50 Best Bars in Jakarta (2017)
By
Thibaud (Jakarta100bars)
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The following article is an update on the most happening bars in Jakarta as of 2017. I visited them at least once this year and I'm ranking them starting with my favorites. You can just click on the name of each bar to see my full review (if I have one). For more information about where to drink in Jakarta, you can also read: Jakarta Nightlife Explained in 500 Words 10 Best Nightclubs in Jakarta Where to Party in Jakarta? Best Beer Garden and Beer Houses in Jakarta Best Expat Bars in Jakarta 20 Best Happy Hours and Ladies Nights in Jakarta Currently, my favorite bars in Jakarta are:
I wrote this summary of Gili Trawangan nightlife (Lombok) after spending 3 nights there in May 2017. I had not visited the island in almost 10 years, and yet it didn't change much. It is just a bit more crowded, more expensive and dirtier. Most visitors are young Westerners between 20 and 30 years old. Among them, many are couples on their honeymoon or backpackers on a 6-month Southeast Asia tour. The latter aren't as numerous as in Bali or Thailand, probably because of the prices (overall you'll spend twice as much in the Gili's). They tend to stay for a short period of time only, on their way to other parts of Indonesia. The ones who stay longer usually work in diving centers and form the only real expat community on the island.
"What are the best nightclubs in Jakarta?" is one of the questions I get asked the most by readers of Jakarta100bars. The following list should answer this question though I imagine some of you may disagree with my rankings. If you do, please leave a comment below about your favorite clubs in the city. Surprisingly, there has not been so many changes in the past few year in the city's clubbing scene. All the venues listed below already existed in 2014. As I mentioned in my review Jakarta Nightlife 2015 , almost all nightclubs in Jakarta are expensive . If you are a heavy alcohol drinker and if you are with a small group, I would advise to always buy a bottle. That way you can get a table or a sofa close from the dance-floor and also avoid the First Drink Charge, FDC (usually amounting to Rp100,000 - Rp200,000). On weekends, it is essential to book in advance.
I already wrote last year a complete review of Bali nightlife which I recently updated. I'm adding this ranking of the top 12 hottest clubs on the island. This list of the best party places should help you choose where to go for your night out. The $ sign indicates the average price category for a standard alcoholic drink. The following venues are all the busiest party spots in Bali at the time of writing. Please feel free to comment! I recommend you to choose a hotel near a nightclub. You'll avoid 4 things: Drunk motorbike accidents, bag snatchers, traffic jams and crooked taxi drivers. Read my article 10 Best Girl-Friendly Hotels Near Bali Nightlife or check these top Bali hotels to party with chic rooftop bars, multi-tiered pools and nearby beachside clubs. 1) Jenja $$$: Best overall Photo source: Jenja Bali Where is it? Jenja is located in the basement of the Town Square Suites on Jalan Nakula. It is just between Kuta and Seminyak and 3 minutes away
I've written dozens of articles about Jakarta nightlife , but some people don't have the time to read them. This is a summary of everything there is to know, in less than 500 words: Even though Jakarta is the capital of a conservative and Muslim-majority country, it has a fun and diverse nightlife that comprises some of the best bars, nightclubs and spas in Southeast Asia. As you can see on my Jakarta nightlife map , most of the trendy venues are located in the South of the city while "naughty" spots can be found in the North . For this reason, it is ideal to stay in the city center around Grand Indonesia or Sarinah Mall ( Where to Stay in Jakarta? ). Budget hotels in this area cost around 40$ per night and 5-star properties around 200$. The only way to get around at night in Jakarta is to use taxis or apps like Uber/Grab. A 30-minute midnight ride from the nightclub X2 in the South to Colosseum in the North will cost about Rp60,000 (5$). Taxis are
The Djakarta Warehouse Project (DWP) is an electronic dance music festival happening every December in Jakarta. It used to be in Ancol but it has now moved to JiExpo in Kemayoran . It is organized by Ismaya, an Indonesian lifestyle group behind some famous nightclubs and bars like Dragonfly, Skye, Blowfish or Social House. It is also heavily sponsored by all kinds of brands and particularly cigarette manufacturers. It is a mainstream event featuring mostly commercial DJs who play commercial EDM, Trance and Techno. Many of the world's most famous DJs have participated in DWP in the past few years, among which Tiesto, Skrillex, David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Axwell, Avicii and Calvin Harris. DWP happens on the same weekend as Zoukout in Singapore. Both festivals share a very similar line-up and concept: The DJs who play on Friday in Jakarta will often play on Saturday in Singapore and vice versa. It is probably a way to split the cost of bringing expensive artists from Eu
As you can imagine, Bengkulu nightlife is not the most glamorous in Indonesia. This coastal town is quite small, with only around 300,000 inhabitants and very few foreign tourists visiting it apart from surfers/backpackers. It does have an interesting history as it used to be a British possession from 1685 until 1824. Once called Bencoolen, it was given to the Dutch who, in return, agreed not to oppose British settlements in Singapore (among other things). The options for sleeping in Bengkulu are limited but they are all rather cheap. I stayed in Tanjung Karang Hotel , which is clean, comfortable enough and costs only Rp300,000. You also have hotel chains like Santika or Amaris (closer from the nightlife). If you are on a budget, the cheapest option is Xtra Hotel . What to do at night in Bengkulu? I don't think you can have a real party during weekdays and the best thing you can do is simply eat in a seafood restaurant by the beach. On weekends, you may want to try one of
Malang is one of the nicest cities I've been to in Java. It is a mid-sized mountain town just 2 hours from Surabaya, relatively clean (for Indonesia standards) and with a pleasant weather. As you would expect, Malang nightlife is not the most happening. The current hotspot is actually the brand-new Starbucks, in front of which you may surprisingly see a couple of Ferraris. If you want to party, you have a few good bars and nightclubs though, enough to keep you busy for a weekend. Most bars are laid-back beer houses or live music cafés with a student crowd. They are not so sophisticated and their prices are as low as it can get. Clubs are more diversified. The best ones are modern, with a rich crowd, sexy girls and decent entertainment (DJs, bands, dancers). On the other end of the spectrum, you also have more underground joints with prostitutes and drugs easily available.
