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Browsing Category " Shisha "

De Leila (Arabic Nightclub) - FX Sudirman

By Tibs →
De Leila is an Arabic nightclub located on the 8th floor of FX Sudirman. It is a popular party spot for tourists from the Middle East and particularly Saudis, Qatari and Emiratis. You have a few other nationalities such as Egyptians, Iranians, Turkish and Omanis. Even though most customers are Muslims, alcohol is served. The new De Leila was opened in 2015 (the previous one was on Jalan Gatot Subroto). It is still partly owned by the Ahmad Fahmy family (also behind Tanamur ). It is now more modern and spacious, with an upmarket feel. I have to warn you though that is a place of prostitution, with at least 50 freelance working girls from Indonesia, China, and Morocco. The music in De Leila is Arabic, either from their live band or from the DJ. It is best to book a sofa so you can enjoy the show with the best possible view. You can order shisha as well. There is also a mezzanine with pool tables and a smaller bar area. The entrance fee is Rp150,000 and it incl

Turkuaz (Tukish Jakarta Restaurant)

By Tibs →
  To my knowledge, Turkuaz is only the second Turkish restaurant to open in Jakarta. Sesai Zorlu, its owner and chef, worked in the first one, Anatolia, for 10 years. From what I've heard, since he left, the quality of the food in the latter has been deteriorating and it is no longer the great restaurant it used to be. If anyone can confirm it would be appreciated... Turkuaz is quite small, with only about 30 seats available. There are plans to expand by the end of the year, with two private rooms and a lounge upstairs to smoke shisha. When we visited, on a Saturday night, it was full and we had to wait for 10 minutes to get a table.

Al-Jazeerah (Jakarta Restaurant Arabic)

By Tibs →
  Al-Jazeerah is among the best and most famous Arabic restaurants in Jakarta. They have several branches now but the one I tried is the original restaurant, which is located on Jalan Raden Saleh. The restaurant doesn't look fancy but it is comfortable and clean. It consists of a large function room, to be avoided if you are a small group, and a smaller one in the back which is much more intimate. They also have a giant screen with Arabic channels. The night I visited, there was about 10 other customers, and all of them looked foreign, most likely Arab. The air-con was very strong and blowing everywhere in the room unfortunately, and it made me leave as soon as I was done eating.

Al-Tahrir (Egyptian Restaurant)

By Tibs →
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.

Al Nafoura Lebanese Restaurant (Le Méridien Jakarta)

By Tibs →
Al Nafoura is the Lebanese restaurant of the Hotel Le Meridien. It is a great place to eat, especially for dinner, when the dim lighting creates an intimate atmosphere, perfect for a romantic date.

Beirut Lebanon (Lebanese Restaurant)

By Tibs →
Beirut Lebanon (also called Ali K. Baba) had been advertised to me as the best value Lebanese restaurant in Jakarta. The place doesn't look very good from the outside, and certainly not like a place you would want to eat in. The interior is better, very authentic, and simple. It is not pretty but you feel that it isn't fake, and that probably if you ever go to Beirut, you will find some similar eateries. I ordered the hummus (Rp 20,000++) because I wanted to compare it with the one I had in more expensive restaurants... No doubt about it, Beirut Lebanon's was way better. I followed that with a Shawarma (Rp 50,000++) and it was fine also, especially the white sauce to put on it. Though the value for money was excellent, there were no customers that day in Lebanon Beirut.