This Jakarta nightlife guide was updated in May 2022. I removed many bars and clubs that have closed down because of COVID-19, and I added a few as well.
If you are a first-time visitor, you might also be interested in my Jakarta Travel Guide.
Nightlife Areas
There are so many nightlife areas in Jakarta that it can be confusing even for residents.
The following neighborhoods are the most happening:
→ Mega Kuningan: This area, close to the embassies and the business district, is popular with young expats and businessmen. There are dozens of bars and restaurants that are within walking distance from one another, including famous ones like Basque or Loewy. If it is your first time in Jakarta, it is a good idea to stay nearby, for instance in Oakwood Cosmo.
→ SCBD: This business district is similar to Mega Kuningan, if not even wealthier. There is a trendy nightlife complex called Fairgrounds which is always busy. The current hotspots there are Lucy in the Sky (bohemian chic), Fable Club (popular with teenagers), and Swillhouse (Rn'B). Elsewhere in SCBD, you can also try the Beer Hall (live music), the Beer Garden (cheaper prices), Hard Rock Café, Chao-Chao Rooftop, and Cork & Screw (for Indonesian-Chinese in their 30s).
→ Senopati: Senopati nightlife consists of the bars and nightclubs on Jalan Senopati, Jalan Suryo, and Jalan Gunawarman. It is an affluent residential neighborhood with exclusive venues that cater to the elite, particularly Indonesian-Chinese. The popular venues in Senopati tend to change every 6 months so it's hard to stay up-to-date. Currently, the popular ones are A/A, Holywings, Lola, Zodiac, Sofia, or Kilo Lounge. What you can do also is just drive around and stop where you see many cars parked.
→ Kemang: This mostly low-rise residential area of South Jakarta is popular with foreign residents, especially families. As a result, you have a few expat bars and restaurants, such as Eastern Promise. There are also some cheap nightclubs targeting teenagers (Nu China, Brexit, Second Floor). The Hotel Monopoli is quite trendy as well with its basement club and its rooftop.
→ Thamrin/Menteng: Nightlife is more spread in this area but still interesting. There are fancy bars in the malls (Plaza Indonesia and Grand Indonesia), in the 5-star hotels (Hyatt, Mandarin Oriental, Kempinski), some nice rooftops as well (SKYE and Cloud), and even some cheap hangout spots like Camden Cikini or Melly's Garden.
=> Thamrin is a strategic location in Jakarta with a large choice of hotels. If you are on a budget, you have some excellent options on Jalan Wahid Hasyim, for instance, Holiday Inn Express
→ Pantai Indah Kapuk: This is the upcoming nightlife destination in Jakarta. I rarely go there because it is far from the center, but it has at least 30 bars, a few nightclubs (including the brand new Holywings), and hundreds of restaurants. The majority of customers are young Indonesian Chinese.
→ Glodok/Kota: This is an older part of Jakarta, less modern, but cheaper and more authentic. It is also considered a red-light district as you have several large complexes for men, such as Malioboro or 1001 Hotel.
Luckily for you, I wrote a detailed article about all these areas: Where to Party in Jakarta: Nightlife + Hotels.
When to Party?
Jakarta nightlife is great all year round, with a pause during Ramadan.
Nightclubs generally start from midnight to 4AM, with few exceptions. As elsewhere in the world, they are busiest on Friday, Saturday, and, to a lesser extent, Wednesday. After closing, you can still party if you rent a karaoke room. The best ones look like small nightclubs, with laser lights and top-notch sound-systems. Some are open 24-hour, for instance 108 Club (for more info: Karaoke in Jakarta).
Weekdays can be quiet, but you can still have fun in places like Loewy, Social House, Skye, Cork & Screw. 5-star hotel bars are also an option (CJs and BATS).
Budget to Party in Jakarta?
Nightlife in Jakarta is expensive as it targets almost exclusively foreigners or rich Indonesians (particularly Indonesian-Chinese).
For a good night out on weekends, I would say that you will easily spend IDR900,000. The best clubs will have an entrance fee of IDR200k-300k, and drinks will cost you IDR75k for a beer or IDR150k for a cocktail.
If that's too much for you, check Cheap Bars in Jakarta. And don't forget to bring a bottle of spirits from the duty-free before flying to Jakarta (alcohol is taxed 200% here).
