Bacchus Bar offers a taste of the finer things in life
JAKARTA (JP): For our bar review this week, we put on our Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes and ventured into the Bacchus Bar, which recently opened in the Kempinski Hotel Plaza. This is not your run-of-the-mill gin joint, but is rather something more refined, cultured and sophisticated: it's a wine bar. But you probably knew that given that Bacchus, the bar's namesake, is the Greek god of wine.
Location: You can find the Bacchus Bar on the lower ground floor of the Kempinski Hotel Plaza. You can find the Kempinski Hotel Plaza on Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta; it's the real tall building.
If you are still not sure, you can phone the Kempinski at 2510888 and ask for the Bacchus Bar.
Hours: The bar is open daily from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
What's it got: Besides wine, naturally, the bar offers premium spirits and beers. As for the wines, there are heaps of options. Besides a choice of two colors, red and white, you can get wine from France, California, Australia, Italy, Chile, South Africa, Spain, New Zealand and Argentina. There is also available a selection of sparkling wines and champagne.
Bacchus also offers luncheon and dinner menus if you fancy a bite with your wine. You can savor such dishes as cold potato and leek soup, crabmeat and avocado cakes, marinated asparagus, lasagna bolognese and other such succulent dishes. Truly a refined menu.
Bill, please: This bar was named for Bacchus, who should not be confused with the great actor Jim Backus. What, you may want to know, does Jim Backus have to do with the Bacchus Bar. Who could ever forget Mr. Backus' brilliant portrayal of the millionaire Thurston Howell III on Gilligan's Island. Mr. Howell was a cultivated man who had the wherewithal to indulge in the finer things in life. He is the type of man who would frequent the Bacchus Bar. What I'm saying is that this place is expensive.
The least expensive bottle of wine on the menu goes for Rp 179,000, and that's for a bottle of red wine from Argentina, vintage 1999. The most expensive bottle will set you back a healthy Rp 3,995,000. I had three glasses of wine, they do have a small selection of wine by the glass, and the bill came to Rp 384,000.
The Bacchus Bar definitely caters to a certain class of customer; that being the class with money. So if your head spins at the thought of spending Rp 384,000 and not even getting a buzz on, the Bacchus Bar probably is not for you.
Here's looking at you: Don't get me wrong, when I talk about the prices, I'm not attempting to dissuade people from visiting Bacchus. On the contrary, I urge people to give it a try. It is beautifully designed, a study in refined comfort and class, right down to the swinging jazz music playing in the background. With intimate lighting, big, stuffed comfortable chairs, a swell looking bar, the Bacchus is a delightful setting, lending itself to conversation and contemplation. It really is a wonderful setting for drinks.
Last call: That the Bacchus Bar is not for everybody is, I believe, a fair assessment. The price may keep some people away, while others may simply prefer to swill Bintang down on Jl. Jaksa.
But for those who can afford the prices, appreciate good wine and quiet conversation in a relaxed and refined setting, the Bacchus Bar will be a truly welcome addition to the city's bar scene. (Penn Dawson)