The seedy bars of Jakarta - an update
Dec 13th 2012, 4:04 am
#16
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,274
Re: The seedy bars of Jakarta - an update
Well slappy..... have to tell you that the previous Oscar owner (Trish) is still very pretty, great bod and available. Drinks white wine...but not a lot... but, unfortunately, still smokes!
Apr 19th 2013, 1:50 am
#17
Just Joined
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 1
Re: The seedy bars of Jakarta - an update
Om my recent visit I spent some time visiting old haunts, hoping to catch up with long lost friends. Here are my notes:
BATS - the bar at the Shangri La. Still buzzing, good expat crowd, fun bar staff, lots of "ayams" (ladies of the night) but they were not pushy and just smiled. Crap expat band.
CJs - Wednesday night was packed, lots and lots of bules and many more ayams, who were outright aggressive. Slow bar staff who didn't smile and stuffed the order up. Even worse expat band. Not a pleasant night.
Red Square - Empty even at 11pm. Apparently gets busy later at night. All I saw was 4 old fat westerners and a couple of no hoper girls looking for fun. They didn't get any. Bar staff were cool. A couple of years ago this place rocked - maybe later or a different day. It used to be the place to pick up local girlfriends as opposed to commercial deals with young ladies.
De Barons - was the Stamford Arms, now stripped of much of its character and a very plain bar at the Ambhara.
Oscars (Blok M) - closed. Shut, locked and abandoned. No one seemed to know what happened. A notice on the door said closed for renovations, but the dust and lack of activity said closed for a long time to me.
My Bar (Blok M) - Busy even weeknights, as long as its late. A few expat guys and a lot of ayams looking for a wallet. They have rearranged the place and its not an improvement. The bar is now to the left of the door where the sofa area used to be. Nothing else has changed. Sadly I heard that Hatish the UK Indian owner is in hospital in Singapore, and only a liver transplant will save him. Very sad, he was a good guy.
Top Gun (Blok M) - still the scene on the bloc. Packed, lots of expats, a live band, lots and lots of ayams who were friendly and funny. No pushy CJ style here, they just had a laugh and a dance, and I bought a few a drink. Same pool table, and it probably still leans to the left.
I didn't make it to Sportsmans, Everest, G String or Ds Bar. Next time....
Lintas Melawai was still shut, and I guess its over for that place of fun. Oh the old days.
I didn't bother with the South Kemang expat scene - if I ant to drink with a bunch of overweight bigoted old westerners and hear them moan about life I can do that in Sydney. So no De Hoi, Eastern Promise etc.
I did call in at the Club (next to the bank on the main road. with the Bali Club sign above it - even though its name isn't the Bali Club). They are rebuilding over it, and they have inserted a HUGE inverted V shaped support right inside the bar, by ripping out the floor above and bolting this thing to the walls. I guess it will add character. The Gryphon is still on the wall, and the dark side is still dark (and avoided by me).
There is now an underpass and a flyover at Blok M (shock horror - fixing the traffic problem?). Pasaraya Grande shopping mall looks run down, lots of new malls have taken its place.
There seems more money about, and a bit of excitement in the air. Maybe it really is Indonesia's golden age. ....
BATS - the bar at the Shangri La. Still buzzing, good expat crowd, fun bar staff, lots of "ayams" (ladies of the night) but they were not pushy and just smiled. Crap expat band.
CJs - Wednesday night was packed, lots and lots of bules and many more ayams, who were outright aggressive. Slow bar staff who didn't smile and stuffed the order up. Even worse expat band. Not a pleasant night.
Red Square - Empty even at 11pm. Apparently gets busy later at night. All I saw was 4 old fat westerners and a couple of no hoper girls looking for fun. They didn't get any. Bar staff were cool. A couple of years ago this place rocked - maybe later or a different day. It used to be the place to pick up local girlfriends as opposed to commercial deals with young ladies.
De Barons - was the Stamford Arms, now stripped of much of its character and a very plain bar at the Ambhara.
