Get to know Hatfield

Hatfield, commonly referred to as “Hats” by some of its occupants, is one of the most student-friendly environments in Pretoria because of its diversity in culture and proximity to Pretoria’s Hatfield campus. It has a little bit of everything for every kind of person that sets foot there.

For the foodies, there are a plethora of fast-food chains all around the streets of Hatfield with most of them being saturated in and around Burnett street. There are 24-Hour operational McDonalds and KFC (on the Hillcrest Boulevard,) and many other major fast-food franchises. However, if they are looking for scrumptious and affordable halaal food, there is the restaurant “My Place” where they can find the best chips in town. It has everything including and not limited to fish and chips, pap, wings, burgers, and many other home-cooked meals.

If they prefer fine dining and a romantic setting for a date, Hazelwood, which is a stone throw away from central Hatfield (with Uber/Bolt prices ranging from R30-R40 a trip), has more than enough 3-star and above rated fine dining restaurants, including Italian and French cuisine options. Just like Hatfield, the beauty of Hazelwood is that all these restaurants are within a walking distance from one another. As a bonus, this place is heaven for content creators as it offers the perfect aesthetic that appeals to different tastes. It has restaurants like The Rock, Taso’s Bar and Grill, Peaches, Culture Club, Hudsons – The Burger Joint. For the ice cream and waffles lovers, there is a big Aroma Coffee Roastery on the corner of the street that has indoor and outdoor dining options.

Food is not the only thing that Hazelwood and Hatfield have to offer, they both also happen to accommodate people that are into grooving and people looking to quench their thirst. For starters, there is a queer friendly club and dinner theatre in Hazelwood, Beefcakes, that has various entertainment programs and themes for different days of the week.

A few metres from Beefcakes, there is the infamous Eazy Tiger Restaurant and Club that caters to a very diverse cultural group
in terms of its music and culture. From time to time, it also hosts themed events (e.g Halloween) on different days of the week and holidays. If one is looking for an experience- filled groove spot, Hazelwood has got them covered.

Hatfield does not lack an ultimate club experience. It accommodates every kind of personality and club culture. If a person is more into Hip Hop/Rap, House, and Amapiano, there is The Social Club (known to most as TSC), Ekhaya, The Blueroom, and Zanzou, all of which hire and book famous artists, DJs, and performing acts from around the country to perform and play. If they are into more upbeat, techno, and pop music, there is The Strip, which is a walking distance from TuksRes Hillcrest Residence Campuses and not so far from central Hatfield. It’s called “The Strip” because it has a “strip” of clubs which include: The Jolly Roger Bar, Jukes Pub, Latino’s Bistro (a disco club), and Fokof Bar. The beauty about the strip is that if the munchies have got them, they will not have to travel back to Hatfield to get that late-night snack. There is Uncle Faouzi situated right at the heart of the strip that offers chicken, burgers, and hookahs too.

However, if students are looking for a more chilled vibe and experience while having a drink, Springbok Bar has excellent food combos, specials and reasonably priced drinks. There is also Square 2.0 which offers a wide range of food stores, bars, a coffee shop as well as a tattoo and piercing shop.

For the gym fanatics, Hatfield has a range of gyms. There is a Virgin Active gym, a Zone Fitness in the Hatfield Plaza, and Tuks Student Gym (TSG) located at the Sports campus in Hillcrest. The TSG offers affordable prices and discounts on memberships for registered UP students. It is located on the same campus as the High Performance Centre (HPC) Gym, and is open to members of the public for membership.

Hatfield has a lot to offer in terms of convenience for its occupants, especially students – they will not have to go far away to have their day-to-day necessities met.