If you party in groups, it is a good idea to open a bottle in bars/nightclubs. It will get you a free entrance for you and your friends, a table/sofa, and better service from the staff. In the end, the cost is reasonable, especially when the bill is split between a few persons. If your bottle is not finished, you can ask the bar to keep it until your next visit. In a typical high-end club, you can get a bottle + a sofa for 4 persons if you spend around IDR 2-3M.
Also, taxi bills can pile up quickly, especially if you go from North to South and vice versa. A 15-minute ride costs about IDR50,000. You can save some money by using transportation apps like Grab and Go-Jek though. Uber is no longer operating in Jakarta.
Hotels in Jakarta Near the Nightlife
When readers ask me where to stay near Jakarta nightlife, my answer is always the same: "Find a hotel within 500 meters from Jalan Sudirman".
Booking.com has a list of hotels in the area that you can check here: Hotels Near Jalan Sudirman Jakarta.
My personal recommendations are:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (more than 100$/night)
Shangri-La and Mulia both have busy live music bars
Oakwood Premier Cozmo has a great location in Mega Kuningan and I recommend it if you plan on having dates (you can have them downstairs in Loewy).
⭐⭐⭐⭐ (between 50$ and 100$/night)
Fraser Residence, Fraser Place, and Ascott Kuningan are new, centrally located, and near the nightlife. Near Sarinah, Artotel, Morrissey and Kosenda have their own bars.
⭐⭐⭐ (under 50$/night):
Harris FX (very popular due to the location within a lifestyle mall)
I already wrote a long article about the best bars in Jakarta so I won't repeat myself here. Instead, I will just summarize it as follow:
Lively Bars to Meet People
→ Boca Rica, Basque, Loewy, Eastern Promise
Cheap Bars
→ Camden, Holywings (several locations), Melly's Garden
Trendy Bars:
→ For young expats: Basque, Léon, Loewy, Bacco, Safehouse, J. Sparrow, Caspar
→ For rich Indonesians: Léon, A/A, Union, Cork and Screw, Pao Pao, Black Pond Tavern, Chao Chao
→ For hipsters: Lucy in the Sky, Lola, Swillhouse, Zodiac, Kilo Lounge
Best Expat Bars and Sports Bars
Eastern Promise, De Hooi, McGettigan's
Best Bars for Live Music
BATS, CJs, Eastern Promise, Hard Rock, Paulaner Brauhaus
Best Rooftops for Chilling
→ Henshin, Cloud, SKYE, Chao Chao
Best Nightclubs in Jakarta
As for the best bars, I also wrote a ranking of my favorite nightclubs in Jakarta: Top Nightclubs in Jakarta. Below is a quick overview:
Nightclubs that are the most popular with foreigners:
Dragonfly, Fable, Blowfish, Boca Rica, Basque
Nightclubs for Younger People and with Cheaper Prices:
Blowfish, Fable, Brexit, Nu China
Upper-Class Nightclubs
Dragonfly, Blowfish
Nightclub with Electro/Techno
Colosseum (on some nights)
Otherwise, go to Zodiac and Kilo Lounge
Nightclub with Hip-Hop
Swillhouse
Nightclubs in the Red-Light District*
→ Upmarket: Colosseum (1001 complex), 108 Club (ex-Illigals), Malioboro, Tease Club (Emporium complex)
*Note that all of these venues mentioned are located within large "one-stop entertainment" complexes that feature a spa and a karaoke. They are de facto brothels with their own prostitutes, sometimes even foreign ones (Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Uzbek, etc.).
Online dating works very well for foreigners who are living in Jakarta. Those who are just traveling for a few days may find it harder as many girls will assume that they are not looking for a long-term relationship.
Some of the dating apps that are commonly used are Bumble, OkCupid, Tinder, Happn, Skout, and Badoo. Younger guys between 18 and 35, who live in Indonesia, will get plenty of matches on those.
If you are not living in Indonesia, I suggest using IndonesianCupid. For some reason, this website is full of girls who want to marry foreigners and who don't mind long-distance relationships. You can use it to make some contacts a few weeks before coming to Jakarta. It's a paying site but the price is reasonable.
If you are planning a trip to Southeast Asia, it is a good idea to use AsianDating instead (the sister company of Indonesian Cupid). The site has thousands of girls from everywhere (mostly Thai, Filipino and Indonesian).
→ Sugarbook.com is a sugar baby website with very pretty open-minded girls but there is one catch: They expect you to give them money or gifts.
