Jakarta is filled with gorgeous, towering skyscrapers and bustling nightlife. The city’s night scene is an experience you will not want to miss when you visit this dazzling city. Gather your girlfriends for a cocktail or two, immerse in the sounds of laughter and engage in hilarious up-to-date gossip.

Take some time out to unwind while you admire the panoramic views of Jakarta’s skyline. This is definitely one of the best ways to eliminate most sources of stress from your life.

Here is a list of amazing rooftop bars you can find in this thriving Indonesian capital with spectacular views.

#1 8 LOUNGE

The cosy and exclusive rooftop bar is perched on the roof of Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place. This glamorously lit space is set in the middle of Jakarta’s towering skyscrapers. If you are planning to unwind on a ladies’ night, we will encourage you to sit back, relax and relish in the view with a glass of Mojito from the bar’s extensive drinks menu.

Level 8
The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place
Kawasan Niaga Terpadu (SCBD),
Jl. Jendral Sudirman Kav 52-53,
Central Jakarta 12190, Indonesia.
Tel: +62 21 2550 1888
Fri, Sat & Sun: 6pm – 1am
Weekdays: Closed

Photo Credit: jktgo

#2 AWAN LOUNGE

If you are all for lush potted greens and a breathtaking view of Jakarta’s splendid skyline, Awan Lounge is the right place to catch a breather. Treat yourself to a tantalising assortment of bar drinks as you bounce to the catchy electronica beats resonating through this lovely rooftop garden.

Jl.KH Wahid Hasyim.No/127
Jakarta 10240, Indonesia
Tel: +62 21 3193 6868
Mon to Thu & Sun: 5pm – 1am
Fri & Sat: 5pm – 2am

Photo Credit: therooftopguide

#3 BART

Bar at The Roof Top, otherwise known and abbreviated to ‘BART’, sits on the 7th floor of Artotel Hotel. It is your choice to snuggle into plush cushioned couches or sit by the edge of the rooftop. Do not forget to take in the superb view of Jakarta’s spectacular skyline with a refreshing drink from the bar!

Artotel Jakarta
Lantai 7, Jl. Sunda No. 3
Thamrin, Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 3192 5888
Daily: 5pm – 1am

Photo Credit: therooftopguide

#4 CLOUD LOUNGE & LIVING ROOM

This hot, nightlife spot occupies the 49th floor of Altitude The Plaza. Immerse yourself in one of the city’s finest nightlife haunt with a glorious 360-degree view of Jakarta’s skyline.

The Plaza, Lantai 49,
Altitude, Jl. MH Thamrin,
Thamrin, Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 2992 2450
Mon to Thu, Sun: 4pm – 2am
Fri & Sat: 4pm – 3am

Photo Credit: manual

#5 K22

Head out with your girls to Fairmont Jakarta’s sexy, open-air K22 Bar. Exuding sophisticated and chic vibes, this is one place in the city for a night of refreshing alcohol, mirth and gossip—a spectacular way to end ladies’ night.

Fairmont Jakarta,
Jl. Asia Afrika No. 8,
Senayan, Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 2188 9061
Daily: 6pm – 1am

Photo Credit: tripadvisor

#6 KARUMBA ROOFTOP RUM BAR

Karumba is a majestic rooftop rum bar with an ideal space to stargaze with the girls at night. Located on the 19th level of Mercure Jakarta Simatupang, you can expect magnificent interiors and impressive views of the city. Treat your friends to some rum cocktails and exotic concoctions at Karumba’s beautiful bar.

Mercure Jakarta Simatupang,
Lantai 19, Jl. RA Kartini No. 18,
Lebak Bulus, Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 7599 9777
Mon to Thu, Sun: 12pm – 1am
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 2am

Photo Credit: zmtcdn

#7 LOBBYN SKY TERRACE

Derived from the Swedish word ‘Lobby’, Lobbyn Sky Terrace offers a glamourous area to watch the majestic sunset. This lively rooftop bar has attained many regulars and is vastly popular amongst people looking for a place to chill and enjoy the Indonesian night experience.

Favehotel
Jl. Kemang Raya No. 6
Kemang, Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 2952 9047
Daily: 10am – 1am

Photo Credit: cloudfront

#8 LUCY IN THE SKY

This bar remains the centre of attention amongst the younger generation. Lucy in The Sky is an open-air garden terrace that exudes a snug, relaxing vibe for those searching for a space to unwind.

Fairgrounds, SCBD Lot 14
Jl. Jenderal Sudirman
SCBD, Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 2188 9061
Mon to Thu, Sun: 4pm – 1am
Fri & Sat: 4pm – 3am

Photo Credit: venuerific

#9 SHY ROOFTOP

This gorgeous al-fresco establishment is located at the top of the Papilion. SHY rooftop bar boasts an extensive assortment of cocktails, spirits and live performances by popular local artists. A night with the girls will never go wrong here!