This article will tell you everything you need to know about Seminyak Nightlife in less than 500 words. Seminyak is a small coastal town in Southern Bali, one of the top destinations for party-goers in Asia. It is located between the villages of Kuta/Legian on one side and Canggu/Kerobokan on the other side. It is a 45-minute taxi ride from the airport. The nightlife in Seminyak is upmarket compared to Kuta. One of the reasons is the high density of luxury accommodation, including resorts and villas. It is also where most expats in Bali live.
This article will tell you everything you need to know about Kuta Nightlife in less than 500 words. Kuta is the main tourist destination in Bali. Originally a small beach town, it is now an urban area with 400 hotels , 5 modern malls and hundreds of clubs, restaurants, massage parlors and shops. It also has its fair share of pollution, noise and crime. To get around, it is best to have your own scooter (but you must have a travel insurance to drive one) as the taxis will invariably try to rip you off (except Blue Bird). Apps like Uber and Gojek are a good option as well. Walk when possible to avoid getting stuck in Kuta's notorious traffic jams. Kuta is popular with every age groups and every nationalities (especially Indonesians, Australians and Chinese). While some luxury hotels have opened recently, it is still considered a budget-friendly city: You can find a decent room for less than US$50$ and eat for less than US$8. If you don't have a place to stay, yo
I was disappointed with Yogyakarta nightlife. As a city famous for attracting students and tourists, I was expecting a fun party atmosphere with busy bars and nightclubs. On the contrary, Yogyakarta is quite conservative: Most girls wear the jilbab and you can see all over the city some aggressive banners against gays or Shia Muslims. I've read also about some incidents against a feminist group just a few days ago. This gave me the impression to be in Saudi Arabia more than in "tolerant" Indonesia. In spite of this, I still had fun but I had to try quite many venues before figuring out which one were crowded and which one were boring. The objective of this guide is to save you some time and give you the best tips to enjoy Yogyakarta nightlife if you are a single traveler there. If new bars and clubs open, please mention them in the comments to help me keep this review up-to-date. Girl-Friendly Hotels in Yogyakarta: I guess you are not going to Yog
Small in size but touristy, Solo (or Surakarta) is often considered the little sister of Yogyakarta. I was in the city to visit a French friend who lived there for 8 years. He showed me the nightlife on a Friday and a Saturday night. Guest-Friendly Hotels in Solo The city is home to plenty of hotels, but beware as many are conservative and may not accept if you stay with a girl you aren't married to. As a rule of thumb, avoid small family guest-houses and any hotel with the name "syariah" on it (obviously).