→ Sugarbook.com is a sugar baby website with very pretty open-minded girls but there is one catch: They expect you to give them money or gifts.
You can read a more detailed article on this topic here: Best Online Dating Apps in Indonesia and 15 Best Dating Apps in Asia.
Frequently Asked Questions:
These are some of the most common questions I receive from readers:
Do I need an ID to visit a club in Jakarta?
Some clubs may ask for an ID if you look less than 21 years old. Personally, I never carry one and I've only been asked once, in Camden Bar Cikini.
Upmarket nightclubs can be very strict with age requirements. Dragonfly does not allow anyone under 21. If you are under 18, you can try some clubs in Kemang, like Nu China (famous for accepting underage clubbers).
What is the dress code in clubs in Jakarta?
You cannot enter a nightclub in Jakarta with flip-flops and short pants. Make sure you are wearing a shirt, long pants and shoes. Avoid torn jeans, even if they cost 500$ a pair.
Women are often required to wear a dress and high heels. Boca Rica, Dragonfly, Fable, and Blowfish all enforce this rule strictly.
If you have questions, you can ask them in the comment section below or send me an email: thibaud@jakarta100bars.com.
Nice Summary. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteFor Hip Hop you could also try O2 Sky Club on Sudirman. They do play other music on some nights but seem to have 2 or 3 Urban/Hip Hop music nights a week. They also claim to be the highest club in Jakarta currently which could be true as you are on floor 59. Be aware they aren't open on Sundays unlike Sky and Cloud Bar.
ReplyDeleteWhich KTV with LC you suggest? Im going to jakarta from 9 till 13. Which club to go on a wednesday?
ReplyDeleteAlexis, Tease Club
DeleteWhere would you recommend I go if I'm with a girlfriend?
ReplyDeleteBasque, Dragonfly, Blowfish, Immigrant
DeleteAccording to a recent Indonesia newspaper article in - Kompas - the following Jakarta clubs are on their final warning from the BNN (National Narcotics Agency) for being caught with illegal drugs on their premises:
ReplyDelete1. Illegals
2. Diamond Club
3. Classic
4. Fashion
Just be aware of that if you plan to visit any of this places.
which club has great latin songs?
ReplyDeleteI've heard that the new government has stopped nude dancing at all the clubs in Jakarta. Can anyone confirm?
ReplyDeleteIf this is true, does anyone know how long this will last?
yes I went yesterday to Malioboro and didn't see sexy dancing as it used to be. It was on a Friday night indeed.
Delete36 also have no nude dancing anymore :(
DeleteSo if I’m going to be there for a bachelor night for 8 person and wanna make sure we have fun and girls, where is the most ideal?
ReplyDeleteIf you have money, Malioboro, Tease Club, Illigals, 1001... If not, maybe Classic or King Cross...
DeleteDoes any one has any update on strip dancing being re-open.
ReplyDeleteAny recommendation for luxury hotels in Jakarta with classy therapists providing plus plus service in Room?
ReplyDeleteMaybe try Mercure Harmoni... You can take girls from their Sparadise Spa... but I wouldn't call it classy, just a 4-star...
DeleteAfter my first visit to Jakarta /4 days/, first comments - it is a great city, diverse and dynamic. Traffic is worst of the worst, and the pedestrians national enemies. Nightlife - depends. Wednesday was not that great, and not that many ladies. Clubs in the north part /Colloseum, Golden Crown too dark, too noisy and too many guys around/. Thursday at BATS - great /I dont know about the other nights, but this was more than enough/. Friday at CJ great, and Dragonfly - exceptional. But I do not think that majority of girls are working girls, maybe a minority. Maybe I was not able do detect or some of them are aiming too high, for guys in corners with champagne bottles. Saturday - Classic hotel, altogether very very good, much better than expected. Only mamasans are way to aggressive, difficult to handle and treating girls like slaves. Prices reasonable, and not necessary to buy drinks. Would go back again. In front of Classic stalls selling Viagra and Cialis of very dubious quality and origin.
ReplyDeleteI am white European, and was well received everywhere and without unnecessary special attention which can be bothering in Thailand or in Bali. IN clubs that is obviously a plus, but needs to be justified with spending and similar.
Would definitely go there again, and combine with Bali, maybe 5+5 days. For living I am not so sure, the infrastructure is totally inferior to Bangkok or even Manila and Kuala Lumpur. It is difficult to understand for a capital city, especially for a beautiful country which not poor in terms of GDP
Has the nude dancing started in places like classic and Malio or still not happening ?
