If you are wondering where you can party in Jakarta, this review will guide you through all the most famous nightlife areas in the city. You can also read 10 Best Nightclubs in Jakarta and Where to Stay in Jakarta for more detailed information.
I've circled in blue two main areas: South Jakarta and North Jakarta. Each has its own characteristics:
• South Jakarta is the most modern part of the city, with plenty of skyscrapers, luxury malls and upmarket houses. Naturally, this is where you will find the most high-end nightclubs and bars in Jakarta. Expats and rich Indonesians will normally party there.
• North Jakarta, or Kota Tua (Old Town) is the historical part of town. Most of the buildings are only a few floors high, and they may look shabby. The nightlife is often within large one-stop entertainment complexes comprising of a club, a massage parlor and a karaoke. Drugs and prostitution are common. The party crowd is local and you'll only spot a random tourist once in a while. It is not as safe as in the South, particularly for the taxis, but it is still OK compared to any other world capitals.
South Jakarta Nightlife
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| Where to Party in South Jakarta? |
SCBD
SCBD, which stands for Sudirman Central Business District, is a mixed-use development with many prestigious offices, a luxury mall and high-end residences. It has been the most happening party area in Jakarta for a few years already, especially among hip Jakartans and younger expats.
The best location for party in SCBD is the Fairgrounds complex where Lucy In The Sky, Fable Nightclub, The Pallas and Hide & Seek are located. Other popular nearby venues include Empirica, Beer Garden and the restaurants on the Ground Floor of Pacific Place Mall (Potato Head, Cork & Screw).
Best Hotels Nearby:
→ 5-star: Ritz Carlton Pacific Place
→ 4-star: Harris FX Sudirman
Senopati
Just a kilometer South of SCBD, Senopati is the most expensive residential area in Jakarta. There, you'll find smaller clubs, lounges and restaurants catering to the elite. The trendy places change every year, but currently you can go to Monty's, Pao Pao, Lola, Branché and H Gourmet & Vibes.
Best Hotel Nearby:
→ 4-star: The Gunawarman (Boutique hotel, 120$/night)
Mega Kuningan
It is also a mixed-use development, similar to SCBD, but with more residences and hotels. This is where many single expats in their 30s choose to live.There are no nightclubs but several busy bars and restaurants like Loewy, Basque, E&O or Bauhaus. All of these are walking distance from each other and they are great for meeting expats and Indonesian girls.
Mega Kuningan is bordered to the South by Jalan Gatot Subroto on which two famous nightclubs (Dragonfly and Blowfish) are located.
Read also: Best Bars in Mega Kuningan
Best Hotels Nearby:
→ 5-star: Ritz Carlton Mega Kuningan or Oakwood (near Loewy)
→ 2-star: Favehotel Gatot Subroto or Amaris Satrio (35$/night both)
Senayan
Between Senopati and SCBD, Senayan is a popular shopping hub with 3 major malls: Plaza Senayan, Senayan City and FX.
Each of them has bars, restaurants and nightclubs. X2, the largest and most crowded nightclub in Jakarta, is located inside Plaza Senayan. Domain Club is within Senayan City.
Some other recommended venues are Union Lounge (for a date/drinks), CJs (for live music if you don't mind freelance prostitutes) and Prohibition (jazz bar).
Best Hotels Nearby:
→ 5-star: Mulia Hotel (with CJ's bar) and Fairmont (connected to Plaza Senayan)
→ 4-star: Harris FX Sudirman
Sudirman-Thamrin
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| Bunderan HI: Grand Indonesia + Plaza Indonesia |
The axis Jalan Sudirman-Jalan Thamrin is the most important thoroughfare in Jakarta as it connects the South and the North of the city. It is lined up with skyscrapers, most of which have a lounge, a rooftop or a restaurant.
Around the iconic Bunderan HI (or Hotel Indonesia roundabout - see photo above), you have some of the most exciting nightlife venues in Jakarta (most of which are within the malls Plaza Indonesia or Grand Indonesia): Immigrant nightclub, the rooftops SKYE and Cloud, and plenty of bars like Cork&Screw, Social House and Paulaner Brauhaus.
Best Hotels Nearby:
→ 5-star: Kempinski (Grand Indonesia) or Grand Hyatt (Plaza Indonesia)
→ 4-star: Pullman Thamrin
→ 3-star: Holiday Inn Express
→ 2-star: Favehotel Wahid Hasyim
Jalan Jaksa
300 meters from Sarinah, Jalan Jaksa is the backpacker street of Jakarta. There are some cheap, friendly, open-air cafés where you can easily meet travelers and young Indonesians. You can also go to the nearby Wahid Hasyim street to visit popular bars like Beer Garden Menteng or to the B.A.R.T. rooftop in Artotel.
Best Hotels Nearby:
→ 4-star: Morrissey Hotel
→ 3-star: A One (New property)
→ 1-star/backpacker hostels: It is better to go to Jalan Jaksa directly and ask around. You can get a room with a fan for 10$.
Kemang:
Kemang is a residential expat area with many of the best-value Western restaurants in Jakarta. The bars and nightclubs are affordable, some catering to foreigners (Eastern Promise) and some to Indonesian teenagers (Tipsy, 999, Venue, Nu China).
Read more: Kemang Nightlife
Best Hotels Nearby:
→ 4-star: Grand Kemang Hotel
→ 3-star: Amaris La Codefin
Blok M, Wijaya, Melawai (Little Tokyo)
Those 3 red-light districts are located near from each other but they have their own characteristics:
Blok M (Jalan Falatehan) is a small street with 4-5 bars that have freelance prostitutes. They are popular with older expats.
Wijaya is a complex with small massage parlours and karaokes. It is popular with Koreans, Japanese and Indonesians.
