Jakarta Nightlife

Although the country is predominantly Muslim, there is no shortage of nightlife and entertainment. As you might expect, the city’s five-star hotels feature upscale nightclubs and wine bars, where live entertainment accompanies immaculately put-together drinks. These include the ‘Fountain Lounge’ at the Grand Hyatt. Like Bangkok, Jakarta offers, or some would say suffers from a juxtaposition of upscale establishments and venues laced with sleaze and a dash of sauciness.

Tourists can be found knocking back beers in Bintang in one of the cafés at the Jalan Jaksa, a popular choice due to its chilled-out ambience and appealing prices. Kenanag is considered to be a fashionable area favoured by trendy young professionals and media types. Ancol offers a beach-bar like setting, a welcome respite from the chaos of the city. Kota is a district you will either avoid at all costs or go out of your way to discover on your first evening in town – the equivalent of Bangkok’s, Patpong… it’s a tad seedy to say the least.

Jakarta has a huge concentration of live music venues, with grunge, jazz, ballads classic rock and soul bands.


Blok M, South Jakarta

Less developed and modern than other areas of Jakarta, Blok M is home to the city’s biggest bus terminus, thus easily accessed. Due to the low rents in the area, there are favourable prices for drinking and eating here. Popular with backpackers and those looking for a cheap night out, the vivacious area basically revolves around Falatehan Street, where there are many venues.

To say that this area is relatively lawless might be an exaggeration but this is definitely the place to go if you like to drink until the sun comes up. Situated near Kebayoran Baru, finding Blok M is easy as almost every cab driver knows it. For a more off-the-beaten-track experience head a few blocks down to Jl. Melawai 6 (opposite Plaza Blok M), Jakarta's de-facto Little Japan with lots of Japanese restaurants, bars and karaoke joints.

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