Not only famous for its upscale shops, entertainment mix, department stores; these two are full of good dining spots.
We covered some of the new and favourite with the crowd and hope this guide will help you to choose which one to go for it. No doubt that new establishments are still sprouting up or new ones replace the closed ones, once we have a chance to visit Jakarta again, we will gladly add in those in here.
First, we went to Plaza Indonesia which was the older one but recently went through major revamp and extension on its space.
Salt Grill by Luke Mangan
Another establishment by a reputable Australian Chef, Luke Mangan, who in recent year opened two of his restaurants in Singapore. Coming to Jakarta F&B scene was just a matter of time and by the look of it, it is bound to be a popular fine dining spot in Jakarta. An ideal place for romantic dinner and a good corporate or celebrating special occasion for lunch or dinner.
Kafe Betawi @ PI Extension
Who doesn't know Kafe Betawi if you are in Jakarta? They are practically exist in every mall in Jakarta. Featuring Indonesian and Betawi dishes, they never fail to satisfy your craving. Good option to have a good local meals in an accessible place.
Kitchnette @ PI
When this restaurant opened in Plaza Indonesia, it was a huge success, with crowd never fail to fill in the seats. It was the first open-concept yet modern setting inside a shopping mall instead of the typical entrance door setting. It offers simple French inspired dishes. Speciality in crepes that either sweet or savoury.
Bistro Baron
This restaurant is just opposite the Kitchnette; with French flair to its detail. It offers French cuisine and opens for breakfast. Not many restaurant open for breakfast in this mall but Bistro Baron offers a good one indeed.
Stepping into this café which next to Wakai Shoes/Sandal shop; was like stepping into a small café in Tokyo or Kyoto. The ambience, furniture and design are definitely Japanese. It offers easy, simple and casual dishes, dessert and drink which are surprisingly very good!
There are still plenty of restaurants around Plaza Indonesia and in due course, we will try to cover them all and update it here! Meanwhile, if you only have limited time in Plaza Indonesia, I recommend that at least you try one of those mentioned above, it is worth it..
Crossing over to Grand Indonesia, there are 2 wings; East and West; both have restaurants to offer. But first, let's go to Menara BCA which next to Grand Indonesia mall itself.
Skye @ Menara BCA
When this restaurant and bar opened, it was very popular and taking photo at this open deck has been a must to feature in any social media. We must admitted that it was quite a ground breaking F&B scene in Jakarta. The first to have an open deck feature with good architecture detail and interesting interior design, we understood why it was so massively popular among the crowd. But, I would recommend on not having your meal here but instead have a drink at the bar/lounge area which facing the open deck which is more worth it
Djournal Coffee
Going down from Menara BCA, you could visit the West mall and on first ground floor, you wouldn't miss this café/bistro which has every detail props that you could ever imagine. Emphasizing on its coffee, you could see why it is popular with coffee lovers. Have a coffee break here!
Crossing from West mall, we came to East mall which feature more restaurants than the shops.
When Grand Indonesia opened, the restaurants here had truly helped to rejuvenate restaurants setting inside a mall to a higher standard. And now, in every mall, gone are the regular and casual typical restaurant setting but in with the modern and interesting concept of restaurants.
Social House - Brunch
Social House was truly one of the pioneer in rejuvenating the F&B scene in the mall. The interior design was the first attraction for patrons to queue for hours just to get a seat. Some may be sceptical of its food quality when seeing how the interior design was the key attraction factor on first sight but fret not, the food and drink on offer here are very good. Have a brunch and you will find an array of attractive selection to choose.
Social House - Dinner
How the same place looked different during dinner time...
Ninety-Nine
Either when you are looking down from upstair or when you went down from the ground floor to basement, adjacent to the supermarket and deli, you are bound to be attracted to this restaurant. With its black and white flooring and open concept, Ninety Nine is a restaurant that offers you pasta, pizza, fried rice and variety of drinks and dessert. It is quite a selection and good for a casual dining.