Melawai (or Little Tokyo) is made of a few streets with authentic Japanese restaurants, Izakayas and karaokes.
Best Hotels Nearby:
Since the area is considered low class (due to all the prostitution activity), you can find rather good-value accommodation. The hotels are girl-friendly and they sometimes offer short-time.
→ 4-star: Hotel Gran Mahakam (Blok M)
→ 2-star: D'Prima Hotel Blok M/Melawai
Pondok Indah
Pondok Indah is an upmarket residential area in South Jakarta. You have a few bars in Pondok Indah Mall (Street Gallery) and a few more outside (like the expat bar De Hooi).
→ Don't sleep there unless you live in Jakarta.
Cilandak
Cilandak is a growing residential and business area (oil & gas). For the moment, its nightlife is limited to a few laid-back bars and Jenja nightclub in CITOS mall.
→ Don't sleep there.
North Jakarta Nightlife:
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| Where to Party in North Jakarta? |
Gajah Mada - Hayam Wuruk
Gajah Mada and Hayam Wuruk are actually the same street but bizarrely, the left side is called Gajah Mada and the right side Hayam Wuruk.
On this 2 kilometer road, you will find almost all the high-end prostitution venues in Jakarta (Malioboro, Malio Club, V2, Sun City, Illigals, Paragon, Club 36).
Best Hotels Nearby:
There are affordable mid-range hotels in this area, only 15-30 minutes from Grand Indonesia.
→ 3-star: Ibis Harmoni, All Seasons
Pecenongan
Pecenongan is just a few streets away from Hayam Wuruk. It is famous for just two properties: Emporium Spa (with Tease Strip Club) and the gigantic Classic Hotel bordello.
Best Hotels Nearby:
Note that you can actually book a room inside Classic Hotel. If sleeping inside a brothel is not what you are looking after, you can go instead to the Alila Pecenongan.
Kota Tua, Mangga Besar, Glodok
This is also a red light area, but more middle class compared to Hayam Wuruk. Dozens of brothels, lady bars, karaokes, discos and massage parlours are spread around. You will find most of them in the Lokasari complex, on Jalan Mangga Besar Raya, or on the smaller street Mangga Besar VIII.
Glodok and Kota nightclubs have a high number of drug users (ectasy, crystal meth). Since Stadium and Mille's closed down, the go-to venues are Exotis, Puja Sera, Golden Crown and Old City.
Best Hotels Nearby:
This area has a bad reputation so you can get cheap prices for budget hotels. I once lived there and it was not as bad as it seems. I really enjoyed the authenticity and the hundred of street food stalls around.
→ 2-star: Hotel 88 Mangga Besar 62
Ancol Beach
Ancol has two sides. A "clean" one with laid-back live music cafés by the sea, and a more dirty one with dangdut bars and a naughty one-stop entertainment complex (the infamous Alexis).
Best Hotels Nearby:
→ 4-star: Discovery Ancol
Mangga Dua
Mangga Dua is a cheap shopping destination with several budget hotels. There are some massage parlours and some karaokes as well.
Best Hotels Nearby:
→ 5-star: Le Grandeur (maybe the cheapest 5-star hotel in Jakarta)
→ 4-star: Novotel
→ 3-star: D'Prima
Kota Indah/Pang-Jay
Sometimes referred to as the Blok M of North Jakarta, Kota Indah is a small street with 5-6 "massage bars", a euphemism for brothels. It is local and cheap.
Read More: Kota Indah Nightlife.
Best Hotels Nearby:
→ 3-star: Zuri Express or Orchardz (with a spa ++)
Kelapa Gading
This is a residential area for middle to upper class Indonesians. You have several bars and coffee shops in and around Mall Kelapa Gading, Mall of Indonesia and La Piazza. There is also a red light district with 5-6 massage parlours and strip clubs (Sumo, King Cross).
Best Hotels Nearby:
→ 4-star: Grand Whiz or All Sedayu
→ 3-star: Whiz Prime
Pantai Indah Kapuk
The trendiest area in North Jakarta, PIK (for Pantai Indah Kapuk) is made of two roads with 30-40 restaurants, bars, cafés and nightclubs. It is popular with rich Indonesian-Chinese living in the upmarket neighborhood of Pluit.
If you are an Asian tourist craving for Taiwanese desserts and soju, you may enjoy it.
Read more: PIK Nightlife - Best Bars and Clubs
Best Hotels Nearby:
→ 3-star: Ozone
Grogol
Grogol is a middle class area strategically located between Jakarta and Tangerang (the airport). There are normal bars and clubs inside the malls Taman Anggrek/Central Park, but also many brothels, massage parlors and dirty discos (Bandara, Top 1, etc) in smaller nearby streets.
Best Hotels Nearby:
→ 5-star: Pullman Central Park
→ 4-star: Ciputra
→ 3-star: Grand Tjokro
→ 2-star: Hotel 88
Tanjung Priok
Near the busiest port in Jakarta, there are at least 30 small, low-end prostitute bars catering to seamen (many of whom are from Sulawesi). I wrote a full review here: The Far Away Nightlife of Tanjung Priok.
→ Don't sleep there.
Hotels Near Jakarta Nightlife
For those looking for the best hotel near the nightlife, you should consider the following rules:
• If you are interested in South Jakarta nightlife only → Stay between Plaza Senayan and Plaza Indonesia not too far from Sudirman street.
• If you are interested in North Jakarta nightlife only → Stay in Hayam Wuruk (3-star and 4-star) or stay in Mangga Besar (budget)
• If you are interested in both South and North Jakarta nightlife → Stay near Sarinah (2-star to 4-star) or near Grand Indonesia (5-star)