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

 

Decanter Wine Lounge Kuningan

Decanter is an upscale wine house and restaurant, popular with both expats and locals. Intimate interior design, quite comfortable and calm, Decanter is a good place to discover in Jakarta, close to the city center.

Not a cheap place to eat & drink but worth it. You may find useful information about Decanter's events, staff and news on their website: www.decanterjakarta.com. You may also want to check their facebook fanpage (from which the photos were taken): Decanter Wine Lounge & Restaurant.
Live music (easy listening/jazz) every Thursday and Friday nights.

Decanter Jakarta
Plaza Kuningan
Menara Utara. Ground Floor
Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. C11-14

Tel: +62-21 529 63888

Open from 11am to 2pm and from 4pm to 2am (3am on weekends)

The Cellar - Four Seasons Hotel

Wine Lounges are among the trendiest night spots in Jakarta at the moment. Dozens of them have opened in the past two years, which is quite a surprise considering we are in a muslim country. Patrons in The Cellar are actually mostly business travellers and expats who come to enjoy a cozy, quiet lounge with a vast wine collection. Compared to other wine lounges in Jakarta, The Cellar has an internationally recognized sommelier that will guide you in your wine selection, but it is more expensive and exclusive.

Other wine lounges in Jakarta: Vin+, Magnum, Cork&Screw, Maroon.

The Cellar in Four Seasons Hotel
Lobby Level
Jalan H.R. Rasuna Said
Jakarta 12920
Indonesia

Tel: +62-21 252-3456
Fax: +62-21 252-4480

Open from 10am to midnight.

Photo credit: Toni Wahid - http://mypotret.wordpress.com/

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.

FrontPage

The oldest Jakarta expats may remember that FrontPage stands where the popular Cinnabar, one of the first modern bar to open in the city, used to be.

Frontpage is not making the same buzz, but it is a good address to know because the food is excellent (mainly Indian dishes) and because you have a great selection of wines. The owner is the same than Maroush and Anatolia, both Middle-eastern/Indian restaurants with an excellent reputation.

FrontPage
Plaza Gani Djemat
Jl. Imam Bonjol Kav.76-78
Central Jakarta
Tel: (62 21) 390 3614

Open from 11am to 23pm from Sunday to Friday, until 2am on Saturday.
Closed on Monday

Read about the best Indian restaurants in Jakarta here: Top Indian Restaurants.

Kudus Bar Jakarta (The Sultan Hotel, ex-Hilton, Jalan Sudirman)

Nice classy wine bar, popular with businessmen, expats and wealthy locals. The decor is inspired by the town of Kudus, in Central Java, to make its interior Jakarta's first "Javanese wine lounge".

The beautiful furniture and artefacts gives Kudus an elegant feel, without being too pompous. You also have an interesting selection of live music, from jazz to acoustic, every day from 8pm to midnight (you can check the schedule here: Sultan Jakarta Kudus Bar).

Kudus is quite expensive, but you have some interesting discounts if you come during the happy hours, from 5pm to 8pm, with 30% off on beers and soft drinks and 15% off on wines.

At last, the list of wines and champagnes is very complete, with the possibility to take away some bottles. If you want to eat in Kudus, you have the possibility to bring food from Taman Sari, the famous restaurant of the Sultan Hotel.

Address details:
Kudus, in Sultan Hotel (ex-Hilton)
Jl Jend Gatot Subroto Hotel Jakarta Hilton Internasional; Jakarta; Dki Jakarta

Phone number: +62-21 570 3600 ext. 1178
Fax: +62-21-5733091

Email: hotel@sultanjakarta.com

Opening Hours: Everyday except on Sunday from 11am to 1am (2pm on Saturday)

Magnum Wine Bar and Cigar Smoking Lounge (Jakarta's Mall Bellagio, Mega Kuningan)

Magnum is a very relaxing and upmarket wine bar ownd by a young wine enthousiast. It has a very extensive selection of wine and also cigars. You should go there for having a nice evening starter as its well located and the music is not so loud. It's small though so be sure to be there early to have a place to sit. Open everyday from 12am to 12pm. Wine tasting classes are available.

Magnum Jakarta
In Bellagio Boutique Mall (1st and 2nd floor)
Mega Kuningan (Near Mistere in Ritz Carlton or Blu Martini Bar in JW Marriott)

Phone number:+ 62 21 300 66 597
Fax number:+62 21 300 66 598
E-mail : magnum@magnum-jakarta.com

Website (with the wine list): http://www.magnum-jakarta.com/

Similar places: Vin+, Cork & Screw.