ReplyDeleteIt's still happening in a few places... Tease Club has topless dancers...
DeleteI am thinking it is time to revisit Indonesia. I remember Today Country with fondness...lol...any place like that nowadays?
ReplyDeleteNot to my knowledge, the closest would be Starmoon in Kota Indah...
DeleteI read X2 is closed ...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.rooshvforum.com/thread-40116-page-19.html?highlight=jakarta
Thanks for the info, I didn't know about that...
DeleteThey are closing for renovation and will reopen under a new name... here is a message they left on their instagram account:
Dear X2 Lovers,
Because all good things must come to an end, we would like to thank you for the marvelous 11 years with us!
Since 2007, X2 has been the first and foremost clubbing destination in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Two (2) times - we are in the World's TOP100CLUB Ranking by DJmag.
We are going to come back with a new concept and a new name, soooo... Don't be sad!
We are going to miss each other but it's time to move on and make a new leap forward!
IT'S NOT GOODBYE, IT'S SEE YOU AGAINNN!!!
stop using drugs at jakarta clubs, everywhere.. its too dangerous now..
ReplyDeleteplease think about it, before you go.
Information : sense karaoke & exotic already close.
SOURCE : http://www.tribunnews.com/metropolitan/2018/04/13/pemprov-dki-cabut-izin-dan-tutup-sense-karaoke-dan-diskotek-exotic
(use translate if you can't read bahasa)
I'm planning to drink alone. What's the best bar for a single woman who wants to drink alone?
ReplyDeletemy home. Seriously. email me at markbocci@gmail.com. I have got a reasonably good bar :)
Deletenice post. do you know any clubs or place in Jakarta where I can buy some weed?
ReplyDeleteThere are none where you can buy weed. It's very unsafe to buy it in Jakarta. If you are here on a short holiday, just abstain for a while.
DeleteAny recommendations for club with R&B music? X2 was good, but still no news about the reopening..
ReplyDeleteFor Hip Hop or RnB, the best place is Swillhouse in SCBD. Jenja also has one or two dedicated nights every week.
Deletewhat about wechat?
ReplyDeleteWeChat full of prostitutes and ladyboys... not recommended unless you are looking for that...
DeleteI recommend using IndonesianCupid instead
what is the best dancing club right now. ? i want something similar to golden crown. Why ? because its kinda cheap and full of working girls. They have closed it down few months ago so i need new dancing club where i can drink and have fun with girls.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure Golden Crown is closed? I went there in November and the lounge was still open.
DeleteTry the bars in Kota Indah.
Where is the best place to go Thursday night??
ReplyDeleteLéon, Fable, Lucy in the Sky, Camden, Hotel Monopoli, Pao Pao...
DeleteWhich one is best for picking up women?
DeleteSince Jan 2019 Immigrant is closed forever. Also Cloud is closed for 4-5 months for refurb.
ReplyDeleteAnd regarding Mega Kun, Oakwood is very expensive to stay, maybe on Agoda there is a deal per night, but for monthly its about $4,000 for a 1bed, total ripoff, better to stay in JWMarriott across the road, 5* but 4* prices less than $200 a night
I guess it depends on the day of the week, but you can get one night in Oakwood on Agoda
Deletefor about 110USD. For monthly, I once asked and you can get a 1-bedroom for $3,000. It is indeed a rip-off considering you can get a 3-bedroom in District 8 for the same price.
Yes for one night it's ok but for one month 42jt is a total rip off and they don't do deals because they are always full of Jap and Korean clients
Deletehi i wanna ask where is best place in Jakarta to find girl for one night stand i went to classic hotel second floor i want anther place like classic
ReplyDeletei wa
I am going to Bangkok from Yogya via Jakarta. Have a 6 hour wait between flights late in the night (midnight to 6:00am). Any massage plus plus that are open so late at night? Any other fun place or am i better off spending the time in airport?
ReplyDeleteIt all depends how fast you can exit the airport and grab a taxi. At 00h30, it's still worth it as you won't have much traffic.
DeleteThe spa in Orchardz Hotel Bandara might still be open. It's 10 minutes from the airport.
If not, you can go to the north of Jakarta until 2AM (3AM on weekends). Check 1001 Hotel (Colosseum), Malioboro or Classic.
