Hause Rooftop & Kitchen (Setiabudi)
By
Tibs
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Hause is a small bar and restaurant located on the rooftop of MD Place in Setiabudi. You have a long selection of cocktails, Western and Indonesian food, live music on selected nights, and a hipster vibe. 90% of the crowd is made of twenty-something Indonesians, among which a lot of pretty girls. The building is only 6 floors high so you don't expect a fantastic view. There are plants and flowers everywhere and it's what I liked the most about Hause. It truly feels like an oasis in the city (especially in that area of Jakarta where you don't have any green spaces). A similar venue is Lucy in the Skye in SCBD.
Artoz is a whisky bar/lounge located in the Energy Building in SCBD. It replaced Marley's Bar which closed down a while ago. It claims to be the largest collection of Whisky and Cognac in Jakarta, but I am not sure it is true as I believe there is quite an extensive spirit menu in Nip & Dram as well. I visited Artoz during Ramadan, probably not the best time to do so and unsurprisingly it was empty. Artoz is similar with Nip and Dram actually, both in terms of concept, size and setting: You have comfortable leather sofas and chairs spread across a windowless room, with a bar on on side and a live music stage on the other one. The main difference I saw is that Artoz is not as dark and it seems they don't have those crazy minimum spend amounts. The prices are pretty steep still, about USD15 for a standard cocktail. You are also given the menu of the French Restaurant Amuz , which belong to the same person (Chef Gilles Marx, also behind Auroz).
Double Doors is a live music pub located opposite of Puri Indah Mall in West Jakarta. There are not many other expat bars in the area so it attracts a small (but growing) community of foreigners. I visited on a weekday at 6pm and the place was reasonably busy with a mixed crowd of young expats and Indonesians. There were some girls too, seemingly office workers. The bar is part of the same group behind Eastern Promise , De Burse and De Hooi . The operate all their venues with a similar concept: Affordable pub food, regular events, friendly and outgoing waitresses, live music, and sports. They are not inside malls and they have a rustic charm that matches the traits of their Dutch owner Bartele Santema. The place is built on 3 floors: The ground floor is the bar area, the second floor the live music room, and the last one is dedicated to sports (or it can be booked for private events). Overall : I recommend you to visit Double Doors if you are looking for a place to social
Beer Brother Bar + Kitchen is located in Taman Kemang, a residential area of Kemang which has seen a recent surge in bars and restaurants. This new nightlife area comprises Umbra, Cowboy Bar, Parc 19, and the Colony Building. Beer Brother opened about a year ago and it has managed to become successful rapidly. It is quite similar with other joints such as Bremer or Beer Garden , but there are a few notable differences: The design and marketing of the bar is more sophisticated and original, the music louder, and the choice of food and drinks really extensive (the menu must have 25 pages). The prices are not that cheap though except for basic beer. I was there just before a Champion's League quarterfinal, on a Tuesday, and it was full with a crowd ranging from young expats to hip Indonesians and high school kids. Most people come with a big group.
YOLO Public House is a Pub located in Kemang, right in front of KOI Restaurant Bar & Gallery. Yolo stands for "You Only Live Once", so Carpe Diem and enjoy life ! The pub food is good. The Yolo burger for 75 K is totally worth it. They have Live bands on Fridays and Saturdays which is pretty cool. Very important Burger Information: The burgers do have pickles here... The place opened in 2013. It is too small in my opinion, despite the 2 floors. And as many places in the area, I am not sure whether or not it will last very long...
After Beer Garden Kemang and Beer Garden SCBD, Beer Garden Menteng is now open, right in front of the Oria Hotel, not too far from Ocha & Bella . Same concept, same furniture, even the same Rooftop Bar like in SCBD. Those places really look alike. The place opened in October 2013 but has already a good basis of customers who already went to the other Beer Gardens. Since the place is all open, you would definitely get hot and sweaty, thus drink more beer to refresh yourself ! You get the concept ? Live bands, affordable prices and good choice of imported beers.
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.
Colosseum Club used to be called K7 and is now managed by the same group behind Alexis hotel and Emporium Spa. Colosseum is actually the relocation of 1001, which closed in 2012 and was replaced by Illigals... I visited the club for the after-party of the State of Trance Tour. It is an excellent club in terms of design, lighting, sound. The crowd was rather upmarket and mixed (foreigners/Indonesians), most of them standing in groups around tables. The dancefloor is pretty small and people are not really mingling with each other. Music is generally house/EDM, with some famous DJs occasionally. The entrance fee is around IDR200,000. Colosseum Club Jakarta (1001) Jl. Kunir No.7 Jakarta, Indonesia 11110 Phone number: 0822-7000-1001 Open on Friday and Saturday until 4am Instagram: http://instagram.com/colosseumjkt
Kafe Pisa is an institution in Jakarta. It has been around since 1993, starting in Menteng, with now different branches and activities in Indonesia. I only tried Kafe Pisa in Menteng, which is a really happening place. The live music schedule is impressive: Starting at 9pm every evening, you have a band playing inside or in the open air garden. Each night is different, from jazz to rock & roll with a DJ also. Their website is very well updated and it has the list of events a few weeks in advance ( Kafe Pisa events' schedule ). One of the problems I have with the band is that it can be quite loud. The restaurant is a great hangout spot for you and your friends, but not ok for dates or intimate dinners. The crowd is mostly made of middle-class Indonesians, very few expats now.
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.
Blu Martini is the stylish bar of the 5-star Marriott. It is non-happening, and most customers are guests from the hotel. Not a ton of hookers like in BATS or CJ's , but still a few, plus some older women who might be looking for gigolos. Live jazzy music playing from Monday to Saturday. Overall : I've been to Blu Martini once only, on a Thursday for Ladies Night. It was so quiet that we didn't stay more than 10 minutes. Not worth it if you don't stay in Marriott. Rather expensive, but as long as you're there, you should try one of their 88 kinds of martinis. Opening hours: From noon to 1am everyday.
Bunga Rampai is one of the most beautiful restaurant with traditional indonesian food in Jakarta. I often take friends and relatives there to make them experience some of Indonesia's specialties, without taking the risk of them having intestinal disorders as it may happen in the street (street food can be even better, but I prefer waiting a few days...). The food is not awesome but it's creative and well-presented. The restaurant decoration will immediately attract your attention, as it is inside an old Dutch-era building recently renovated. The staff is wearing traditional clothes and the cutlery is apparently from China. It is very conventional, but at least you're sure not not make a faux-pas if you're looking for a place to go with clients or parents... Open from 11am until 11pm every day.
Expensive drinks (Beer = Rp 60k), but classy bar with live music everyday (including Jazz ) and businessmen talking. Not a hotspot of Jakarta nightlife and rather quiet, it attracts the capital's most upmarket crowd. Definitely not a girls' bar comparing with BATS in Shangri La hotel or CJs bar in Hotel Mulia, but unexpected meetings are not impossible since some rich, older indonesian women come here. There are a few working girls as well that always hang out in Burgundy and I suppose they are up for grab. Awesome view on Plaza Indonesia, making the experience quite enjoyable.
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.