Oscars (Blok M) - closed. Shut, locked and abandoned. No one seemed to know what happened. A notice on the door said closed for renovations, but the dust and lack of activity said closed for a long time to me.
My Bar (Blok M) - Busy even weeknights, as long as its late. A few expat guys and a lot of ayams looking for a wallet. They have rearranged the place and its not an improvement. The bar is now to the left of the door where the sofa area used to be. Nothing else has changed. Sadly I heard that Hatish the UK Indian owner is in hospital in Singapore, and only a liver transplant will save him. Very sad, he was a good guy.
Top Gun (Blok M) - still the scene on the bloc. Packed, lots of expats, a live band, lots and lots of ayams who were friendly and funny. No pushy CJ style here, they just had a laugh and a dance, and I bought a few a drink. Same pool table, and it probably still leans to the left.
I didn't make it to Sportsmans, Everest, G String or Ds Bar. Next time....
Lintas Melawai was still shut, and I guess its over for that place of fun. Oh the old days.
I didn't bother with the South Kemang expat scene - if I ant to drink with a bunch of overweight bigoted old westerners and hear them moan about life I can do that in Sydney. So no De Hoi, Eastern Promise etc.
I did call in at the Club (next to the bank on the main road. with the Bali Club sign above it - even though its name isn't the Bali Club). They are rebuilding over it, and they have inserted a HUGE inverted V shaped support right inside the bar, by ripping out the floor above and bolting this thing to the walls. I guess it will add character. The Gryphon is still on the wall, and the dark side is still dark (and avoided by me).
There is now an underpass and a flyover at Blok M (shock horror - fixing the traffic problem?). Pasaraya Grande shopping mall looks run down, lots of new malls have taken its place.
There seems more money about, and a bit of excitement in the air. Maybe it really is Indonesia's golden age. ....
You call those places seedy!! Actually they are quite luxurious. Nice updates though and good descriptions.
I too re visited most of those venues (well the ones which are still going), recently, after about a 10 year gap and quite frankly with the exception of BATS, was disappointed especially with the 5 star hotel ones. Yes those bands are embarrassing, the drinks are too expensive and I found the overall atmospheres inside just not the same.
For the real seedy bars, it was not around Block M that I found them but up in the Kota part of China Town on the side lanes leading to Lokasari Plaza off Jalan Mangga Besar Raya (almost opposite Sparks hotel). Here I almost found the old JJS from the Tanamur days, a bar with no name but with a large Guiness sign on the wall ouside, smokey, music not too loud and jam packed with people inside. All it lacked was people of different nationalities.
Regards
Jun 26th 2013, 6:15 am
#18
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1
Re: The seedy bars of Jakarta - an update
Om my recent visit I spent some time visiting old haunts, hoping to catch up with long lost friends. Here are my notes:
BATS - the bar at the Shangri La. Still buzzing, good expat crowd, fun bar staff, lots of "ayams" (ladies of the night) but they were not pushy and just smiled. Crap expat band.
CJs - Wednesday night was packed, lots and lots of bules and many more ayams, who were outright aggressive. Slow bar staff who didn't smile and stuffed the order up. Even worse expat band. Not a pleasant night.
Red Square - Empty even at 11pm. Apparently gets busy later at night. All I saw was 4 old fat westerners and a couple of no hoper girls looking for fun. They didn't get any. Bar staff were cool. A couple of years ago this place rocked - maybe later or a different day. It used to be the place to pick up local girlfriends as opposed to commercial deals with young ladies.
De Barons - was the Stamford Arms, now stripped of much of its character and a very plain bar at the Ambhara.
Oscars (Blok M) - closed. Shut, locked and abandoned. No one seemed to know what happened. A notice on the door said closed for renovations, but the dust and lack of activity said closed for a long time to me.
My Bar (Blok M) - Busy even weeknights, as long as its late. A few expat guys and a lot of ayams looking for a wallet. They have rearranged the place and its not an improvement. The bar is now to the left of the door where the sofa area used to be. Nothing else has changed. Sadly I heard that Hatish the UK Indian owner is in hospital in Singapore, and only a liver transplant will save him. Very sad, he was a good guy.