If your flight is next month, it will be ramadan so just stay in the airport.
Thanks.. I will be there on a Wednesday this month. Will try Orchardz first, if closed, will move to N. Jakarta.
ReplyDeleteHey, a veteran Indo hooker in Hong Kong just told me that she has it on good authority that Alexis spa will soon be operating like it used to. She's aged enough to have experience here, but she could just be talking out of school. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteI heard that it would reopen in Lokasari under a different name... Not sure about these rumours... What is for sure is that the girls who were working in Alexis are now working in 1001 and Emporium...
DeleteAlexis has reopened under the name Kabuki in Lokasari.
DeleteI am going to Jakarta in 2 weeks. Staying in South Jakarta. Where would you recommend going for a good time.
ReplyDeleteHi bros, i wanna bring my girlfriend to a kinky club where we may see others making out and maybe have enough privacy to make out as well, any club to recommend pls? Also if any recommendation for a small van rental with privacy at night? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMalioboro is good for that
DeleteHey guys, is there any Spa, Karaoke, bar provide a foreigner girl in Jakarta?
ReplyDeleteMalioboro yes
DeleteHey bros, I will be staying in westin Jakarta. Any recommendations around that area that I can explore?
ReplyDeleteIt's very central. They have a rooftop bar called Henshin, and u can go almost walking distance to Bluegrass. In 10 minutes by car, you can check Basque and Loewy. 15 minutes, go to Boca Rica.
DeleteHi guys, i'm arriving on Jakarta on wed 04-12 and will stay till 10-12, 6 nights. I'm planning to visit clubs at probably every night, and play a bit of Tinder. As i catch here on blog, wed is best ladies night in city, and def great night to go party. What would be perfect scenario, for this 6 nights, clubbing where about? I'm not looking for pro girls, just regular, and 30+ would be my target, places with mostly under 25 crowd is not my thing, and what i mean by that is like crazy teens places, i don't mind 50% under 25, and rest over that age, just not place where 90% are under 25. Anyone with 5 minute of spare time and experienced in Jakarta night life, please shoot some suggestions. Thanks in advance. ps. will take accommodation most probably in central Jakarta.
ReplyDeleteMy suggestions:
Delete1) Stay near Mega Kuningan area. At the moment, the brand-new Ascott Sudirman is well-priced (around 90$) and less than 5 minutes by taxi from all the best bars in Jakarta. It's my number one choice. If you want something cheaper, check the Favehotel Gatot Subroto which only costs like 35$.
2) Match with girls on Tinder or IndonesianCupid BEFORE arriving in Jakarta (change your location), then invite them directly for drinks at a rooftop like Henshin, Cloud or Skye or in a bar like Loewy/Cork & Screw/Bluegrass/The Dutch. Alcohol is very pricey in Indonesia so girls love to be invited. If you don't have too much money, go to McGettigan's on wednesdays as they have free drinks for girls.
3) If you want to party, bars and clubs that have a more mature crowd (generally speaking) are Loewy, Basque, Dragonfly, Eastern Promise, ...
Guys, what about dress code? Jeans and shoes are must, i believe, i don't plan go clubbing in shorts with sneakers or flip flops, but what worries me is shirt vs t-shirt. Is there places where they refuse you entrance with regular t-shirt?
ReplyDeleteT-shirt will be ok in most venues, but it may be refused in Dragonfly or Blowfish. Polo or shirts are better.
DeleteBeside than classic and traver any else place offer similar service like this two places ?
ReplyDeleteHello Guys I want visit Jakarta which place I can get for full day girl mean the girl coming with us in morning and go next day morning last time I am visiting to batam and Thailand I book girls like one full day and how much the price in Jakarta to book girl
ReplyDeletehow much the price the mamasan give to book the girl full day?
About 5jt Rupiah for a high quality, can be as low as 2jt for bar girl
DeleteHi guys, Colosseum is now open but you can only enter through backdoor with a password, or if you know who to contact to get in. Can anyone help with this?
ReplyDeleteAny places on Sunday?
ReplyDeleteFYI, Holywings is now closed due to an issue and will be changing its name, such as Atlas in Bali (who they say that the biggest beach club in the world / Asia). Another one is Helens, Gold Tiger, Gold Dragon, Garison, etc.
ReplyDeleteWhat place is good to pick up a nice girl on a Sunday night?
ReplyDelete