Aphrodite (Club Rasuna, near Pasar Festival, Jl Rasuna Said)
By
The Jakarta Team
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Aphrodite is a bar and restaurant located not very far from the Taman Rasuna tower. As such, it is a meeting point for many of the expats living in the area, and you'll almost always find it crowded. The menu is quite long, with mainly pub food. It is pretty decent and though more expensive than average, good value. Many customers come to Aphrodite to watch sports: English Premier League, F1, Cricket, etc.. You can check the schedule here: Sports Schedule Bar Aphrodite . Personally, since I'm not a fan of anything, all these plasma screens tend to bother me. And it's even worse when no sport is on because they will put Fashion TV, making it very difficult to stay focus talking to your average-looking friends. The best point about Aphrodite is that it is a popular hangout for some Indonesian girls as well, the kind you could meet in Red Square (looking for a foreigner, but not a pro). Thursday and Saturday is ladies' night, and the best night to visit if
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.
El Greco is a Greek restaurant located in Setiabudi One building on Jalan Rasuna Said. I was surprised to find such a restaurant there, as it stands out from the other typical chain café/restaurants in malls (Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Solaria, etc...). The owner/chef is a Greek Expat, Panos, who came to our table after a few minutes only to give some tips and recommendations. We had a Greek Salad (60,000 rp) and a dish with Baked Lamb and Potatoes (I forgot the greek name: 95,000rp). Both were satisfactory, even though the potatoes had a lot of pepper. I could not eat more but I would love to come back to try some other dishes, especially the gyros, the tabouleh and the Greek yoghurt. Overall : Recommended for a lunch if you are in Setiabudi One. It is not fine dining but cozy, friendly and affordable. Another plus for me is that Greek restaurants serve healthy food in general, which is hard to find in Jakarta.
Brownbag is a small restaurant serving sandwiches (all the classics), some popular main courses and drinks (mostly coffee). They also serve Macarons and Poffertjes. The place is comfortable, with soft lounge music, the wifi is fast, and the waiters are professional. My sandwich was a bit expensive and small (74,000rp including tax for the Roast Beef) but it was fresh and good. Overall : I recommend Brownbag for any quick meal at any time of the day if you are staying near Menteng. Update: After a second visit to Brownbag, I realized they only have one CD for the music. Brownbag Jakarta Menteng Central (in front of Ibis Budget Hotel) Jl. H.O.S. Cokroaminoto No. 78 - 80
Alibi bar/club replaces Jackrabbit , which was buzzing a few years ago but failed to find its crowd (to know why, read the review I wrote about it here ). The team behind Alibi combines the owners of some of the most popular clubs in Jakarta ( X2 / Domain , Embassy (already closed)). It is a rather beautiful venue, impressive with a dark vibe and high ceiling. The bar is long, with sofas and tables occupying all the way to the DJ, which is slightly elevated from the crowd. It should be a nice venue for special DJs performance, much more intimate than X2 in particular. The sound system is brand-new and top quality: same new speakers than in Stadium. Excellent sound delivery, that's Indonesia's at its best. Music that night was Vintage Rn'B/Hip Hop from the 90s, which seems to be the new fashion with the mature crowd (30-40). It brings something different from the usual dance/house music played in clubs with a younger crowd. Unfortunately, there were more wai
Exodus Nightclub is probably the hottest opening of a nightlife venue in Jakarta this year. It is a replacement of Kampus , which had to close a couple years ago, and it is owned and managed by the Stadium group (behind Stadium , Malioboro , Sumo Spa ). They are not really into the whole family-friendly thing if you know what I mean... As in Kampus , the Exodus club combines the undergroundness of Stadium with the respectability of a location in South Jakarta. In the crowd, I think it will be popular with younger people 20-25 and with some expats as well. Probably similar crowd with X2, but more dark and mostly electro.
Meat Me Steakhouse & Butchery is a chain of restaurants specializing in local and imported steaks. It serves good quality meat for a reasonable price. You can also buy meat for take-away. Opening Hours: From Sunday to Thursday from 9pm to 11pm (until Midnight on Friday and Saturday) Facebook: Steakhouse Jakarta Twitter: Meat Me Shop and Restaurant Website: Meat Me Steakhouse Email: meatmeshop@gmail.com
I visited Otel Lobby just before Ramadhan, and was quite disappointed by the place. This lounge/restaurant was opened by a famous Indonesian socialite, Gaby Bakrie, the wife of one of the brothers of Aburizal Bakrie. As such, it is popular with Jakarta's richest. We ordered 3 burgers (I wish we had tried more dishes but that's all that we wanted...) which were OK but the meat was rare, with blood dripping all over our hands when we were eating. My two carnivore friends had no problems with that, but I thought it was disgusting and could not finish. The music was loud and terrible: Lady Gaga, Rihanna, David Guetta... The same you would get in X2 or Red Square, even though it was 7pm, in a restaurant supposed to be stylish. The atmosphere of the place was dull, very un-happening. It was crowded, but the tables are so far from each other that it doesn't feel lively. Overall: I will not return to Otel Lobby because even though it is expensive and preten
Bluegrass Bar & Grill is located next to Epicentrum Mall, off Rasuna Said street. A good place to meet other expats, it became popular quite rapidly after opening and it still is. The food is American: Steaks, ribs, burgers, wings, nachos, etc... Hip atmosphere, on the expensive side (similar with other venues like Union , Loewy , etc..). Surprisingly, I realized that there wasn't such a big offer in Jakarta for this type of food for those who expect a stylish design and decent quality. Along with the 24-meter bar, I think this is what explains part of the success of Bluegrass. On the minus side, the service could be greatly improved, and in particular the friendliness of staff. Overall: I recommend a visit once in a while for a casual, after-work eat. It is a good place to bring a date. Update 2014: The new Bluegrass has opened, with a slightly different address inside the Bakrie Tower. It looks nicer than before I think and the service has improved! I'm c
PEPeNERO is a chain of Italian restaurants in Bali and Jakarta. They are almost copies of the Trattoria restaurants, so you can read my review about it also. I visited the PEPeNERO in Menara Karya, during lunchtime, and it was packed with both locals and expats. If you come with a group of people, I think you should always book in advance. The menu is large, written in Italian and English. Prices for a starter is around Rp50,000++, for main dish around Rp80,000++, and for a pizza around Rp50,000++.
