April Bar, a Blok M pub that should go far
Bill Blade, Contributor, Jakarta
The sweet irony of it all never fails to blow the mind.
Despite the enduring economic crisis and the constant stream of holier-than-thou pronouncements we read everyday in the press, this great city of sin, like some insane pleasure machine rolling along on autopilot, keeps churning out endless drinking establishments, nightspots, gambling dens, massage parlors, discotheques, in fact just about everything to wet your whistle and tickle your fancy.
Well, thank heavens for small mercies, is all I can say!
The latest watering hole to open its enticing portals is April Bar at Jl. Iskandarsyah Raya No. 14, Blok B8, South Jakarta (you can call them on 7235153), only a hop, skip and a jump from Pasaraya department store in Blok M.
Unfortunately, due to a major conjunction of bad planning and incompetence, we contrived to visit April Bar early midweek when the joint was virtually empty, and social or any other form of intercourse was but a distant dream.
Despite this cock-up, we nevertheless went away at the end of the evening not only full of drink, but also with the feeling that this was a venue with a whole lot of potential.
Here's looking at you: There's no doubt about it, this is a swanky and ever-so cool establishment. And one that mercifully avoids that crass Jakarta tendency towards giganticism and monumentalism (Albert Speer would feel right at home in some of the places this metropolis has sprouted in recent years).
In fact, minimalism rules the roost here. Actually sub- minimalism might be a more appropriate term, given that the bare concrete ceiling is still exposed on the second floor (perhaps by design, but pretty ugly nevertheless).
April Bar consists of three floors, the first hosting the bar, the second an exceedingly comfy lounge and the third a small, intimate discotheque. As each section is compact, one would imagine things could get pretty convivial here on a busy Saturday night.
"Imagine" here, of course, being the operative term given that on the night of our visit there were only about twenty punters ensconced on all three floors, including a large group of teenagers celebrating something or other.
However, according to the exceedingly trendy couple sitting next to us at the downstairs bar, a long narrow affair fronted by a row of seats along the opposite wall, the place is jammed to the gunwales on weekends.
In fact, they claimed a reservation is essential if you want somewhere to plank your behind on Saturday night.
What's it got: Good selection of wine and spirits, but like so many other establishments, could do a bit more on the beer front.
A JW Black or a Jack Daniels will set you back Rp 30,000, while cocktails range from Rp 27,000 to Rp 45,000 for a screaming orgasm, something that one would imagine was in pretty short supply on the night of our visit.
Wines varied in price from Rp 250,000 per bottle up to Rp 937,000, and included a reasonable selection from Australian, French, Italian, Chilean and American vineyards.
On the beer front, however, they only had Bintang draft (Rp 17,000) and Miller draft (Rp 30,000), plus a miserly scattering of imported beers. The boutique beer trend is still a long way off in Jakarta, it would appear.
Odds and ends: April Bar is still at the soft opening stage (grand opening slated for April 23), and this could possibly explain why there's no sign outside to give you an inkling of where you're going.
Given that it's housed in a long row of shop-houses, all of which look exactly the same, this is a pub that's very easy to miss, which is unfortunate given the horrendous one-way system in force all around Blok M.
Verdict: As was stated in the ground-breaking nineteenth century novel Holes in the Mattress by Mr. Kompletely: the whole thing "is all a question of timing. And unfortunately, our timing left a lot to be desired."
But judging by what we did see, April Bar has all it takes to evolve into a friendly local or a great joint to meet your buddies on Saturday night. Should go far!