BrownBag (Sandwich and Coffee)
By
Tibs
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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 Jl. H.O.S. Cokroaminoto No. 78 - 80
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 venues to do so in the area. Concerning the food, it is rather cheap. What I sampled tasted average, though. The Shawarma (Rp30,000) was made in the Egyptian way, with only tomatoes, peppers, and chicken. 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.
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
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.
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++.
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.
Liquid Exchange is a long, elegant bar and restaurant located in the new Jakarta mall Epicentrum Walk. Owned by the group behind Aphrodite , it is in my opinion more upscale, and targets primarily expatriates and executives living in Taman Rasuna. It is not packed, but never empty, and I think it will get even more popular over time. The main originality of Liquid Exchange is that the prices of cocktails may change, just like stocks do on a regular stock exchange. It is amusing, even though you never get incredible discounts. Practical Information: Open from 10am to midnight everyday.
Pizza e Birra, owned by the Ismaya group , is re-inventing the wheel and proposes you an alcoholic version of Pizza Hut. The name is self-explanatory: Pizza e Birra has mostly pizzas (+ appetizers & soups) and beers (all kind, among which some fruit-flavoured) in its menu. The quality of the food is better than in any fast food but it’s far from being great cuisine. The beers, except for a few names are those that can be found in any other restaurant or bar. A good reason to go there is for the live music band on Friday and Saturday, and for the Beer Pong tournament that takes places once in a while. The big drawback is that of course, it is very expensive. I’m always amazed to see with how much confidence the Ismaya Group manages to transform everything it touches into something funky & modern. I would never have bet that eating junk food with Bintang, in a Muslim country, could ever be seen a hot thing to do. My opinion is that Pizza e Birra is a marketing concept that targe
SushiGroove restaurants are usually located in malls and target young executives and students. They do not serve excellent food and it's expensive, but the place is usually busy and fun for hanging out. Their menu is creative, the setting is funky and the service friendly: Is it worth paying the premium? I think that SushiGroove is fine for a short meal on the way to the movie, but for anything more serious (especially a date), it is too similar to an expensive fast-food and should be avoided. Oh and by the way, in case you didn't guess, the food is Japanese, mostly sushis. Opening hours: Every day from 11am to 10pm.