Attitude is not everything at Neu Diva bar

JAKARTA (JP): Don't be fooled by the name. No self-respecting diva would be caught dead in the Neu Diva bar, plunking her well- toned fanny down on the ratty couch and resting her immaculately clad feet on the cracked and stained concrete floor.

No, Neu Diva is a misnomer, which explains why this reviewer, going by the name alone, showed up on a Tuesday night a tad overdressed. Last week I was conspicuously underdressed among all the good-looking people at the Manna lounge, this week overdressed for the Neu Diva. What next -- showing up at the bar at Prego's on a Thursday night in maternity wear?

Personal sartorial slips aside, the Neu Diva is a warehouse- like bar that doesn't go in for fancy embellishments to try and pretty itself up. It is basic and spartan, with no pretensions or other diva-like qualities. If you like your bars spare, you just may enjoy this place during the week. Though on the weekend it is something of a different beast. But more on that later.

Location: Neu Diva is located next to the Senayan Driving Range (not to be confused with the Senayan golf course, which is located elsewhere). You get there by entering Gate 5 of the Senayan sports complex. It's a bit difficult to locate if you're not familiar with the area, so you may have to stop and ask for help in pinpointing the place. Telephone them at 573-5417.

Hours: The bar is open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, and on weekends it closes at 3, 4, 5 or 6 in the morning, according to our waiter, depending on when all the customers decide to go home. Happy Hour is from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., which, you will notice, neatly coincides with its opening hours during the week. During this generous Happy Hour you get a buy-one-get-one-free deal on draft beer and spirits. There is also a cover charge on the weekend.

What's it got: There is draft beer and bottled beer, spirits and cocktails. The bar does not offer a very extensive choice of spirits and cocktails, just the basics and sufficient enough to get the job done.

There is also food, which comes from the restaurant upstairs. Your basic selection of sandwiches, fried rice and bar snacks, again enough to satisfy the munchies if they for some reason strike you. One companion ordered the chicken sandwich, which had somehow turned bad. The staff was very understanding, and without prodding brought over the menu so my companion could order something else, no charge. He picked the cheeseburger, which I had already praised as tasty and in no way off.

Bill, please: Not at all expensive, as would expect given the surroundings, particularly during Happy Hour. A whisky costs Rp 25,000, so for Happy Hour this means two whiskies cost Rp 25,000. Rather reasonable. A cheeseburger (with fries) is Rp 24,000 and chicken wings Rp 12,500. Prices one can live with.

Here's looking at you: Neu Diva is not much to look at. But then looks aren't everything (but then no diva would ever own up to believing in that).

When you enter Neu Diva you are struck by how bare-bones basic the place is. This is particularly true if you walk in on a Tuesday night and find the place virtually empty of souls, adding to the overall feeling of abandonment the bar has. The floor is concrete, there are some speakers stacked in front of a white screen that probably shows some groovy images when there is a show on. There is a pool table to your left as you walk in and a large bar in front of you. Behind the bar are the bottles of booze, but the meager collection just augments the feeling of sparseness.

There are about three old couch-and-chair formations around the edges of the room, as well as a few small, high tables in the middle with some chairs with cute heart-shaped backs, as a companion pointed out. The lights are low in the bar, though the decor lends itself more to criminal conspiracy rather than romance. Though maybe there's no difference between the two. And coming from the speakers was the smooth voice of Sade, which for some reason seemed appropriate.

There is also a VIP area in the back, divided from the rest of the bar by dirty white screens. A peek behind these shows a room filled with couches and overstuffed chairs and a really big TV. Our waiter said that to be a VIP and gain access to the room you should call ahead and make reservations, as well as promising to spend lots of money. Which means the closest I'll get to the room is my furtive glance.

Odds and ends: Neu Diva is largely devoid of patrons on a weekday, but comes alive on the weekend with the sound of Techno. This Saturday, for example, Neu Diva will play host to Techknowledgy, a show which, according to the flyer, will feature four DJs. So the deserted Neu Diva will come alive with Techno fans, whoever they are, who will rave on until the early hours of Sunday.

We were informed that on the weekend, the Neu Diva has even been known to be visited by celebrities, like actresses Cut Keke and Sophia Latjuba. You know if celebrities make the scene, the scene is worth making. Much the same way you know that if celebrities say "vote for a presidential candidate", that presidential candidate is worth voting for. Never doubt a celebrity: there's reason they're famous and we're not.

The Neu Diva really is two separate bars. There is the deserted Neu Diva of the weeknight that has the feel of being open just for the benefit of its employees. And then there is the weekend Neu Diva, filled with noise, dancing and general merriment. Personally, I'll take the weeknight Neu Diva.

Compliments should also be paid to the staff, who are friendly, helpful and patient. Our waiter, for example, explained that Happy Hour only included draft beer and spirits. He then calmly and helpfully pointed out to us, who clearly didn't understand the whole concept, that no, Corona came in a bottle and was therefore not a draft beer, and various cocktails we inquired about were in fact cocktails and not included in the Happy Hour deal.

Last call: The Neu Diva may not be esthetically pleasing, but there is something charming about the place nevertheless. Maybe it's the post-Apocalyptic feel of the place, a bar you struggle into from the wasteland for refreshments. It's bare and it's a bit dingy, but aren't we all at times?

It provides a nice change of pace from the wine bars of the city. And if you like a bit of Techno, you might want to try it on the weekend. Though I would suggest a weekday visit, when the unique charm of the Neu Diva is at its best. Just bring some friends or you could get lonely. (Penn Dawson)