I've been living in Tangerang for over a month now and I've had a few occasions to visit the bars and nightclubs there.
This review will give you a short overview of the nightlife in Tangerang and more precisely in the new cities Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) and Gading Serpong.
Note: If you need a hotel, please check Serpong Hotel Deals and Tangerang Hotel Deals (I make a small commission on every booking but the price does not change for you and it helps me maintain Jakarta100bars).
Note: If you need a hotel, please check Serpong Hotel Deals and Tangerang Hotel Deals (I make a small commission on every booking but the price does not change for you and it helps me maintain Jakarta100bars).
Overview of Tangerang
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| Enigma Nightclub in Gading Serpong |
Tangerang and South Tangerang are two separate suburban cities located about 20 kilometers from the center of Jakarta. You have probably been there without realizing it since the Jakarta airport (CGK) is actually in the northern part of Tangerang.
When I first arrived in Jakarta in 2004, Tangerang was a conservative, working-class area that was flirting with shariah law. Alcohol was prohibited even in hotels and the police was arresting women simply for walking in the street alone at night.
Since then, things have smoothed a bit, though not everywhere. The most visible transformation is happening in the privately-owned new cities that have emerged in recent years. I'm sure you are already familiar with a few of them such as:
→ Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) owned by the Sinar Mas Group
→ Gading Serpong owned by Summarecon Agung Group
→ Lippo Karawaci owned partly by Lippo Group and Salim Group
→ Alam Sutra owned by the Argo Manunggal Group
These new cities are well-planned with modern roads, brand-new malls, offices towers, apartments, housing complexes, hotels, golf courses, hospitals and schools. They have attracted tens of thousands of middle and upper class Indonesian families as well as several large companies. Judging by the number of new construction sites in Tangerang, this trend is likely to continue over the next decades.
This new demographic has led to a new demand for entertainment venues, starting with restaurants, coffee shops, bars, nightclubs and spas.
This new demographic has led to a new demand for entertainment venues, starting with restaurants, coffee shops, bars, nightclubs and spas.
Nightlife in Tangerang: Best Bars and Clubs
While the nightlife in the traditional neighborhoods of Tangerang is still limited, it is slowly starting to take off in BSD, Gading Serpong, Lippo Karawaci and Alam Sutra.
Almost all the places I'm writing about below didn't exist 5 years ago and I'm sure that in 5 years, there will be twice as many. Please do leave a comment below if you know about a new opening so I can check it out.
Almost all the places I'm writing about below didn't exist 5 years ago and I'm sure that in 5 years, there will be twice as many. Please do leave a comment below if you know about a new opening so I can check it out.
This is my ranking of the best clubs and bars in all Tangerang (starting with my favorites):
Enigma (Gading Serpong)
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Enigma is just across the street from Summarecon Mall Serpong and it is the best nightlife option in Tangerang at the moment. You have a coffee shop on the ground floor, a club on the second and pool tables on the third. During the week, it is a popular hangout for students. On weekends, the club normally gets full and happening until 4am. Once or twice a month, they'll have famous DJs.
Its crowd is mixed, including some really young people and older executives/professionals. There are normal girls, but also some semi-prostitutes/freelancers. The entrance fee is Rp100,000 on weekends with 1 drink.
You can read my full review here: Enigma Gading Serpong
Clique (Gading Serpong)
Clique is close from Enigma and you can reach it by foot if you're not too lazy. It is also built on several floors with a lounge and an Italian restaurant. I only visited the lounge, on a Saturday night. There was no entrance fee , the drinks were cheap and the small dance floor was packed. It is more upper class than Enigma.
You can read my full review here: Clique Serpong
The Breeze (BSD)
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| The Docks German Restaurant inside The Breeze |
The Breeze is a crossover between a public park and a lifestyle center. You'll find many restaurants there, including a few that serve alcohol. They are not party places but you can grab something to eat while having a few beers. Most have an open-air terrace with a view on a muddy lake. As it is new, it is still quiet and it probably hasn't reached its full potential yet.
The best venue is The Docks German Restaurant (previously known as Metro). It is the closest thing from an expat bar in Tangerang. They have good food, some games (darts, pool) and live music on Saturday. It is open until 2am on weekends.
The best venue is The Docks German Restaurant (previously known as Metro). It is the closest thing from an expat bar in Tangerang. They have good food, some games (darts, pool) and live music on Saturday. It is open until 2am on weekends.
The sports bar/microbrewery chain Brewerkz is the second best option. It is part of a Singaporean group that also owns a branch in Senayan City. It is similar with the Docks but with a more Asian touch (in the sense that it is a more modern/playful). They craft their own beer in Singapore and they import it in Indonesia. They have several pool tables as well.
Venesia (BSD)
Venesia is a one-stop entertainment center, the only one of its kind in Tangerang (to my knowledge). It features a hotel, a karaoke, a spa and a small lounge/club. It is quite expensive and not always crowded unless they have a special event. The crowd is older than elsewhere and consists mostly of guys accompanied by lady hostesses.
You can read my complete review here: The Venesia Hotel, Karaoke and Spa
Summarecon Mall Serpong (SMS)
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| Live music in The Barrels |
There are a lot of restaurants within Summarecon Mall but the majority doesn't sell alcohol. Still, it can be a fun place to hang out on the weekends as it gets quite crowded and you'll often have a live band.
There are two recommended venues serving alcohol: The Barrels, a semi-open air café with various types of draft beer and some basic food, and the tiny but popular Poka Ribs, where you might meet a group of loyal expat customers (apparently because that's where they can buy the cheapest beer).
There are two recommended venues serving alcohol: The Barrels, a semi-open air café with various types of draft beer and some basic food, and the tiny but popular Poka Ribs, where you might meet a group of loyal expat customers (apparently because that's where they can buy the cheapest beer).
Backyard Café (BSD - Teras Kota)
Backyard is a laid-back café in Teras Kota, just across the street from the Venesia Hotel mentioned above. It is a nice place to watch sports, listen to live music or just to hang out. A few of their waitresses are cute. They serve cheap food (Rp40,000-Rp60,000 for a main course) and alcohol (beer tower Rp325,000++).
Benton Junction (Karawaci - Lippo Village)
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| Waitresses/SPG from House of Bintang Spirit |
This is a small colonial-style complex next to Supermall Karawaci with a few restaurants and coffee shops. It attracts many students from the nearby Pelita Harapan University (UPH), most of them Indonesian-Chinese. The only real bar is House of Bintang Spirit, a small café with an indoor area and a terrace that serves all types of beers, spirits and cocktails. You can also hang out in the 24-hour Dim Sum Inc and in Poka Ribs.
Not far from Benton Junction, the Hotel Aryaduta has a sports bar with live music called RJ's.
Aeon Mall (BSD)
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| Stopover Beer and Satay |
I didn't find a proper bar in the Japanese-oriented Aeon Mall apart from Stopover Beer and Satay and Little Tokyo Bar.