South African Cheers

Decades of regulars put a sheen on the wood and brass bar where Thokozane Nxumalo serves clients of The Guildhall, Johannesburg's oldest bar. ​Photo by Darren Taylor

Owner Fernando Coimbra is a South African of Portuguese descent who is proud to pour a pint in the 127-year-old venue that now serves women. Photo by Darren Taylor

One customer says the bar where gold miners once brawled is now a “place of peace.” Photo by Darren Taylor

Coimbra turned a second-floor venue into a haven for the food, sports and patriotism of his Portuguese heritage. Photo by Darren Taylor

Loyal customers like the ambience revealed in an 1800s photo of the just-opened Guildhall located across the street from the Johannesburg market. Photo by Darren Taylor

Men of wealth and position such as mining magnate Barney Barnato were regulars at earlier Guildhall afternoons. Photo by Darren Taylor

A photo of the newly-built Guildhall, across the Johannesburg market, in the 1800s. Photo by Darren Taylor

The view from The Guildhall of commercial life in the Johannesburg market as it boomed in the 1880s gold rush era. Image courtesy Fernando Coimbra

Patrons of The Guildhall have a different view of Johannesburg's center in modern times. Photo by Darren Taylor

Coimbra pulls a poached octopus from the pot before grilling and serving in a rich, spicy, tomato-based sauce served with chopped potatoes listed on his Portuguese menu. Photo by Darren Taylor

Many patrons stop by after work at the nearby headquarters of the African National Congress. T-shirts of ruling party icon Nelson Mandela greet them. Photo by Darren Taylor