The Papilion,
Jl. Kemang Raya No.
45AA, Kemang, Jakarta
Tel: +62 217 199 921
Mon to Sat: 6pm – 1am
Sunday: Closed

Photo Credit: pinimg

#10 SKYE BAR

SKYE is located on the 56th floor of BCA Tower – Grand Indonesia, Thamrin. The bar is established to offer a unique atmosphere for guests to escape Jakarta’s hectic city life. A spacious bar where you can lounge comfortably with the girls, SKYE is a splendid place for you to grab a drink and enjoy panoramic views of the city.

Menara BCA, Lantai 56,
Jl. MH. Thamrin,
Thamrin, Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 2358 6996
Mon to Thu: 4pm – 1am
Fri: 4pm – 2am
Sat: 11.30am – 2am
Sun: 11.30am – 1am

For more recommendations, read our guide on 15 Best Street Food in Jakarta you must try at least once in your life.

The hustle and bustle of the metropolitan Jakarta is dominated by the city’s young blood finding what’s hot in the latest social scene. Just like its neighbouring South East Asian capitals like Singapore and Bangkok, a high number of snazzy hangouts start popping up in different parts of the city.

Not to worry though, Jakarta definitely has something for everyone. Whether you’re the city’s cool hipsters, the exclusive elite club, the young and fabulous or the glamorous expats, you will find where you belong in Jakarta’s social scene.

But with such vibrant options of eateries and drinking haunts, don’t you sometimes get confused? Keep reading this guide that will spell out the 10 new hip destinations to check out in Jakarta!

#1 HIDE AND SEEK SWILLHOUSE

This particular hangout attracts crowd with its refreshing concept that they’d like to call Steampunk (more affectionately known as the concept of invention). This concept is not only reflected in their interior, but also throughout their specialties such as Fruit Lobster Sandwich, Truffle Cream Orechiette and Braised Back Ribs with Basmati Rice. Fancy food doesn’t have to break your bank apparently, as their prices range from an affordable Rp 70.000 to Rp 300.000!

This stylish bar turns it up a notch past 10pm as the lighting gets dimmer and the music gets louder. Trust me when I say that you’ll occasionally rub shoulders with some of Jakarta’s top young and fab names.

Fairground SCBD LOT 14
Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav 52-53, South Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 5150 366

#2 POTATO HEAD GARAGE

Almost the exact opposite of its laid-back sister establishment Potato Head Beach Club in Bali, elegant would be the perfect description for this fine dining restaurant cum cocktail lounge. With its all-white interior and chandeliers hanging from its high ceiling, it is almost like walking into the set of the movie The Great Gatsby.

The long dining tables are replaced for sofas at night as the young and fabulous mingle with cocktails in hand or dance along the spacious hallways.

Fairground SCBD LOT 14
Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav 52-53, South Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 5797 3330

#3 H GOURMET & VIBES

Literally good vibes only at this spot. Its rustic and industrial-style interior combined with chill Ibiza-lounge melody coming from the DJ booth will make you understand why the cool hipster kids of the town digs this place.

Their Southern style American food and yummy cocktails are also worth coming for. I tried the Good’ol American Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Bacon (Rp 75.000) paired with Nutellish Shake (Rp 45.000) and it was the bomb! I later found out that Nutellish was a concoction of blended Nutella with Baileys, just the perfect adult milkshake everyone needs.

Jl. Gunawarman No. 41, South Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 2751 0167

#4 PARC19

Parc 19 has a warm welcoming feeling with its simple, unpretentious wooden furnishing and cement flooring. It is a terrace bistro that has an indoor and outdoor dining within a glass house relying mostly on natural lights. It is the hangout of Jakarta’s cool hipsters as it hosts events such as guest DJ appearances on a regular basis.

Jl. Taman Kemang no. 19
Kemang, South Jakarta
Tel: + 62 7199988

#5 CLOUD LOUNGE & LIVING ROOM

As its name suggests, this place is literally above the clouds! Its cosy open air setting at the 49th floor offers a magnificent 360 degrees view of the city’s skyline. This “living room” is filled with snug sofas that provide great front row seats at sunset time.

The after work crowd starts pouring in at around 5pm for sunset cocktails. Both weekdays and weekends alike, Cloud seems to be the choice for the glamorous expats and young executives in the city.

The Plaza Tower 49th floor
Jl. M.H Thamrin Kav. 28-30, Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 2992 2448

#6 LOEWY

If you’re into the Parisian roadside bistro style, Loewy is the place for you. With retro décor of wooden floor and white brick walls, it feels like travelling into the 1940s Paris. Sitting out on the terrace while drinking wine, it is the ideal night out scenario for the expats of Jakarta.

