grove Centre was replaced with more seating space for the swanky lounge.
There are high barstools for the boys, but the message is evidently clear, Rockets doesn’t want a lot of patrons milling around the bar, they want ballers in this city of gold to sit and relax on their comfortable couches in the lounge and splurge on bubbles and oysters.
The cheapest local bubbles and oyster pairing we found on the Lolita menu goes for about R1,300, but there are more affordable wine options on the menu too.
Rockets Bryanston was opened seven years ago, but with this grand renovation, they have attempted to stay ahead of the curve with a swift renovation project at one of their more popular venues.
The new venue offers elegant touches - the oak design at the Lolita bar is one of the stand out designs, while tipsy patrons listening to the sounds of the best amapiano and house tracks at 11pm on a Saturday night will no doubt get lost in the music and visuals on the massive rooftop screen.
Like most clubs in Joburg these days, there is little room for a dance floor, with the area in front of the DJ booth dedicated to premium lounging area.
Buy bottles and dance next to your seat? Happy partying Joburg.
The Food
Oh yes, the food. Rockets roped in executive head chef Driaan Van Niekerk to design the menu, which is a fusion of Mediterranean delights, tapas and sushi, guaranteed to please every palate.
The new menu has introduced innovative textures, flavours and flair, with 15 theatrical dishes incorporating elements of smoke, fire and ice.
* The Lolitas floor is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 9pm and 4am.
* The rooftop is open Tuesday to Sunday between 11am to 2am.
* The restaurant is open daily 11am to 2am.
sihle.mlambo@iol.co.za
IOL