I have always enjoyed Surabaya nightlife even though the options for nightclubs and bars are limited and somewhat provincial. 3 million people live there, making it the second largest city in Indonesia. Compared to Jakarta, it still feels laid-back and unsophisticated. The streets are rather clean, you can walk on the sidewalks and the traffic is not horrible. There are several modern malls, but none of them as chic as Plaza Indonesia or even Grand Indonesia. Few expats live in Surabaya and even fewer tourists visit it. As a result, you may get more attention than usual from the people. If you are a single guy, it is nice to see girls smiling at you in the streets or in the malls. On Tinder and other dating apps , expect to become quite popular. Meeting a normal girl is fairly easy in certain clubs and bars like Desperados, Jimmy's, Eclectic or Colors Pub. In other venues, you may have either a lot of "lady companions" or just younger girls who are part
Going to nightclubs is one of the best ways to meet Indonesian girls. It is a bit more challenging that online dating because you need to know what are the best venues and the best days to be successful. You must also be careful to differentiate between the "normal" girls, the prostitutes, and the professional girlfriends. The latter category are all the ladies who make a living from having one or several boyfriends. Depending on what you are looking for, they can be either a great target or something to avoid. Don't like Meeting Girls from Nightclubs? Read 10 Best Dating Sites and Apps in Indonesia . Wednesday is the absolute best day for partying in Jakarta. It is cheaper, less crowded, and many nightclubs have ladies night. This means the percentage of good girls will be higher than usual. Also, you have less competition from other guys, as there are less of those tourists/travelers who come for the weekend from Singapore / Kuala Lumpur looking for one-night
Nightlife in Batam - Overview: Batam is a small island in the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) located about 45 minutes from Singapore by ferry. With a population of 800,000 souls, it is the home to a small community of expatriates , most of them working in the Oil & Gas or in the High Tech manufacturing. Unlike in other parts of Indonesia, you'll find that Batam is rather well organized and clean. Close to Singapore and very little traffic. NEW REVIEW October 2016: 18 Best Hotels Near Batam Nightlife and Spas The Indonesian island of Batam has long been one the best kept secrets as a low cost getaway for Singaporean local and expats. The island has seven golf courses, several resorts and the costs are a fraction compared to Singapore and Bali. There is also an expat entertainment area like Blok M / Kemang.
Since there isn't much nightlife in Jambi, I thought I would write mostly about Golden Palace, its most famous nightclub, and just mention a few other options for the adventurous party-goers. Golden Palace is the only proper clubbing option I found in Jambi, though I guess it is not very interesting for foreigners. It is your typical Indonesian live music venue, rectangle-shaped, with high tables on the dance floor and a mezzanine. The band finishes at midnight and it is then replaced by a DJ playing funky house techno. If you are lucky, you might be in Jambi during a special event (check Golden Palace's social media accounts below). In that case, though the entrance fee may increase to Rp100,000, you will have a full house and possibly more Western music/sexy dancers.
Jember nightlife is very quiet as you could imagine. The only decent nightclub I could find is E-Club which is located about 1,5km from the city center (I was staying in Aston Jember ). It is a small venue with a 200 pax capacity. Nothing luxurious there, just the walls, a stage, a bar and high tables on the dance floor. Entry was free but some busy nights it can reach Rp50,000. The crowd was mostly made of guys, not particularly dressed up for the occasion. There were less than 10 girls. A band was playing a mix of Indonesian and famous English songs. After midnight, it stopped and was replaced by a DJ (house music).
There are hundreds of Indonesian Female DJs (shortened FDJ) playing in all kind of clubs in the country. Some are smart, educated girls with actual DJing skills while others are borderline prostitutes who get their gigs who knows how. Sorry for being shallow but this review will not focus on the quality of the music played. Most Indonesians don't really care about it anyway, as long as it's loud and famous. I only paid attention to the physical traits of the girls to select the sexiest, prettiest and hottest ones. I didn't include any Indonesian Topless DJs (TDJ). There are a few in Jakarta, usually in clubs like V2 and Oppai (B'Fashion Hotel). The most famous ones are TDJ Barbie Tyas, TDJ Terre, TDJ Nava, TDJ Fitri, TDJ Beiby Pricilia Maxwell, TDJ Lisa, TDJ Adelia and TDJ Diana. Sarah Ardelia, a softcore erotic model, can also be added. Without any further delays, this is the list of Indonesia's Top 35 sexiest female DJs (with the girls' Instagram
Palembang is the second largest city in Sumatra after Medan . It does not receive a lot of foreign visitors apart from Malaysians and Singaporeans. As with most provincial towns in Indonesia, you'll remark the following features when partying in Palembang: - Most clubbers are males who either take drugs, get hammered drunk or look for paid sex - The music program management consist of selecting pretty singers or pretty DJs, regardless of their skills - The concept of a dance floor is non-existent. Instead, you have high tables that are available if you take at least a bottle (or less when the club isn't crowded) - If you are hoping to meet a girl in a Palembang club, your chances are slim as most girls are either working (as GROs/LCs) or the girlfriends of the other guys - Alcohol is always expensive, even in lower-end places. If you go somewhere with abnormally cheap alcohol, you're probably drinking methanol. - The police does occasional "razzias" o
Semarang is the 5th largest city in Indonesia with almost 2 millions inhabitants. Yet, its nightlife is not very developed apart from a few male-oriented bars, clubs, karaokes and spas. As a friend from Semarang told me, the problem is that most young people fall into one of these categories: - They are single but they still live with parents - They are conservative or not interested with clubbing - They married young and already have kids - They left Semarang for Jakarta, Surabaya or Bali - They cannot afford partying In the end, the few people you see in clubs are Indo-Chinese men/local businessmen/government employees (all of them with their escorts/LCs), some Indonesians on business trips or traveling, very few expats and occasionally, students.