Oakwood Premier Cozmo
Jl. Lingkar Mega Kuningan E4.2 No. 1, Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 2554 2378

#7 BAU-HAUS 1933

What makes Bau-haus so exciting and special is its concept as a secret meeting venue. With the entrance that is hidden and its location at the basement, only people “in the know” know about this place. Secluded and small, Bauhaus caters to a niche group of Jakarta’s exclusive elite club that avoids mainstream bars and lounges.

You will easily spend around Rp 600.000 for a two-person dinner as prices are on the hefty side for Jakarta’s standard. While their interesting tapas such as Sea Clams & Naan (Rp 70.000) and Garlic Vodka Prawn (Rp 90.000) might not be for everyone, it is definitely an experience if you fancy something different!

The East Plaza Building Mega Kuningan
Kav. E3.2 No.1, Basement Floor, South Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 2952 7173 /+62 21 2952 7174

#8 NIP & DRAM

Nip & Dram is the perfect gentlemen’s nest. While it is not exclusively for men, its main focus as a Whisky and Fine Spirit bar that also offers a range of cigars clearly targets the exclusive elite club of Jakarta’s upper-class men.

It is highly recommended for those who search for a classy and intimate hangout accompanied by live jazz music. But only go there if you don’t mind paying the sky-high price tag for exclusive cocktails and hard-to-find single malt bottles!

The Landmark Centre II – Ground Floor
Jl. Jend. Sudirman No. 1, Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 5790 3991

#9 PAO PAO LIQUOR BAR & DIM SUM

It is not like anything I’ve been to before, but it sure reminds me a lot of the setting of the traditional restaurants where fights happen in old Hong Kong movies. Weaved rattan chairs paired with round tables, dim lighting and murals on the wall surely give out the atmosphere.

Who would have ever thought that dim sum and liquor would be a match made in heaven? I certainly wasn’t convinced until I went and tried it myself! I have come back for this dim sum platter (Rp 125.000) many times now and Pao Pao is always a great place to go to when you feel like a dressing-down night out in town.

Jl. Senopati No. 16
Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 2751 0698

#10 BLOWFISH

It is indeed where everyone from different social scenes in Jakarta comes into one when it comes to a night out dancing. Blowfish that has been around for 11 years was once a Japanese-inspired club that has reinvented itself with a futuristic cutting-edge design. This new concept has now successfully bumps up its status to be the most popular nightclub establishment in the city. It maintains its elite reputation by being selective of their guests for everyone’s comfort and safety.

Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto No. 42
City Plaza at Wisma Mulia, Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 5297 1234

About the writer:
Charina Prinandita is a non-superficial person with a very superficial taste in shoes. Aside from the aformentioned shoe obsession, restaurant hopping with her girlfriends and travelling with her boyfriend sum up the few things that put her in her happy place.

Being a third culture kid and having lived in several different countries, Jakarta is still always home to me. The vibrancy of the city itself with an increasing myriad of up-scale restaurants, cafes and polished bars just make Jakarta that much better place to live in. I have included a diverse list of some of my favorite places in the city that have the best cuisines, ambience and views to hang out at.

Here is our guide on Where to eat in Jakarta. 

PS: all places listed below can be conveniently found in Jakarta’s CBD (ie Sudirman, Thamrin and Senayan).

Altitude (Gaia, Salt Grill, Enmaru)

Located at the 46th floor of the prestigious the Plaza office tower, Altitude is a new fine dining concept in Jakarta that encompasses three restaurants in one place – Salt Grill by Luke Mangan (modern Australian), Gaia (northern Italian), and Enmaru (Japanese izakaya). This high-end and classy place offers the finest 360-degree views of Jakarta, which I can guarantee you that, the sparkling lights of skyscrapers will make you fall in love with the city right away.

The Plaza, 46th Floor
Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav. 28-30
Jakarta 10350
Tel: +62 21 2992 2448

Café du Jour

Probably one of the most authentic and homely café that I have been to in Jakarta, Café du Jour is a humble place that is housed inside Senayan National Golf Club. The charmingly simple black and white appearance can easily make one lingers there for hours, especially with the lush greenery of the golf course right across the wide opened window. The café’s specialties include the aromatic Arabian coffees from Bandung and West Java, as well as the homemade cakes and Indonesian pastries.

Senayan National Golf Club
Jl. Asia Afrika Pintu IX, Senayan
Jakarta 10270
Tel: +6221 571 0181122

Dapur Babah Elite

Housed in a semi rundown shop house at Jalan Veteran, the large wooden doors of Dapur Babah open their gates to a heritage of an ethnic Chinese family. At the dining room there lies a long dining table that is prepared meticulously with red, blue and orange tablecloths and cutleries, and at the courtyard is a tall altar with distinctive Peranakan charms and real antiques. The cuisine is an amalgam of three cultures – Chinese, Indonesian and Dutch, which makes dining here an interesting experience. Dapur Babah, which belongs to the Tugu Group, is considered as one of Jakarta’s best and most impressive restaurants.

