L'Société Restaurant and Lounge (Bandung)
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Jakarta100bars
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L'Société is a restaurant, bar and lounge located in Dago, Bandung. Headed by a French Chef, Simon Baudoin, it serves mostly French dishes in a semi fine dining setting. It is probably among the best venues in the city for Western food, and the prices are still affordable compared to Jakarta. What makes L'Société an even more interesting venue to try is that they regularly have DJs and events on the weekends. It gets a good crowd that usually ends up finishing the evening in Southbank . You can get the updated schedule on their Instagram account: L'Société Bandung .
The Peak is a very famous high-end restaurant in Bandung, quite distant from the town center. If you decide to visit it, you will need at least 1 hour, and you have to make sure you have a ride back home. The restaurant has a panoramic dining room with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. From there, you can get a stunning 360° view of the surroundings. The only problem is that the weather is not always good so in case of rain, you might not see so many things. Don't come at night also. The Peak is clearly upmarket and touristic. A meal will cost you at least Rp100,000 if you order local dishes, but much more if you go for western meals with imported ingredients. For instance, steaks cost from Rp68,500++ to an incredible Rp688,000++ for the Kobe beef! You can also choose to have a drink only, and it is very reasonable, for instance Rp21,000++ for a strawberry juice.
Sierra Café is a big restaurant in Dago Pakar, with a nice view over the hills of Bandung. There are different dining areas, on four floors, with a total capacity of 700 clients... It is not the place to go for an intimate dinner.
Braga café is a small restaurant with a few Sundanese dishes written on a tiny menu. Touristy but worth a stop for a snack or a fruit juice as it is located in a charming 1919 colonial building. They also have an handicraft shop with wayangs, bags, paintings, etc.. More expensive than average but still reasonable.
The Valley restaurant is part of a huge touristic resort located on the upper hills of Dago. I didn't count but there must be over 100 tables, and most clients are "pariwisata", tourists on a day-trip to Bandung. I can also imagine that they have their share of weddings, corporate gatherings, business lunches or friends' reunions, etc.. Local people don't normally go to the Valley.
Origin restaurant is one of the first in Indonesia to be marketed around a healty, organic food concept. As of today, it is more about marketing than about eating real healthy food, but that's a very good start for the country I think. The interior resembles that of a greenhouse garden, with a lot of sunlight coming in, and abundant vegetation, flowers and plants. It terms of design, it's perfect, but I found it way too warm inside, almost unbearable. The crowd is definitely upmarket, with always at least a few expatriates. The menu is not as light and natural as the owner would like us to believe: They have cream soup, imported steak, french fries, sodas, etc.. But if you look well, you can find some great recipes. I went for the Turkey salad (Rp24k), the Gurame soup (Rp30k), and the Beef Sandwich (Rp50k). I didn't have very high expectations but I was happily surprised with what I got: The dishes were simple but well prepared, and the ingredients used in their preparatio
Indischetafel (Dutch Indies Table) is a kind of "museum restaurant", where the food served is just as important as the general atmosphere. The idea for the owner (also behind Origine) is to give the customer the illusion that he is having a meal in a Dutch-era colonial house, 100 years ago. I must say that it is really well done and impressive. A huge attention has been paid to every single details, from the traditional costumes of the waiters to how the dishes are written on the menu (lots of "oe", "dj" "ch"). All the rooms of the restaurant are gorgeous and unique. 10/10 on that part.
Cloud 9 is one of the nicest bars and restaurants in Bandung, very romantic and cozy at night. Located on the hill of Dago, you will get a great view over the city, day and night. It is very popular with expats, tourists, and locals. The menu has dishes to please everyone: Salads for Rp30k, Chili Con Carne for Rp36k, Spaghetti for Rp33k, Burger for Rp40k, Nasi Goreng for Rp30k, etc.. I had a simple Margherita pizza (Rp40k++) and the Tenderloin (Rp66k++). The drink list if very long, with all the Top 50 cocktails in the world, and quite cheap, around Rp50k.
Dago Panyawangan is a Sundanese restaurant in Bandung catering mostly to tourists, who come by dozens in Pariwisata buses. This is the kind of venue that local people probably never visit. The restaurant is a copy of what other touristic places in Bali are like, with bamboo walls, a small pond and gamelan music. If you ask me, it is too big and it definitely lacks charm.
New Ilalang café is a nice restaurant in Bandung, surrounded by a pretty garden. The whole place has a Balinese feel, with some (loud) gamelan music playing and a lot of wood furniture.
Though a bit empty compared to its main competitor, Han Kook Gwan , Korean House is an address worth checking for anyone who loves authentic Japanese/Korean food. The design of the place is simple, with only a few posters on the walls and some furniture, but I found it very charming. The waitress was very nice, especially to explain how the dishes were made. The menu had photos, which proved very helpful to help us make a decision on what to order.