Cafe Batavia

Jl. Pintu Besar Utara 14, Taman Fatahillah, Jakarta 11140. While most historic-themed restaurants are built from new materials, Cafe Batavia IS historic. The cafe is housed in an early 19th century two-storey building, the second oldest on Fatahillah Square. The walls and some of the windows are probably almost 200 years old. The furniture is archaic. But those are the joys of staying in such a place. You really can feel like staying in a part of Indonesian history.

Since its 1993 two-year restoration, Cafe Batavia’s authentic decor, celebrity visitors, fun parties and fine food have become world famous. Newsweek International magazine included Cafe Batavia in both the 1994 and 1996 editions of its supplementary “The World’s Best Bars”. The cafe houses the owner’s collection of paintings and photographs. Generals, movie stars and long-forgotten royalty peer down from hundreds of photographs lining the walls. The 300 seater Cafe Batavia serves a comprehensive menu of Western, Chinese, and Indonesian. Several favorites of the guests are the sop buntut (indonesian oxtail soup), imported steaks and salmon dishes.

The Oasis Restaurant

Jl. Raden Saleh 47, Cikini-Jakarta Pusat. The Oasis Restaurant is housed in a grand two-storey mansion built in 1928 as the private residence of Dutch East Indies millionaire F.Brandenburg van Oltsende. The restaurant is famous for Rijsttafel, a feast of mild-to-strongly spiced Indonesian dishes which is served by twelve ladies tiptoeing in a row. It also features old-style European Food. Its favorite European dishes include Crab Back Diable, the Bisque of Crawfish, the Lobster Thermidor, Tournedo Rossini with Madeira sauce and truffled goose liver and a Continental dish prepared from imported Norwegian Salmon or Dover Sole.

The fine dining restaurant may appear modest in size with its many cozy rooms but can seat up to 200 patrons at once. While you do not see all their photographs on the walls, a range of luminaries have dined at Oasis including King Juan Carlos of Spain, Prince Bernards of the Netherlands, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad, Governor General Bill Hayden of Australia, Margaret Thatcher, Prince Shinzo Abe and President Clinton. With its distinct historical tradition, Oasis is a rarity in Jakarta’s gastronomic landscape. It is definitely a must for those who have not been there.

Puro Restaurant & Bar

Wisma Mulia, Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto No. 42, Jakarta. “Puro” means “Pure” in Italian, and that is the basic premise of Puro Ristorante e Bar. Puro Restaurant serves up pasta, pizza and authentic regional Italian cuisine in a romantic Roman decor, with an emphasis on simple, fresh dishes to let the flavors speak for themselves. The concept is positioned between fine-dining and casual, classic and modern.

Terrina di fois grass (Foie gras terrine with fig and mango compote) is an old favorite on the menu, but new additions like the spaghetti tossed with spicy Italian sausage, thin and cheesy “Margarita Pizza” and seafood with marsala, piccata, parmesan are gaining popularity. First rate ingredients, original cooking methods and inventive chefs help make every meal delicious. With free Wifi access and live music on the weekends, Puro has been a very popular dining spot on Jalan Gatot Subroto. If you are just in the mood for Italian, this is the place. Just be sure to call for reservations. It only has seating of 128 (including 10 in VIP room).

Sour Sally Cafe

Franchise outlets: Senayan City, La Cofedin Mall, Mall Taman Anggrek, FX Lifestyle X’nter, Pacific Place, Puri Indah Mall, Emporium Pluit. Sour Sally Cafe serves U.S premium frozen yogurt that’s 100% fat free. The frozen yogurt (fro-yo) cafe franchise features plain as well as green tea yogurt with an ample choice of fresh fruit toppings including strawberry, blueberry, avocado, longan, kiwi, peach, and mango. Other toppings include Fruity Pebbles cereal, granola, toasted almonds, coco crunch, and chocolate chips. They are served in large, medium and small sizes. Additional highlights of the menu include additives and flavor bursts for the smoothies and shaved ice yogurt.

Chili Bowl Restaurant

Taman Ria Senayan East End Building Unit E.11 – 12. Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto, Jakarta Selatan. The first time you walk in to Chili Bowl’s dining room you’ll gasp. The view is just so lovely. The dining room has windows overlooking lush green trees and a pond of Taman Ria Senayan Park. The decor is spare but classy, with Modern Asian architecture where the dominant color is red.

Serving Thai, Chinese, Indonesian, Vietnamese and other Asian cuisines, Chili Bowl is a great place for family dining, casual dining, or business entertainment. It has a capacity of 150 diners.