Dapur Babah Elite
Jl. Veteran I No. 18-19
Jakarta Pusat
Tel: +62 21 385 5653

Le Jardin and Mezzanine by MooVina

This 2 concept in 1 restaurant have two levels – Le Jardin on the first level and Mezzanine on the second – and both are finely designed. Le Jardin is the first restaurant in Jakarta with an indoor garden dining concept with chairs shaped like bird cages and artificial trees and flower pots surrounding the tables, all of which seem like they take you away to a whimsical Parisian garden. Take the circular stairs up and it will bring you to Mezzanine, a modernly designed interior with open kitchen and full-length windows.

Le Jardin serves your casual and comfort French food like crepes, salads, and pastries while Mezzanine offers contemporary French cuisines with a Vietnamese twist. There is also a sleek and chic bar section and fireplace lounge at Mezzanine, which is the perfect place to chill.

Plaza Indonesia
3rd Floor No. 119 (Le Jardin)
4th Floor No. 6 (Mezzanine)
Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav. 28-30
Jakarta 10350
Tel: +62 21 299 24567 (Le Jardin)
Tel: +62 21 299 23999 (Mezzanine)

Orient8

This opulently decorated French and Pan-Asian restaurant is housed at the luxurious Hotel Mulia in Senayan. Just by walking through the lavishly elegant corridor itself is already enough to steal one’s heart. The interior décor is not simply classical, but historically artsy too if you pay close attention to the details – it is colonial French with a twist of Indo-Chinese elements. Orient8 serves a wide range of degustation tasting menu, from the 8-course Eight from Orient8 to 14-course Napoleon and 16-course Louis IX.

Hotel Mulia Jakarta
Jl. Asia Afrika, Senayan
Jakarta 10270
Tel: +62 21 5753278

Rustique

Rustique is one of the finest steak restaurants in Jakarta, and one of the reasons is because it is the first restaurant in Indonesia that introduces the technique of dry-aging for their meats. The steaks here are extremely tender and filled with robust flavors. The lovely ambience – with the unpolished red brick walls and large gilded mirrors – completes the dining experience.

Plaza Senayan, Level 4
Jl. Asia Afrika No. 8
Jakarta 10270
Tel: +62 21 578 52760

Seribu Rasa

Seribu Rasa, which directly translates to “One Thousand Flavors”, is one of the well-known restaurants that offer delectable local dishes with very rich Indonesian flavors. The dining environment with its full glass walls, ponds, soft yellow lightings and wooden furniture is peaceful, serene, yet homely and welcoming at the same time. While it is true that the food here is a little overpriced, the ambience and elegance more than made up for it.

Jl. H Agus Salim 128
Jakarta 10310
Tel: +62 21 392 8892

Skye

Opened last summer by the Dapper Ismaya Group, Skye is located at Level 56 rooftop of BCA Tower (Menara BCA). This high-end bistro and lounge offers a spectacular panoramic view of Jakarta’s skyline, and with the loud music, fancy crowds, summer nights breeze and a million city lights high up in the skye – no doubt this is my favorite place in the city.

Note that reservations are highly recommended.

Menara BCA, Level 56
Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 1
Gondangdia Menteng
Jakarta 10350
Tel: +62 21 235 86996

The Papilion (Huize van Wely)

Jakarta’s famed Dutch patisserie, Huize van Wely is an elegant, chic and stylish tearoom that serves light savory lunches and delicate sinful desserts. Prices are more on the higher end here, but it is really because of the high caliber and exclusive fanciness – those decadent chocolate cakes among the white en white orchids and butterflies…

Pacific Place
The Papilion, 1st Floor
Jl. Kemang Raya No. 45AA
Jakarta 12730
Tel: +62 21 7191975

Union

This brasserie, bakery and bar has a classic vintage setting with its black window panes, glass doors and wooden chairs that take you back to the early 20th century American bistros. Union is smartly situated at the Plaza Senayan courtyard, overlooking the serene fountain and leafy trees. Their amazing red velvet cake with a cup of hot café mocha on a rainy afternoon will just make your lazy Satur-daze perfect.

Plaza Senayan Courtyard, Ground Floor
Jl. Asia Afrika No. 8
Jakarta 10270
Tel: +62 21 5790 5861

About the writer
Anlin Melina is a Business Administration and Economics student at the University of California, Berkeley, who likes travelling and writing during her free time. You can buy her new book “Once Upon A Blue Sky” – a travel guide book on cities in the United States – from Amazon.