De Leila (Arabic Nightclub) - FX Sudirman
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Tibs
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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
The Grill is a Korean BBQ restaurant in Midplaza, probably one of the best of its kind in Jakarta. It is similar with Gahyo which I tried on the same day (by coincidence). I preferred The Grill, because there is more choice on the menu and the dishes are more affordable. It also looks more stylish and contemporary. We had two dishes: Ishiyaki Tofu Chige (Rp50++) and the recommended Bibimpap (Rp45++). Ishiyaki Tofu Chige (Rp50++)
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.
Just in time for the beginning of the Euro 2016, the Shangri-La Hotel in Jakarta has opened a sports bar within the famous B.A.T.S . The new venue is located right after the entrance, before you walk down the stairs to the live music area. It is laid-back, ideal if you want to have some beers in a more quiet atmosphere. They also serve some popular foods such as French Baguette, Pizza Margarita, Turkish Kebab, German Bratwurst or Fish & Chips. The most important games are displayed on a large screen by an LCD projector, while less important ones are on TV. There is also a pool table and a foosball table. June will obviously be focused on football/soccer games of the Euro 2016. You can also expect to watch NFL, AFL, NBA, MLB, Rugby, the Olympic Games, Formula One, Moto GP, etc when a special event will be scheduled.
I rarely go to Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel on Sudirman (it is located right next to Le Meridien Hotel), but I did go there recently because I heard there was a new Indonesian restaurant. The name of the new place is "Bengawan Solo" (it is not related to the popular coffee chain located in many malls in Jakarta), named after the longest River in Java. It is located on the lobby level of the Hotel. I had a great dinner there, I like the idea of having truly Indonesian (or Javanese) food like chicken satay, Sosis Solo, Nasi Goreng, Bebek Goreng, Gurame Bakar or Iga Sapi Asam with a modern presentation you would find in any western restaurant. The decoration of the place is also modern with Indonesian Wayang and other javanese objects. The place reminded me another Indonesian restaurant Seribu Rasa , located in Menteng, but with a more indonesian crowd. I would recommend Bengawan Solo for a business lunch or dinner or if you want take somebody who is in t
Apero is a small lounge and restaurant (Italian food mostly) located in Citywalk Sudirman. The lounge is cozy and intimate, without being too fancy. It is worth trying if you are staying nearby because they have a large selection of affordable drinks and wine (one draught bintang is Rp30k++). Concerning the restaurant, I tried two dishes from their kitchen and I was not satisfied. We had the Pizza with Beef Pepperoni (Rp40k++), which had almost no taste, and the Salmon de Paris (Rp65k++). The fish did not seem so fresh and the pasta was dry. Here are some pictures: Beef Pepperoni Pizza (Rp40k++)
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.
Face Bar, part of the Face group, is one of the oldest bars in Jakarta. It is still popular, especially with expats and tourists, in spite of being expensive and even though dozens of similar lounges have opened all around the city. The secret of Face Bar is undoubtedly its interior design, which combines old antiques with more contemporary paintings and sculptures. It is quite small, and there are always some regulars, in particular foreign journalists. There is a pool table too but it is rarely used. There are two fine dining restaurants in the same building, each one with a theme: Lan Na Tai (Thai food) and Hazara (Indian cuisine, reviewed on this blog here ) Face bar is usually a recommended nightlife spot by many magazines/websites about Jakarta. Myself, I like to take my friends there when they come to Jakarta, because it is the kind of venue that would be popular in Europe. Don't expect something very happening though, it is a bar to chill and relax, not to party.
Ikan Tude Manado is a cheap and basic restaurant in Jalan Blora, between Jalan Sudirman and Plaza Indonesia (Pronounce it "tooday"). The food in Tude is manadonese, my favourite Indonesian food, and it is particularly tasty. Very popular, it is packed with Indonesian office workers every day at lunch... Just like in any Manado restaurants, expect the food to be very spicy! The cost for one meal is between Rp. 35k to Rp. 70k.
Kembang Goela is among the most famous Indonesian restaurants in Jakarta. They serve traditional food from all Indonesia, with a focus on Peranakan cuisine (see Wikipedia article here ). I went to this place by accident, so I didn't have my usual camera and could not take very good pictures. Nevertheless, you should see that Kembang Goela looks quite elegant, in particular if you get one of the semi-private rooms. They have some antique colonial furniture, old photographs on the walls, and all kind of flowers everywhere. I don't advise you to eat in the main room though since it is pretty noisy and lacks coziness. We had a few dishes, but I only took pictures for a few of them:
Rosso is the fine dining Italian restaurant of the 5-star Shangri La . In the same hotel you may also find Satoo , a top-notch all-day buffet restaurant, and B.A.T.S , a popular expat bar. I visited on a Monday night and it was almost full, with mostly expatriates and business travelers. Consequently, though the waiters were very efficient, they were not always immediately available and it gave me the impressions they were understaffed. The design of Rosso is chic and modern, with a high, painted ceiling. The sitting is comfortable, on sofas or in a booth, and the tables are distant enough to allow for private conversation. There is also a cozy lounge in Rosso's smaller room. I didn't try the wine, but there seems to be quite a large selection on the menu.
Sakana is a Japanese restaurant located in the MidPlaza 1 office tower. It is one of the few authentic Izakaya in Jakarta, and as such, it is quite popular among the Japanese community. If you are alone, it is probably best to sit at the bar, which looks modern and intimate. Otherwise you can sit in one of the small tatami rooms (private eating areas), in which you need to take off your shoes before entering. I tried Sakana with a friend who eats there at least once a week and he considers it to be among the best venues in Jakarta for eating casual Japanese food. On that day, we tried two sets of dishes: Yasai Itame set (Rp50,000) Gyuniku Udon set (Rp88,000++) Other dishes that my friend recommends: Yakitori, Sushis, and Takoyaki. Overall: A perfect venue to try authentic Japanese cuisine in Jakarta. The food is good but it remains unpretentious and affordable. I will come back. Opening hours: Everyday, from 11.30am to 2pm and from 6pm to 10pm
a Satoo is one of the restaurants located in the 5-star hotel Shangri-La. It has an amazing buffet for lunch and dinner, with food from all over the globe, and in particular Indian, European, Indonesian, Japanese and Chinese. Really impressing!! Considered as the best buffet restaurant in Jakarta. The décor as well is splendid, but it so big that it is not very intimate. Lots of people walking around and shouting... It is a bit tiring..
Sky Dining Plaza in Semanggi is not a place for dugem, but a very popular hangout spot for middle-class indonesians. It's an open-air space, with several cafés all-around. On week-ends they will often have live music bands, sometimes famous ones.. You can eat or have a drink there in a cheerful atmosphere for very reasonable prices. One of my concern with Sky Dining plaza actually is that, like every open air places in Jakarta, it is very hot and humid. Also, the live band is really loud and makes it very difficult to have a conversation. Instead of staying outside, I prefer going inside one of the cafés (Nathan Café, Solaria, Comedy's Café) and take a table with view on the city.. Very nice for a warm-up..
Bar with live band full of old prostitutes, a bit more hip-hop than CJ's and Bats. The crowd is more older and less funky than those of Bats and Cj's. Expensive and not really worth it for me but it has many fans both among expatriates and local people. An old favourite of Jakarta's nightlife.