Maroon Wine Bar (Jittlada Jakarta)

Maroon Wine & Lounge is a great lounge located in Jittlada Royal Thai Cuisine, the best Thai restaurant in Jakarta.

It is only open until 10pm so you might want to go there only before eating.

Maroon Wine & Lounge
Jittlada Royal Thai Cuisine
Jl. Sultan Agung 10
Jakarta 12980
Phone number: +62 21 829 6126
Fax machine: +62 21 830 3938
E-mail: info@jittlada.com
Website: http://www.jittlada.com/

Oak Room (Hotel Nikko Jakarta)

Oak Room is quaint lounge located inside Nikko Hotel. I went there to have a quick drink after eating in the Olive Tree restaurant, and even though I would not come back, I thought it was a nice place to relax. Since the bar is quite small, almost all the sofas were taken on that evening.

I guess most clients are Nikko Hotel guests since there isn't anything special to make anybody else visit. Some pop music in the background, a lot of cigarette smoke, free magazines/books, old furniture, that's about all for the atmosphere.

Oak Room has a decent selection of wines, liquors and cigars, with prices slightly inferior to that of a 5-star hotel bar (Rp80,000 for a cocktail).

Opening hours: Everyday from 11am to 1am.

Oak Room
Nikko Hotel Jakarta, Ground Floor
Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 6
Jakarta Pusat 10350, Indonesia

Phone number: +62-21 230 1122 ext 22423
Website: Oak Room Jakarta

Oyster Restaurant Jakarta

Simply called Oyster, this restaurant specializes in dishes made with oysters. While this may disgust many people, I must say this is one of my favourite in Jakarta, probably because it reminds me of France. Apart from fresh oysters, you will find many oddities that, i must confess, have yet to try.

Oyster also has a great selection of imported wines. Expensive.

Picture taken from Plaza Senayan website.

Oyster Jakarta
Plaza Senayan 5th Floor
Unit No. CP511

Tel: +62-21 572 5338
Open from 11am to 10pm on weekdays and until 1am on weekends.

Pastis (Jakarta)

After Poste, Tabac, Papillion and Bibliotheque, Pastis is the new addition to Jakarta's nightlife of bars named after French names.

Pastis Kitchen and Bar opened in 2008 in the Ground Floor of the Aston Kuningan Residences. It is a classy venue, decorated with taste and organized around a relaxing "alfresco" garden. Similar venues in Jakarta are Cork and Screw or Social House. It is great for having a drink, especially on Wednesdays as they have live acoustic music (+ Ladies' night with free cocktails from 6pm to 8pm for girls). On weekend nights they have a DJ, making it a good pre-clubbing venue. The prices are quite high though: Rp120k++ for a cocktail or martini, Rp50k for a draft beer.

Considering the food, they basically have 2 kinds of dishes: The very expensive grilled meat (at least Rp200k), which i find overpriced, and the rest, more affordable: Pasta dishes (around Rp80k), Grilled fish (starts at Rp 90k), Involtino di Pollo (Rp80k), etc... They aren't great, but considering the atmosphere, it is worth what you pay for.

You can join there facebook group (from where I took the photos) here: Pastis Bar.

Overall: Recommended if you enjoy well-designed, cosmopolitan lounges and restaurants. If you can't stand to pay a premium for atmosphere, then Pastis is not for you.

Operating Hours:
Everyday, non-stop from 7am to 1am

Pastis Jakarta
The Kuningan Suites Apartment
Jl Setiabudi Utara, Kuningan
Phone: +62-21 5260260

Email: pastis@thekuningansuites.com

Portico Terrace and Bistro (Senayan City)

Portico is a restaurant and bar located partly in the open air, in Senayan City's ground floor. It is supposed to be a chic venue, and most of the crowd here is from upper-class Indonesian and Chinese families, with some expats as well. I visited Portico twice, and my two experiences were very different. 

The first time, it was in the middle of the afternoon: The venue was empty, and both the outside and inside areas were too hot. Since the walls are made of glass, I guess that when the sun is up, you cannot really avoid it. I also think that their terrace does not have a pleasant view. As you can see on the pictures, all you can look at is the Plaza Senayan mall, and the traffic jam on Jalan Asia-Afrika. If you try the terrace in Union, Loewy or Potato Head, it is much more enjoyable.