E' Corner is a restaurant and bar in Epicentrum Walk, with an interior design themed around the Earth and the 5 elements - wind, fire, water, etc... As always with themed restaurants, expect to pay a little extra for the atmosphere, even though the food remains average. Opening Hours: Weekday: 11am to 12am Weekend: 11am to 2pm E' Corner Epicentrum Walk, GF, Komplek Rasuna Epicentrum Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Jakarta Selatan Indonesia, 12960
Decanter is an upscale wine house and restaurant, popular with both expats and locals. Intimate interior design, quite comfortable and calm, Decanter is a good place to discover in Jakarta, close to the city center. Not a cheap place to eat & drink but worth it. You may find useful information about Decanter's events, staff and news on their website: www.decanterjakarta.com . You may also want to check their facebook fanpage (from which the photos were taken): Decanter Wine Lounge & Restaurant .
Al-Tahrir is a Middle-Eastern/Egyptian restaurant located in Pasar Festival, on Jalan Rasuna Said. Intended as a meeting point for the Egyptian community in Jakarta, it is named after Tahrir square in Cairo. The most interesting is that it is supposed to stay open 24-hour (see 24-hour restaurants in Jakarta ), one of the only venue to do so in the area. Concerning the food, it is rather cheap, but what I had tasted average. The Chicken Shawarma (Rp30,000) was made in the Egyptian way, with only tomatoes, peppers and the meat. I usually prefer when there are more ingredients (onions, white sauce, garlic, herbs, etc...), hence my disappointment. I also tried the Mixed Grilled Meat (Rp110,000), which is quite big for one person. The cooking was fine, particularly the sauce and the spices, but the ingredients used were probably not the best quality. There are no miracles, you get what you pay for.
An Italian restaurant and lounge, Aperitivo isn't bad, but compared to the competition, it is slightly under average. 5 years ago, it could have been a hit, but now, there are so many similar restaurants in Jakarta that you cannot hope to be successful in the upscale segment without a perfect design and decent food. Concerning the food, I only had a margherita pizza, and it was enough to notice the mozzarella used was not top-quality, and the dough probably not freshly made. I enjoyed it, but if I had to compare, Trattoria or PEPeNERO are better in this price range.
Wine Lounges are among the trendiest night spots in Jakarta at the moment. Dozens of them have opened in the past two years, which is quite a surprise considering we are in a muslim country. Patrons in The Cellar are actually mostly business travellers and expats who come to enjoy a cozy, quiet lounge with a vast wine collection. Compared to other wine lounges in Jakarta, The Cellar has an internationally recognized sommelier that will guide you in your wine selection, but it is more expensive and exclusive. Other wine lounges in Jakarta: Vin+ , Magnum , Cork&Screw , Maroon . The Cellar in Four Seasons Hotel Lobby Level Jalan H.R. Rasuna Said Jakarta 12920 Indonesia
Cork & Screw is one of the most popular lounges and restaurants in Jakarta. There are currently two locations in the city, one in Wisma Kodel, and a smaller one in Plaza Indonesia. Though their food is very average for the price, they are trendy places to have a drink, in particular wines. They have a large collection of bottles coming from Vin+ shops, most of them around Rp300k/400k. That's about twice as expensive as in Europe but unfortunately, this is the norm in Jakarta. Overall, I do not recommend Cork & Screw for eating, but you can share a bottle of wine with a few friends. It is quite busy so you may also want to book your table.
Gaudi is the club in Gran Melia Hotel. It has a Las Vegas style entertainment dinner called Mister Moonlight every Wednesday and Thursday at 8pm, starting December 9th. It consists of a band playing classic tunes by artists such as Nat King Cole, Elvis Presley or Frank Sinatra. For more infos & reservation, please call (62 21) 526 8080. Update March 2010: The show Mister Moonlight has moved to Burgundy in Grand Hyatt. Not many reasons to come to Gaudi anymore, except if you are a guest of the hotel.