TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Roof-top dining in Jakarta is a favorite among the capital dwellers. The city has seen plenty of new roof-top hangout spots opening recently, the latest being BART—short for Bar At the Roof Top.
The venue, which occupies the seventh floor of the Artotel Menteng Hotel, Central Jakarta, held its grand opening on October 17. At 30-meter high, visitors can escape the congestions in Sudirman-Thamrin, which is getting worse due to the monorail construction.
"This bar could be a place for office workers to escape to after work," said Daniel Sunu Prasetya, general manager of Artotel, told Tempo on Thursday.
Despite being located at the top of a building, customers have no need to worry about rain or heat as most seats are protected by a canopy. There are also huge fans to ward off Jakarta's cruel heat during daytime.
Cozily decorated, BART's interior is filled with black and white furnishings; classic, yet with a modern twist. The monochromatic sofas with their huge pillows are comfy to relax on while enjoying the food and atmosphere over '90s R&B music, as diners look onto the rows of buildings in Sudirman-Thamrin.
The room is also spacious, with the capacity to hold about 100 people; a lot more compared to similar rooftop bars—perfect to hold parties.
Food and beverages are quite affordable. Relying its menu on mocktails and cocktails, customers can try the Bye-Gone for Rp110,000. the drink is a concoction of vodka, tequila, midori and soda. For the same price, the chocolate lovers can opt for the Choco-Nutty, a creamy drink made of Bailey's, rum and coconut.
Non drinkers could try the Pretty Cinderella mocktail for Rp48,000, a fruity drink made of lemon, orange, pineapple, grenadine syrup and ginger ale.
BART also provide several choices of popular snacks like samosas and toasts for Rp35,000 to Rp96,000. Main courses can be ordered from the Roca restaurant on the ground floor, including their famous Basil Fried Rice priced at Rp60,000.
SUBKHAN | RIRIE RANGGASARI
