Hard Rock Café (Pacific Place Mall)
By
Nyoman
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Hard Rock Café used to be in Ex, near Plaza Indonesia but they moved to Pacific Place Mall in December 2013. Very nice Rock decor, truly American. I am not a huge fan of this worldwide franchiseI hace to admit but in Jakarta it has a particular taste. The music and the cocktails are good, the food is very pricey: 180K for a CheeseBurger. I tasted it and it was very average and there was no pickles... I went there a couple of times and it was very busy, especially during lunch time. With Paul Bakery and Patisserie , Odysseia and now Hard Rock Café, Pacific Place Mall have some nice outdoors Restaurants and Bars.
Molly Malone’s Irish Pub opened in August 2012 on the ground floor of Plaza Arcadia Senayan. It is one of two authentic Irish bars in Jakarta, the other one being Murphy's in Kemang (same owners actually). Molly’s is divided into two separate sections, a traditional Irish pub and a live music venue Overall: With its location one floor below the infamous Red Square, it is ideal to kick start your weekend. There also have three comfortable VIP booths available to rent if you want a semi private area to enjoy the live music and soak up the party atmosphere.
Established in Indonesia since 1979, Amigos is a popular family restaurant , the first with Mexican food in Jakarta (now there is also Hacienda ). It has two main targets, American expats who miss their tacos, and Indonesian middle class families eager to discover another continent's cuisine. Actually, we are seeing a lot more of these lately as expats are being spoiled with much better places to eat... The food is junk food, but the atmosphere is friendly. If you want to eat quietly, don't go in the evening because they have live music which can be quite loud. Happy hour from 4pm to 7pm (50% off soft drinks, juices and beer). There are two branches: Amigos Kemang (It is the one with the best reputation) Jl. Kemang Selatan I
An all-time favourite of Jakarta's nightlife, BATS is the bar of the Shangri-La Hotel in Jakarta. It is the equivalent of BRIX in Grand Hyatt in Singapore . It is very, very popular among expatriates, especially those who are already married. Easy to know why, considering the number of pretty, sexy girls . But the place isn't just about finding a partner. You can have a lot of fun partying there because you will easily meet people in a relaxed atmosphere.
Beer Garden is currently one of the busiest bars in Kemang. Even on a Sunday night you should find it full. Nothing too fancy inside but it looks clean and cozy. Recommended for the easy-going atmosphere though it can get hot sometimes. If you go clubbing right after spending an evening in Beer Garden, chances are you will be all sweaty. It is not the cheapest place in Kemang, but the prices are very affordable. You can also try the nearby Bremer bar if you are into beer gardens.
Club 36, the bar of the Jayakarta Hotel, is a small club with a live band and a DJ. It is similar to Thai discos in Singapore, with girls from Thailand dancing on the bartop. You can invite them for drinks or offer them flower garlands. Club 36 is very crowded with the Chinese community. It's a good place to go even during the week because it is almost always packed. They also have karaoke rooms.
CJ's is the bar of the Mulia Hotel . No entrance fee but you have to buy a first drink, which costs over IDR200,000 (free for hotel guests). They have a foreign live band playing international hits, and a DJ taking over when they are on break. Very entertaining. Beware lots of prostitutes.
An excellent bar, De Hooi was not in our listing until now only because it is located a bit far from the center, in Pondok Indah, where we seldom venture. In this part of town however, it is easily the most popular and the most happening bar, attracting a good mix of both expats and locals, in an easy going and welcoming atmosphere. Many regular customer crowd the bar and it seems like most patrons know each other already.. Live music , free-wifi, and a good menu featuring American, Indian, Dutch, Indonesian food (you can take a look at it here: De Hooi menu part 1 , part 2 , part 3 , they do delivery). If you live in Pondok Indah, this is the place where you want to go to have fun.