View from the terrace in Portico

I came back a second time to Portico, at night, and the atmosphere was nicer, more intimate. Instead of cars, you only see their lights passing by, and there was a little wind cooling down the place. It was much more crowded too, with lounge music in the background. I know they have some good events occasionally, in particular guest DJs. You could check their facebook page for more information (see below).

Overall: Avoid Portico during the day (nearby Union is better), and visit it at night only if you like posh places with rather expensive prices. I didn't try the food there unfortunately, no idea what it is worth. They also seem to have a large selection of wines and champagne.

Opening hours:

Everyday from 11am to 1am

Portico Terrace and Bistro

Senayan City, Ground Floor

Jalan Asia-Afrika Lot 19

Jakarta 10270

Phone number: +62 21 7278 1641

Facebook: Portico Jakarta

Twitter: @Porticojkt

Rosso (Hotel Shangri-La)

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.

I had one appetizer and one main dish:
Appetizer: Carpaccio of seared organic beef with shaved Parmiggiano Reggiano dressed with lemon emulsion and a vine tomato salad (Rp 135k):

Main dish: Rolled veal tenderloin trilogy with asparagus, porcini and black olive crust, gratin potatoes and veal juice (Rp 245k):

While the carpaccio was light and exquisite, I cannot say I really enjoyed the veal. There were nothing wrong with the preparation, but it had some strong, raw flavors that I may not have been used too. The three portions all tasted different though and it was only the middle one which caused me trouble.

Overall: In spite of that, I would still recommend Rosso because it has a busy, cosmopolitan atmosphere, and because I think the prices are reasonable for a 5-star hotel restaurant. On average, excluding wine, you should pay around Rp550k for a two-course dinner. Perfect for business meals or dates.

Opening Hours:
Restaurant: Everyday from 11.30am to 2.30pm, and from 6.30pm to 10.30pm.
Lounge: Everyday from 11am to 2.30pm and from 5.30pm to 1am.

Rosso Italian Restaurant
Shangri-La Hotel,
Kota BNI, Jalan Sudirman Kav. 1,
Jakarta 10220

Phone number: +62-21 3048 8535
Website: Rosso Jakarta

More Italian restaurants reviews on this blog: Italian Restaurants in Jakarta.

Samarra Restaurant And Lounge (Menteng)

Once again I'm reviewing a restaurant from the Tugu Group, Samarra...

Samarra is actually the most impressive of their restaurants in Jakarta in my opinion, even more that Dapur Babah Elite or Shanghai Blue 1920. The setting is influenced mainly by Arabic/Persian art and it is just beautiful to be in this place. With the incense smell and the arab/lounge music, you will really feel transported for a moment. Some will probably say that there are too many artefacts to see and that it is too overwhelming, but I believe this is just how the owner wanted it.

I went there on a Saturday night at 8pm, and I was quite surprised to see it was almost empty, except for a young couple who only had a drink. Samarra is quite big and you imagine how great it can be when full so it was a bit disappointing. Apart from the large main room, you will find a lot of semi private areas, each of them with their own design. Bringing a date here or a friend visiting Indonesia is a great idea.

The menu is very long and heavy, with some Arab and Indonesian dishes. Most of the food can actually be shared, so I would advise you to take for instance a selection of sate (specialty of Samarra), plus a few accompanying dishes. A few dishes are very expensive, but on average, you will pay around Rp60k-90k per person without drinks. The list of wine is interesting, but they all are quite pricey, above Rp300k.


For appetizers, the hummus was really below average and not worth the price, while the rest of my food was ok. I think it is almost normal to be disappointed in this kind of place, because with such a stylish décor, you expect too much from your dishes. As I already advised for the other Tugu Group restaurants, maybe having a simple drink is the best thing to do. You have a very interesting promo on the rooftop bar from 4pm to 7pm, with 2 cocktails for only Rp. 50,000.




Another important thing I didn't like about Samarra was that the sitting is pretty uncomfortable if you choose the table in the middle of the room. They are some kind of antics but maybe from a period when men where as tall as pygmies.

Tip: Since Shanghai Blue restaurant is next door, you can also ask for the menu from there while in Samarra, and vice-versa.

Practical Information:
Samarra Restaurant and Lounge
Kebon Sirih Raya 77
Jakarta Pusat
DKI Jakarta - Indonesia
Phone 1: +62-21 391-8690
Phone 2: +62-21 7088-3366

Open everyday from 11am to 1am

Website: Samarra Jakarta
Facebook: Tugu Group and Samarra Pasar Sate
Email: samarra@tuguhotels.com