Morgan's, a great little watering hole in C. Jakarta
JAKARTA (JP): If you happen to be unlucky enough to be driving through Pasar Senen at night (God forbid that you should get a puncture), one thing you'll notice pretty quick is just how much like a battlefield the whole place is.
That, accompanied by the recent bombing there, sent the beginnings of a little quiver down my spine. But never one to refuse an assignment (or look a gift horse in the mouth), I resolved that it was time to do what I was told and find somewhere in the area where we could go out drinking, carousing and reveling -- definitely a case of keeping the old upper lip suitably stiff, flying the flag, keeping the home fires burning, and all that, don't you know!
In the end, myself and the sidekick decided upon a nice, cozy little boozing den called Morgan's, which also has live music to keep up spirits on the home front -- essential in times like these.
Location: Aston Atrium Hotel, Jl. Senen Raya 135, Central Jakarta. If you want to reserve a table (good idea at weekends), call (021) 3442828.
Hours: From 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. They manage to keep the wine flowing for another hour on Fridays and Saturdays. These sort of opening hours are a pet hate of mine. They call themselves a pub (it's written over the bar), so why don't they operate pub hours? What about all those thirsty office slaves who would kill for the mere smell of a potable after work? Come on guys, show some consideration here!
What's it got: The usual sort of stuff -- yes, you've guessed it -- booze, booze and more booze, plus some food and soft drinks.
Great selection of beers, including Asahi, Fosters, Budweiser, Corona, Heineken, and Carlsberg (all going for Rp 47,500). Actually, got a bit carried away with the imbibing and, in an unforgivable lapse, forgot to ask whether said beers came in cans or bottles. Don't despair, however, as I'm pretty convinced it's got to be one or the other.
As for the harder stuff, a Gordon's Gin or Smirnoff Vodka will set you back Rp 46,000, while on the whisky front, Black Label and Jack Daniels go for Rp 50,000, while Black Bush Irish is to be had for Rp 46,000 (all spirit prices include a mixer). As for the other stuff, soft drinks go for Rp 15,000 and fruit juices for Rp 20,000.
There's also a limited but expensive menu that includes bratwurst (very tasty), smoked salmon and sop buntut (Indonesian oxtail soup).
Oh, by the way, woe of woe's, there's NO happy hour! What do you think of that? Bit tight-fisted, eh?
Here's looking at you: Let's start with the bad points (not so many of them this time, actually). Morgan's nestles at the foot of an appalling spiral staircase that takes some negotiating even before the amber nectar has begun to kick in. By home time, when the amber-nectar process is well and truly underway, climbing the said staircase could take on all the hallmarks of an assault on the east face of Everest (at least it did in the eyes of this critic).
Having said all that, however, it was well worth making the descent into the bowels of the earth as Morgan's turned out to be a great little watering hole. Cozy, dark, intimate, it's just the place to snuggle up to a member of the opposite sex on one of the sofas so thoughtfully provided.
As you walk through the door, immediately to your right is the long and narrow bar section which is somewhat separated from the music lounge by pillars, waist-high walls, and tables (you can still see the band and ogle the dancers, however). This was my favorite thing about the whole place.
Low-ceilinged and with heavy wood paneling, framed pictures of Morgan motor cars (after which the place is named) cluttering up the walls, astutely placed lamps and a long, enticing counter to rest your elbows on, the place for all the world looked like the bar in a British gentleman's club -- warm, comfortable and eminently safe.
This was a place where you could settle yourself onto a soft barstool and while away hours in stimulating conversation with a soul-mate, leaving all thought of Jakarta's woes securely parked up outside the door.
Or alternatively, you could just get mind-bogglingly drunk like our new-found pair of Arab friends whose English I found totally incomprehensible but who, at least, were friendly.
The relatively small music lounge in front of the bar area could probably hold about 40 or 50 people at a shove. The band, whom we discovered called themselves Kitie Gritie, certainly threw themselves into the nitty gritty.
With seven members, two of whom were delectable young ladies in rather revealing tops, and churning out hit after hit from the 70s, 80s and 90s, they put in a raunchy and raucous performance that had all ten of us in the establishment on our feet cheering and whooping (well, once or twice anyway). They must have something going for them if they can do that to an assortment of Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese, Arab, Irish and English boozers.
Oh, and yes, there were never any more than ten punters elbow- bending during my two-hour stint in Morgan's. Drinking in somewhat empty pubs seems to have become a regular experience of mine recently. Could it be that the present "multidimensional crisis" (as The Jakarta Post likes to call it) is biting hard, or is it simply a case that I'm somewhat malodorous? All answers, please, on a postcard to the Post.
However, fair's fair. It was a Wednesday night and there had been a bomb in the area not too long ago. Our bubbly waitress informed us that if you wanted to see the joint heaving, Friday and Saturday nights, as you'd expect, were the go.
Odds and ends: If you're in any way shy, keep you're head down because the delightful ladies from the band have a tendency to try and stick a microphone down your throat. Could this be revenge for something unfortunate they have experienced in their lives? Who knows? Exhibitionists, though, will love all this of course.
Last call: Well, I must say, I really liked this little place. During the week, at any rate, it's just the place to wind down, have a chat or get sloshed, whichever takes your fancy. Friendly staff, good music and a snug, feel-good atmosphere all warrant a big thumbs up for Morgan's. Would be an even bigger one, though, if they had a happy hour! (Bill Blade)