¿Por Que No? - Tapas Bar - Jakarta
By
Tibs
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¿Por Que No? was opened in 2015 as a Spanish tapas bar and restaurant in the neighborhood of Menteng, at the northern end of Jalan Rasuna Said. While the food is decent but definitely not haute cuisine, it is an interesting venue to hangout and drink before party. Cocktails are just above Rp100,000 net and Bintang at Rp50,000 net, which is not that bad considering the central location. The food is more expensive and the portions small (obviously, small like tapas). There are 2 different areas, indoor and outdoor. Outdoor is a small rooftop where regular events are organized. In particular, they have some techno nights that attract a young and fun crowd. You also have jazz nights, open mic nights, etc. Check their Facebook page or Instagram below to get their latest schedule.
The Union Group (behind Union, Loewy, Cork&Screw, Benedict, Casa, E&O, The Dutch, Canteen, etc...) opened Caffè Milano almost 2 years ago. Following its success, they are opening a sister restaurant called Bistecca. This new venue is still under project and it will open in August 2016. It will be located next to The Dutch restaurant, one of the trendy spots in Jakarta nowadays. As the name suggests, the food will be mostly steaks and grilled meat, Italian-style. They will also sell fine Italian wines. The Head Chef is still Luca Pezzera. I will add information about prices, menu, opening hours, etc. when I receive them. Please comment if you know something! Update August 2016 : Bistecca is already open. Full menu available here: Drinks and Cocktails Menu Bistecca and Food Menu Bistecca .
Kila Kila is a brand new rooftop restaurant serving fine dining Indonesian cuisine. It is located not far from Pacific Place Mall and offers a beautiful view over SCBD. It is managed by Akasya Catering, a famous company owned by Enny Latief. They provided the food for numerous VIP events such as the wedding of Edhie Baskoro, the son of SBY. If their food is good enough for the president of Indonesia, it should be good enough for you too.
Prohibition is a restaurant, bar and speakeasy lounge located in Senayan Arcadia, just next to Plaza Senayan. It was opened by some of of the people behind Black Cat , Hacienda, Red Square and Boutique KTV. As the name suggests, the whole venue has a 1920s' prohibition theme from the interior design to the staff uniforms and the menu. The Restaurant: Chicago-Style Chop House Prohibition specializes in broiled meats, a cooking method similar to grilling. These include chicken, salmon, pork, mamb, and imported US beef. The prices range from just over Rp100,000 to Rp400,000 for the 200-g prime rib-eye steak. If you come with a small group, it's a good idea to share their 600-g "gangster" meat platter for just over Rp1M. Gangster Meat Platter If you are on a budget, they also serve a variety of pasta dishes for less than Rp100,000. You can see the full menu here: Menu Prohibition Jakarta . The Bar and the Secret Speakeasy Lounge I visited P
Basque is one of the most happening new restaurants/bars to open so far this year in Jakarta. It is a Spanish restaurant / Tapas bar with a great design, good food and a trendy feel. Currently, I see that more and more expats are hanging out there instead of Loewy. It is a good pick-up place for girls also. The location on the 8th floor of Noble House offers a nice view on the surrounding buildings of Mega Kuningan. The food is not so expensive, you can get a decent meal for less than Rp200,000. It is open every day for lunch and dinner. After 11pm, they generally turn up the volume and it turns into a bar. The music is a mix of popular songs from the past 20 years. Basque Bar de Tapas - Spanish Restaurant 8th Floor, Noble House Building, Mega Kuningan, South Jakarta 12950 Phone number: +62 (0) 21 2978 3111-12 Website: http://basquejkt.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BasqueJakarta Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/basquejkt/
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.
Pho 24 is a chain of Vietnamese restaurants with several locations in Asia. Specializing in Pho, it belongs to a major conglomerate in Vietnam which is also the owner of Highlands Coffee.
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: