Altitude (Gaia, Salt Grill, Enmaru) @ The Plaza

Altitude is a group of 3 restaurants located on the 46th floor of the Plaza tower, one of the most expensive office buildings in Jakarta (also home the the Keraton hotel). 46th floor, yes: Great view of course, but make sure to book in advance and ask for a table near the window (if possible in the angle of the building).

Luckily for my wallet, I only tried one of the three restaurants, Gaia, the Italian. The food was good, but not spectacular for the price: 550k for one appetizer and one main course. The quality of the service and the attention that we got, not only from the waiters but also from the managers, including 3 foreigners, may have been what we are really paying in the restaurant.

One thing felt very wrong: The music was clubbing style and they only had one CD. So we had Gangnam Style and Party Rock Anthem twice each in one evening. That's twice too much.

In Altitude, there is also an Australian Steak House (Salt Grill) and a Japanese (Enmaru) that I haven't tried but visited. Salt Grill Jakarta is actually owned, or partially owned, or managed by Luke Mangan. If you don't know who he is, then you are just like me. Wikipedia will tell you that he is a celebrity chef from Australia, and probably a great business man too.

By visiting Altitude, I could not help but think about how the level (and the prices) of the restaurants have improved in Jakarta. We still don't have a Michelin-starred restaurant, but we are going there in a couple years I'm sure.

Altitude is trying to do that, with imported management, imported food & wine, and imported concepts. Altitude is saying: Jakarta can be just like Singapore or Hong Kong. I like down-to-earth restaurants so for sure Altitude restaurants are not what I prefer, but if what you are looking after is more sophisticated dining venues, then you will be happy in either Gaia, Salt Grill or En Maru.

Overall: Recommended if you have the money and/or if you need to impress a date. You can also try the bar area, (officially Cloud Lounge & Living Room) which was rather crowded during my visit (on a Saturday night), and it had a DJ.

Tips: Dress up and book in advance.

Altitude: Gaia (Italian Restaurant), Salt Grill (Australian Grill Restaurant), En Maru (Japanese Restaurant)

The Plaza, 46th floor
Plaza Indonesia
Jl. M.H. Thamrin
Kav. 28 - 30, Jakarta 10350, Indonesia

Phone number: +62-21 2992 2448

Facebook: The Altitude @ The Plaza

Twitter: Altitude

Website: Altitude Jakarta

Opening Hours:
Sunday to Thursday from 11am to 11pm
Friday from 11am to 12pm
Saturday from 11am to 2am

 

MooVina (Plaza Indonesia)

MooVina was opened by the same team (Svarna Group) behind Ocha & Bella, the popular Italian restaurant on Jalan Wahid Hasyim. The concept of MooVina is similar with long wooden tables and a lot of plants and flowers surrounding the restaurant. There is also a special attention to design with a few surprising items, and most important of all, good food prepared by an imported chef from France.

MooVina is not a copy of Ocha & Bella though. It is inspired by a romantic idea of France for the atmosphere, and the food combines French favourites with Vietnamese grill specialties.

It opened at the beginning of October 2012 and I'm sure it will be quite popular during the next few months. Please do not hesitate to share your thoughts about MooVina on this blog after you've experienced it.

MooVina Restaurant & Bar
Plaza Indonesia 3rd Floor #119 and 4th Floor #06
Jalan M.H. Thamrin Kav. 28-30
Jakarta, Indonesia 10350


Phone number:
Le Jardin +62-21 299 24567
Mezzanine +62-21 299 23999

Email: whatsup@moovina.com
Website: http://www.moovina.com
Twitter: Moovina Jakarta
Favebook: http://www.facebook.com/moovina/

The photos of MooVina on this blog review were taken on the twitter account of the restaurant.

Baron Bistro (French Restaurant Jakarta)

The Bistro Baron is a French-themed restaurant serving popular French dishes. Expensive (at least Rp 180,000 for a meal), it serves decent but not excellent food. Clients pay also for the atmosphere since the place is a copy of a chic Parisian bistro. I must said the attention paid to details was impressive.

Ideal for snack, i recommend you to try some french specialties such as the crêpes suzettes, the lait-fraise or the orangina. For a full meal, I think there are better French restaurants in town (Java bleu, Escargot, Lyon) but if you can afford it, why not.

The Bistro Baron and Capocaccia have the same owner.

Opening hours: From 7h30am to 10pm (except on Saturdays and Sundays, it opens at 8am)

Bistro Baron
Plaza Indonesia Extension
Level 1, Unit E20-21
Jl. Thamrin, Central Jakarta
Tel. +62 21 2992 3505

Website: Bistro Baron French Restaurant Jakarta
Facebook: With the latest events and discounts on the menu, click here
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/bistrobaron

Arella Café (Plaza Indonesia Mall)

Located on the 2nd floor of Plaza Indonesia, Arella Café is an upmarket restaurant featuring classic Western and Asian dishes (salads, steaks, chicken, fish, pasta, burgers and asian favorites). On average, you should pay around Rp100k per main dish, Rp70k for starters, and Rp50k for desserts including taxes.

I took the "poulet roti", a slow roasted young chicken served with sauteed spinach and mushrooms, red wine gravy sauce, and glazed potato pumpkin with honey (Rp 80k++). I wasn't expecting so much as I'm usually disappointed with the restaurants located in malls, but I was happy with my food. The presentation was superb, and there was some original sweet & sour flavors in the chicken that made it quite special and enjoyable. Concerning the prices, it is expensive, but not outrageous considering the food is correct.

Overall, I liked Arella and I would say it is one of the best western food restaurants in Plaza Indonesia, with Bisto Baron. My only problem was that I didn't find it very intimate, as there are no separators between the mall and the restaurant. Perfect for people-watching though.

Opening hours:

From 10am to 10pm every day

Arella Café and Restaurant

Plaza Indonesia, 2nd floor, Unit L2, No111 A-D.

(In front of Mark and Spencer)

Phone number: +62 21 2992 3650

Fax: +62-21 2992 3651

Website (with events, promos and the menu): www.arellajakarta.com

Twitter: twitter.com/_arella_

Email: Info@arellajakarta.com

Burgundy Bar & Lounge & Live Jazz Music (Hyatt Hotel Jakarta)

Expensive drinks (Beer = Rp 60k), but classy bar with live music everyday (including Jazz) and businessmen talking. Not a hotspot of Jakarta nightlife and rather quiet, it attracts the capital's most upmarket crowd. Definitely not a girls' bar comparing with BATS in Shangri La hotel or CJs bar in Hotel Mulia, but unexpected meetings are not impossible since some rich, older indonesian women come here. There are a few working girls as well that always hang out in Burgundy and I suppose they are up for grab.


Awesome view on Plaza Indonesia, making the experience quite enjoyable.

Starting on March 5th, 2010, the Las Vegas style show "Mister Moonlight" will be in Burgundy at 21h30. You can read more about it in this article of Jakarta Globe: Mister Moonlight. The same show used to be in Gaudi.

Contact details:
Burgundy Jakarta
Grand Hyatt 4th Floor
Jl. M.H. Thamrin
Kav. 28-30
Jakarta 10230

Opening hours: From Sunday to Thursday - 4:30 pm to 1:00 am
From Friday to Saturday - 4:30 pm to 2:00 am

Tel:+62213901234

Check their (small) webpage here to see the live music schedule: Burgundy Bar Hyatt Hotel Jakarta

By The Beach Restaurant

By The Beach restaurant is located in Plaza Indonesia/eX, where Fashion Bar used to stand.

I was quite seduced by the design of the place: It is a replica of a sunny, mediterranean beach restaurant, with large windows and wooden floor. They could have avoided the plastic palm trees and some very un-authentic artefacts, but overall, it is a nice looking venue.

However, the food was very disappointing for its price. I tried a cheeseburger with a mysterious kind of bread, and it was probably the worst dish I have eaten so far in a restaurant in Jakarta. My friend had some squids, and she complained that it did not taste better than in most street food stalls. From taking a look at their menu, which features almost exclusively sea-related dishes, i observed that most of them were very expensive in comparison with even up-market dining venues.

A very strange burger...

Conclusion: By The Beach is the kind of overrated venues selling mostly an atmosphere rather than good food. You should avoid it for eating, but you can always come for a drink if you need a change of scenery for a short while. Cost for a meal: At least Rp120,000 (Main dish, drink, + 1 extra).

By The Beach restaurant Jakarta
Plaza Indonesia EX
Jl. MH. Thamrin Kav. 28 - 30
Menteng
Jakarta Pusat 10350

Phone number: +62-21 3199 0210
Fax: +62-21 3199 0221

Facebook: By The Beach Jakarta

Canteen (Jakarta)

Canteen is a hip restaurant located in Pacific Place and Plaza Indonesia. In both places, they are next to the bookstore Aksara, to which they are related.

I visited the Canteen in Plaza Indonesia during the afternoon on a Saturday. It was quite crowded, with expats and visibly rich, cool Indonesians. Some of them looked familiar and could have been actors or singers. At night, I think it is best to make a reservation.

I liked the setting, in particular the fact that it is in a quiet part of the mall. With large windows letting a lot of light inside, and comfortable seats, it is a cozy venue, designed to be a hangout spot as much as a restaurant. Their menu features continental food, with mostly Italian dishes.

Everything seemed fine until I ordered my food: Salade Niçoise (Rp55,000++), Rib-eye steak (Rp110,000++), Bruschetta (Rp45,000++), and Orange juice. A 2-course meal with soft drink should cost you around Rp200,000+. To give you an idea of how expensive it is, in some 5-star hotels restaurants in Jakarta, you can have a set lunch menu at the same price.

Salad Niçoise (Rp55,000++)

Bruschetta (Rp45,000++)

Rib-eye grilled steak (Rp110,000++)

First, I didn't get a good feeling when I found out the orange juice had been mixed with water. In other restaurants in Jakarta, they usually hide it by putting ice in your glass, but I had asked for none so instead they used this trick. They could have given me half a glass I would have been happier.

The Bruschetta was fine, just overpriced in my opinion for some simple toasts with tomatoes and olive oil. The presentation was fine though.

The Salad was a miss. I don't want to make a big fuss about it, but I think I should mention that I found a white worm in it. I know it can happen even with fresh food though, so it should not be the main focus point. What is more important is that it tasted average and the ingredients used were low-quality. Each bites felt cheap: The tuna, the tomatoes, the beans, the sauce. No matter how good the chef is, if you don't use good ingredients, you end up with low-end restaurants dishes.

At last, there wasn't any incident with the rib-eye steak, but it was low-quality beef: not tasty nor tender.

Overall: I don't have any grudge about Canteen but I think it should be avoided because it is expensive and they don't give you anything decent in return, even for the drinks. The waiters were nice and efficient, though maybe a bit understaffed. I should mention that I didn't have to pay for my meal because of the worm.

Opening Hours:

Everyday from 11am to midnight (until 2am on weekends)

Canteen
Plaza Indonesia
5th Floor #E02-E10
Phone number: +62-21 315 6537
Fax: +62-21 319 01149

In Pacific Place:
4th Floor SCBD
Phone number: +62-21 579 73742
Fax: +62-21 579 73754

 Website: http://www.canteenjakarta.com/
Facebook: Canteen Indonesia
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CanteenJakarta

Cork & Screw Restaurant and Bar (Wisma Kodel, Rasuna Said)

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.

For infos about the menus, prices and wine selection, you can check their website: http://www.corknscrew.biz/. Also on facebook: C&S.

Contact details:
Cork & Screw Jakarta Wisma Kodel
Wisma Kodel, Ground floor, Jalan H.R. Rasuna Said Kav B4
Open from 11h30am until late.
Phone number: +62-21 5290 2030
Fax: +62-21 5290 2031

Cork & Screw Plaza Indonesia:
1st Floor, Unit 127 AD, Jl. MH.Thamrin, Kav 28/30
open from 10am until late.
Phone number: +62-21 31996659
Fax: +62-21 31996658

Similar places: Vin+, Magnum, Social House, Domain.

EN Japanese Restaurant Dining Jakarta

One of the most popular Japanese restaurants in Jakarta, EN Japanese Dining is part of a chain with restaurants in Singapore, China and Hong Kong. It specializes in Okinawa food, importing most of its ingredients from this area. Okinawa cuisine is a bit different from your usual Japanese due to historic ties of this region with China. For this reason, the food in EN is strongly influenced by Chinese cuisine.

Overall: EN is well designed and the food is fine, but too expensive compared to many other less flashy Japanese restaurants in Jakarta. Not recommended if you are on a budget.

EN Japanese Dining
2/F Plaza Indonesia EX, Thamrin, Jakarta
Tel:+62 3199 0203
Email: Sales_Marketing@endiningbars.com

Plus, a new outlet has opened in Senayan City:

Crystal Lagoon, Senayan City, LG floor
Jalan Asia Afrika Lot 19, Senayan, Jakarta 10270
Tel: +6221 7278 1603

Website: Japanese Dining Jakarta or Japanese Food Jakarta
For more information about events and discounts, EN facebook group.

Fatburger (fast food burger chain)

Fatburger is a chain of American fast food restaurants, originally from California, with branches in Plaza Senayan and Plaza Indonesia in Jakarta. I decided to try it because they have an ad saying it was voted "number one burger in L.A. and Las Vegas".

I bought a regular Fatburger with cheese, french fries and coke (Rp64,999), which is very expensive considering I was the simplest of their burgers, with one beef patty only (you can have up to four). Verdict? In my opinion: More tasty than McDonald's, not as good as Burger King.

Overall: Not bad but too pricey. If it is true people in LA and Las Vegas consider it their best burger, I feel sorry for them.

Opening hours:

Everyday, from 10am to 10pm

Locations of Fatburger in Jakarta

Plaza Indonesia 5th Fl.

Unit #E03,04,04A

Jakarta, Indonesia



Tel: +62-21-3107584


Plaza Senayan Food Court 

3th Fl #339 

Jl. 
Asia Afrika No. 8

Phone number: +62-21 5725277

Facebook: Fatburger Indonesia

Website: http://www.fatburger.com
Twitter: @fatburgerindo

Hard Rock Café Jakarta (Inside EX, near Plaza Indonesia)

Comment from Rak: "Hard Rock Cafe is not really in Plaza Indonesia but in the X center next door. But now I see my list also shows Plaza Indonesia. I used to go to HR when it was over the road in the Sarinah Thamrin Building and it was pretty good for a while back then in the early 90s, sometimes with excellent live music. I once saw BB King, with a table right at the front a few metres from the big man.

Update June 2011: I went to Hard Rock Café Jakarta for the first time in 6 years... It is not so bad actually: The waiters (except for one) were all quite funky with their tattoos and piercing, the design of the venue is great, especially the podium for the bands in the middle of the room, and the prices are high, but not a rip-off (cocktails around Rp90k, Bintang Draught around Rp45k++). I was not there late enough to see the live music though, but I can imagine it must be nice. Surprisingly, the clients on that day were all foreigners.

I took a few photos:

Opening Hours:
From Monday to Thursday: 11am to 2am
Friday and Saturday from 11am to 3pm

Hard Rock Cafe Jakarta
Plaza Indonesia
Entertainment X'nter, 2n floor (in front of Celebrity Fitness)
Jl. MH. Thamrin Kav. 13

Phone number: +62-21 3199 0164 or +62-21-3199 0160
Website (for menu, but no prices, photos and events): http://www.hardrock.com/jakarta
Facebook: Hard Rock Café Jakarta