After a failed attempt at a quiet night at the movies on Friday, we somehow found ourselves on the eighth floor of the seriously trendy Awan Lounge, sipping 2 for 1 cocktails and overlooking an impressive 360 degree view of Kebong Kacan and the surrounding city-scape.
Located near Jakarta’s national monument and one of the city’s many pockets of modern nightclubs and cars, Awan Lounge rooftop bar is on the eighth floor of Kasonda hotel. Framed by lush greenery and wafting smells of the small but gourmet kitchen tucked in the corner (can anyone say soft shell crab?!), it’s definitely a pleasant way to while away an hour or two on a Friday or Saturday night.
We arrived early, at about 9pm, and were quickly and efficiently ushered to the bar. Luckily for us, we were bang on happy hour, with a selection of 2 for 1 cocktails at the reasonable price of RP75,000 on offer for the next hour. Soothed by the music of the resident DJ and plied with free garlic nuts, the only thing missing was a breath of fresh air as being an outdoor bar, it can get quite sticky on a humid night.
The drinks menu is fairly standard in terms of variety and price, although my Lychee Martini (RP100,000) was one of the best I’ve had since arriving in Jakarta, with a generous tot of vodka and not one but two juicy fruits rolling in the bottom of my glass. Other delicious looking concoctions on offer include the Sweet Angle, with vodka, creme de casis liquor and chunks of fresh strawberry (RP79,000) and the Sky Coconut, a blend of vodka vanilla, frangelico liquor and cinnamon (RP79,000).
The only let down of Awan Lounge – and it is a small one – was a run in with of one of the wait staff. After a bungled order and an accidental overpay, we were studiously ignored by the cashier as we tried to retrieve the correct change, before having it rudely relinquished. However, the rest of the staff were friendly enough, and I wouldn’t deter people from going based on the attitude of one staff member having a bad night.
My only major regret for the evening is not having bought my camera, because it does boast a gorgeous panoramic view, a particularly good way of showing a newcomer what Jakarta has to offer. If you’re interested in having a sticky-beak before going, there are a bunch of great photos up on the Awan Lounge website.
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