Enjoy an inside look at popular or off the beaten track destinations from a local perspective. Discover local’s recommendations on must try restaurants.
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_separator color=”black” border_width=”10″][vc_custom_heading text=”Jakarta”][vc_separator color=”black” border_width=”2″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-page”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Enjoy an inside look at popular or off the beaten track destinations from a local perspective. Discover local’s recommendations on must try restaurants.
Latest Dining Trends in The Big Durian
In the fast-paced and rapidly evolving city of Jakarta, everything moves forward except for the traffi c. New restaurants, lounges, cafes sprout up daily and trends come and go as fast as the updates on your newsfeed. Most are soon forgotten, while a few go on to become legends. But we Jakartans are a fi ckle crowd. We change our opinions as fast as the weather and “the best” could easily be synonymous with “the newest” or “the most expensive”. Keeping up with the latest craze can be a chore, so we’ve compiled a list of some of the most recent trends that look like they’re here to stay, for now.
1. Exodus
Here in Jakarta, we’re simply not satisfi ed with having “just a restaurant,” or “just a nightclub,” or even a whole street lined with restaurants, bars and nightclubs. We want it all, and we want it all in one place! Exodus isn’t the fi rst restaurant-club-etc. in Jakarta, but it’s probably the largest and easily the most extravagant. Spanning the top three fl oors of the prestigious Kuningan City Mall, Exodus puts the EX in EXclusive, EXquisite and EXemplary.
The massive all-in-one entertainment spot consists of a fi ne dining restaurant, a lounge, and a nightclub. Wine and Dine in Exodus 6 Dining, where delectable local Photography by Jesse Rozario and international cuisines stream from the open kitchen at the heart of the restaurant’s classic interior. Cozy, yet elegant, Exodus Dining’s warm brick and wood décor creates the perfect ambience for a romantic evening.
Move a fl oor up after dinner to Exodus 7 Lounge, a posh and stylish rooftop bar with indoor and outdoor seating. Chill and Soulful music spins live daily to set the mood, as you sip on cocktail while enjoying a tasty snack. The Lounge’s open kitchen serves up a range of Asian bites including sushi, sashimi, tempura and dim sum. Complete the Exodus experience on the 5th fl oor with Exodus 5 Club, where what happens in Exodus, stays in Exodus.
2. Open
Just a stone’s throw from Jakarta’s Golden Triangle, rises the latest addition by The Hilton: The 5-star DoubleTree Hotel. DoubleTree’s Open Barista Bar & Bistro is truly “open” in more ways than one. A spacious, open air seating area allows poolside dining beneath the shade of tropical palm trees, while a sprawling buffet traverses across various international cuisines, each complete with an open kitchen.
Open’s interior is a home away from home: low-seated, cushioned chairs, parquet fl oors and large full wall windows. With a homey and relaxed atmosphere, Open is the perfect place to spend hours on end, just chilling and eating to your heart’s content.
The all-day-dining buffet takes you on a culinary tour around the globe, from traditional Indonesian bites, Chinese Dim Sum and roasts, to freshly baked lasagnas and pizzas, plus a range of mouth-watering Mediterranean dishes. What’s more? Each segment of the buffet boasts a live cooking station where resident chefs are ready to prepare your dish just the way you like it. But don’t forget to save some room for the extensive dessert bar – Open’s creamy Cheesecake is one of their specialties.
Compare Open to the fabled hotel buffets of The Shangri-La or The Mulia? Rumor has it that Open boasts a much larger selection with fi rst class taste. Just in case the buffet looks a little too daunting, Open also offers an a la carte menu.
3. Baconerie
Opened barely a couple months ago, Baconerie serves what many swear is The Best Breakfast in Town – all day long. Me, I just got lost at bacon. The bakery/ restaurant serves up warm, oven-fresh bread topped with the juiciest beef-n-bacon burgers, coupled with sinful desserts and freshly squeezed fruit juices. Baconerie prides itself in everything homemade, from breads, jams, pickles and ketchup to self-cured ham and bacon. Oozing with tasty goodness, this new kid on the Benda Block has instantly won the hearts, souls, thoughts and bellies of bacon lovers – all of whom have returned eagerly for more.
