10 Best Bars Near Grand Indonesia / Plaza Indonesia (Central Jakarta)
By
Tibs
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The area near the malls Grand Indonesia and Plaza Indonesia, around the iconic Bunderan Hotel Indonesia (Hotel Indonesia roundabout) is one of the most strategic to meet friends for drinks and party in Jakarta. It is also an ideal location for inviting someone on a date. The main reason for that is that it is positioned in the center of the city, along Jalan Sudirman- Jalan Thamrin, its most important thoroughfare. It is therefore easy to reach, either by private car or by public transportation (Transjakarta and soon, the MRT). It is no surprise that I rated it the best area to stay in Jakarta . Naturally, you can find plenty of activities and businesses there, including 5-star hotels, luxury malls, prestigious office buildings, and, of course, a lively nightlife. In this article, I will review my top 10 favorite bars and clubs in Grand Indonesia / Plaza Indonesia. Please don't hesitate to leave a comment if you think I forgot an important venue. Cloud Rooftop Bar
If you've been to Grand Indonesia recently, you may have noticed a new café/restaurant/bar on the ground floor of the West Mall. Replacing Mad For Garlic, Greyhound is the latest venue of the Arena group , also behind several famous restaurants like Penang Bistro or Seribu Rasa. The name Greyhound will probably sound familiar to those who know Thailand well. This is where the brand first started, in Bangkok more specifically, in 1997. The owners came from the fashion industry and their idea was to create a venue that would unify their love for design and their love for food. Their first opening met with immediate success and, since then, they managed to open 30 more outlets in 6 countries, including in Hong Kong and Singapore. The one in Grand Indonesia is their latest franchise, and it comes with a twist. Unlike the other branches, it also has a lounge concept with a beautiful bar, a long list of cocktails and spirits, and DJ events on Saturd
Ya Udah Bistro and Die Stube have a new competitor. Paulaner Brauhaus is the most upmarket German restaurant and Brasserie in Jakarta and it is part of the luxury Kempinski hotel. It is in a central location within the Grand Indonesia mall, just next to Social House. It is almost always busy, any day for both lunch and dinner. The crowd is a mix of expats, business travelers and Indo-Chinese customers who seem to enjoy the non-halal pork specialties. They serve a complete menu that includes any kind of sausages you can think of. One of their most popular dishes is actually a huge sausage platter that costs Rp140,000.
Following the opening of Central retail store and Uniqlo in Grand Indonesia, there has been a few new restaurants opening in this part of the mall. The two most popular are Publik Markette and Caffè Milano. I tried both of them for a quick double lunch on a weekday. In that same area, you also have Union Deli, Benedict and Nomz that I did not visit. Publik Markette was opened by Ismaya ( SKYE , Kitchenette , Pizza e Birra , Fook Yew, etc) and Caffé Milano is owned by the same people behind Union (some of which are also shareholders in Loewy , E&O and Cork & Screw ). The Union group's venues, concept and design, are more geared towards Westerners while Ismaya's concepts are very popular among local Indonesians and less among expats (except for a few venues such as Dragonfly ). Ismaya is usually more playful, more creative and innovative, while Union stays more classic and chic. Caffè Milano:
Djournal Coffee Bar is a Coffee place located in Grand Indonesia Mall. This Coffee place belong to the Ismaya Group, owner also of Social House , SKYE Bar & Restaurant (Menara BCA) and DragonFly Club (Graha BIP) . You will easily find Djournal Coffee since it is located close to the main West Mall Entrance of Grand Indonesia. But you will definitely get lost in Grand Indonesia Mall since it is quite big ! This place is a good alternative to Starbucks but with a more trendy side. The prices will be the same as in Starbucks though. Good service and pretty crowded coffee place. I would recommend it for the terrace, facing Plaza Indonesia Mall entrance. There are 2 other Djournal Coffee at CILANDAK TOWN SQUARE Main Lobby and SUMARECON MAL SERPONG GF.
Jun Njan (meaning "Always remember your roots") is a chain of traditional Chinese seafood restaurants with branches all over Jakarta. The one I tried is located in Grand Indonesia, and I don't know if the quality of the food in this restaurant is the same than that in other places. The menu list is extensive with a mix of various chinese dishes, with a focus on seafood. I thought the cost of the food was fair, given that the restaurant is located in one of Jakarta's most luxurious malls. Jun Njan was not very crowded when I was there, but it is rare: It is usually very busy and sometimes noisy. Not a good set for a quiet or romantic dinner... Contact details:
Kafé Betawi is a chain of Indonesian food restaurants located in various malls in Jakarta. I tried the one in Plaza Indonesia. Their concept is to sell typical street food dishes in a clean and cozy atmosphere. The prices are low, especially for malls and they are usually popular venues to eat probably for this reason. We had a few dishes in Kafe Betawi:
Marché Senayan restaurant is a venue that should not be taken seriously. It is a mix between a restaurant, a supermarket and Disneyland. The concept is to re-create an open-air market in Switzerland, where you can buy your food at a specific stall, and then eat it.. It is not a place to have a date or a business lunch, but if you have kids, they will love it. The designers did a really good job and they paid great attention to details. It's quite expensive (150k to 200k for a meal) and the food is average but worth knowing! Update July 2011: Marché also open a branch in Grand Indonesia. Here is a picture: Marché Senayan Plaza Senayan Unit CP 500 5th Floor Jl. Asia Afrika No.8 Jakarta, Indonesia, 10270 Phone: +62-21 - 5790 5856 Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday:11:30 am - 10:00 pm Friday - Saturday:11:30 am - 11:30 pm Sunday:11:30 am - 10:00 pm Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jakarta-Indonesia/Marche-Plaza-Senayan/223151659709 Marché is part of a chain, for more inform
After Cork&Screw , Loewy , Potato Head and Social House , Ninety-Nine (99) is the new chic place in Jakarta (in November 2010). If you want to be surrounded by rich Indonesians and expats, this is where you should go. Since the restaurant is located in the middle of Grand Indonesia, expect it to be full, especially on weekends. Ninety-Nine is actually an offshoot of the Ranch Market, a supermarket popular with expats specializing in premium, imported, and sometimes organic products. The restaurant maintains that quality reputation and offers some simple dishes using the best ingredients. To me, most of the food is American junk food, but they have some specialties from other countries such as tortillas, noodle soup, pizzas or nasi goreng. It's not always as healthy as it claims to be, but at least it tastes good.
Updated 2019: Social House is currently under renovation. In the meantime, you can check Paulaner Brauhaus which is just one floor above. Social House is a restaurant and bar with a nice view of Plaza Indonesia's roundabout. The atmosphere is supposed to be the feel-like-home type, but it is actually one of the hippest venues in Jakarta, so you don't feel that comfortable. Many celebrities and models come here, literally dozens of them on any weekend night. I tasted the pizza there and it was not worth what I paid for it: It was very small and not well-cooked. Drinks are very expensive as well.