Top Gun (Blok M) - still the scene on the bloc. Packed, lots of expats, a live band, lots and lots of ayams who were friendly and funny. No pushy CJ style here, they just had a laugh and a dance, and I bought a few a drink. Same pool table, and it probably still leans to the left.
I didn't make it to Sportsmans, Everest, G String or Ds Bar. Next time....
Lintas Melawai was still shut, and I guess its over for that place of fun. Oh the old days.
I didn't bother with the South Kemang expat scene - if I ant to drink with a bunch of overweight bigoted old westerners and hear them moan about life I can do that in Sydney. So no De Hoi, Eastern Promise etc.
I did call in at the Club (next to the bank on the main road. with the Bali Club sign above it - even though its name isn't the Bali Club). They are rebuilding over it, and they have inserted a HUGE inverted V shaped support right inside the bar, by ripping out the floor above and bolting this thing to the walls. I guess it will add character. The Gryphon is still on the wall, and the dark side is still dark (and avoided by me).
There is now an underpass and a flyover at Blok M (shock horror - fixing the traffic problem?). Pasaraya Grande shopping mall looks run down, lots of new malls have taken its place.
There seems more money about, and a bit of excitement in the air. Maybe it really is Indonesia's golden age. ....
BATS - the bar at the Shangri La. Still buzzing, good expat crowd, fun bar staff, lots of "ayams" (ladies of the night) but they were not pushy and just smiled. Crap expat band.
CJs - Wednesday night was packed, lots and lots of bules and many more ayams, who were outright aggressive. Slow bar staff who didn't smile and stuffed the order up. Even worse expat band. Not a pleasant night.
Red Square - Empty even at 11pm. Apparently gets busy later at night. All I saw was 4 old fat westerners and a couple of no hoper girls looking for fun. They didn't get any. Bar staff were cool. A couple of years ago this place rocked - maybe later or a different day. It used to be the place to pick up local girlfriends as opposed to commercial deals with young ladies.
De Barons - was the Stamford Arms, now stripped of much of its character and a very plain bar at the Ambhara.
Oscars (Blok M) - closed. Shut, locked and abandoned. No one seemed to know what happened. A notice on the door said closed for renovations, but the dust and lack of activity said closed for a long time to me.
My Bar (Blok M) - Busy even weeknights, as long as its late. A few expat guys and a lot of ayams looking for a wallet. They have rearranged the place and its not an improvement. The bar is now to the left of the door where the sofa area used to be. Nothing else has changed. Sadly I heard that Hatish the UK Indian owner is in hospital in Singapore, and only a liver transplant will save him. Very sad, he was a good guy.
Top Gun (Blok M) - still the scene on the bloc. Packed, lots of expats, a live band, lots and lots of ayams who were friendly and funny. No pushy CJ style here, they just had a laugh and a dance, and I bought a few a drink. Same pool table, and it probably still leans to the left.
I didn't make it to Sportsmans, Everest, G String or Ds Bar. Next time....
Lintas Melawai was still shut, and I guess its over for that place of fun. Oh the old days.
I didn't bother with the South Kemang expat scene - if I ant to drink with a bunch of overweight bigoted old westerners and hear them moan about life I can do that in Sydney. So no De Hoi, Eastern Promise etc.
I did call in at the Club (next to the bank on the main road. with the Bali Club sign above it - even though its name isn't the Bali Club). They are rebuilding over it, and they have inserted a HUGE inverted V shaped support right inside the bar, by ripping out the floor above and bolting this thing to the walls. I guess it will add character. The Gryphon is still on the wall, and the dark side is still dark (and avoided by me).
There is now an underpass and a flyover at Blok M (shock horror - fixing the traffic problem?). Pasaraya Grande shopping mall looks run down, lots of new malls have taken its place.
There seems more money about, and a bit of excitement in the air. Maybe it really is Indonesia's golden age. ....