4. Immigrant
The infamous Immigrant has long been a favorite amongst Jakarta’s club-goers. Since its recent make over, it’s reopened with the brand new “Immigrant Dining Room.” Though previously renowned as a club, its reputation alone is enough to give the dining a try. Clubbers need not fear, Immigrant’s currently renovating club will open soon as well. But for now, it’s all about the ultimate dining experience. Set in the center of Jakarta’s CBD area, Immigrant is, as its slogan states: “Where the deals get signed and the rumors begin.”The new Immigrant Dining Room beckons with its luxurious and sophisticated atmosphere. Think leather sofas, marble fl oors, wide glass windows overlooking the city skyline, and industrial metal furnishings with a snazzy touch of the 20’s. The restaurant consists of a bar and lounge area, a sports bar area, smoking and non-smoking areas, and a semi-private enclosure.
The refined and urbane ambience is surpassed only by their vast range of decadent dishes – served in deliciously generous portions! Compliment your dinner with a choice from an endless list of wines and all the cocktails you can dream up – plus a wide selection of non-alcoholic drinks.
6 Spectacular Spots To Wine & Dine In Jakarta
Finding a good wine in Jakarta has long been a grueling task, with decent selections few and far between. However, with the growing luxury class, the demand for good wines is fi nally being met. Travellers that are accustomed to widely available wines may fi nd themselves often disappointed by the selection most restaurants carry. To ease your search for a spot to wine and dine, we’ve sourced out some of Jakarta’s best wine collections just for you.
Vin+
With four branches located strategically around the city, Vin+ is probably Jakarta’s “original” wine bar, boasting a collection of over 1,000 international labels in their Kemang Branch and between 300 to 500 labels in the other branches. Vin+ doubles as both a retail wine boutique and a restaurant, bar and lounge. Here, wine lovers can enjoy a relaxing meal, paired with a fi ne wine to match, or simply pick out a favorite bottle or two to appreciate at home. An extensive wine collection is also available for delivery to your doorstep – just a phone call away.
Decanter
Dim lighting, spacious interior, intimate design and a live acoustic band blend perfectly to create a romantic vibe and cozy atmosphere. Decanter prides itself in an excellent collection of both local and international wines, as well as a Head Sommelier who authored Rahasia Wine, The Secret of Wine, which was named The World’s Best Book on Wine Education in 2008. Aside from the wines, Decanter also cooks up an extensive menu of flavor-bursting culinary masterpieces such as honey roasted chicken, pork chop stroganoff and pan-friend Norwegian salmon fillet.
Cork and Screw
Set in the trendy Grand Indonesia Mall, Cork and Screw stocks one of the largest wine collections in the country with over 300 labels from across fi ve continents. The wine bar stores its prized collection under precise levels of temperature and humidity to ensure prime quality in every bottle. Enjoy the full dining experience at Cork and Screw with an exquisite menu of Asian and European cuisine, mouth-watering desserts and arguably the best cocktails in the city.
J House Wine Bar
At J House Wine bar, it’s all about wining and dining in a casual way. With a modern interior, diverse menu and premium wine choices, J House is an excellent place to hang out with friends as well as a great choice for business meetings or private events. The grilled lamb shank comes in high demand and is a favorite amongst J House goers.
Luna Negra
Opened in 2011, Luna Negra is an important addition to Jakarta’s growing wine and dine scene. The restaurant combines high ceiling décor, expansive glass windows and an open kitchen concept for an elegant, mid-century design. Luna Negra’s wine cellar is an ever-evolving list of only the best international wines, while their culinary specialties are all about meat. The fi nest steaks, grilled with a secret combination of spices, the mixed grilled rack for the tastiest ribs and the 24-hour marinated chicken are among the must-tries at Luna Negra. If meat isn’t quite your thing, choose from over 30 varieties of authentic Italian Pizzas, signature dim sums or an assortment of Spanish tapas and paella.
La Luce
La Luce is located in the SCBD area, a Jakarta hot-spot which boasts an ever-expanding range of restaurants, bars and lounges to choose from. La Luce serves modern Italian cuisine and is best known for its excellent taste and even better service. The Italian restaurant pairs favorite regional dishes including appetizers, main courses and desserts, with carefully selected wines from around the world to create an elegant and unforgettable dining experience
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