Relax and make yourself at home at Mario's Place

Relax and make yourself at home at Mario's Place

JAKARTA (JP): A new bar/cafe has opened in Menteng, called
Mario's Place. New bar openings are always exciting, providing
new opportunities for diversion. And the arrival of Mario's Place
in Menteng Plaza is good news for the area, which could use a
little revitalization and new blood.

Unlike most of the bars that have opened recently in the
capital, Mario's Place eschews the ultra-modern and hip look,
choosing instead a more traditional look. The result is not
disappointing, and those who feel slightly uncomfortable and out
of place in some of the more oppressively trendy bars in the city
should feel more at home at Mario's.

Location: Menteng Plaza, Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto No. 79, Central
Jakarta. The phone number is 391-7301 and fax 391-7304.

Hours: Open Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.; and
Friday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

What's it got: There is an extensive wine list (in this
regard, Mario's has followed the new wine trend at bars in the
city), beers, spirits, cocktails and various nonalcoholic drinks.

I also happened to visit Mario's on a Sunday afternoon for
lunch, so I got a good look at the menu. While there was a wide
selection of food on offer, from Italian, Asian, Indonesian and
things in between, nothing really jumped out at me. I read
through the menu several times, but just couldn't get excited
about anything. I ended up ordering the beef teriyaki, if memory
serves, and it ended up being quite good.

Bill, please: The drinks tend to the expensive side, but not
out of line with prices at your nice bars around town. A Martini
is Rp 50,000, a Corona Rp 45,000 and a shot of Jose Cuervo Rp
25,000. In all, one Martini, three Coronas and the shot of Cuervo
cost Rp 241,500, including tax and service.

Here's looking at you: Mario's Place is a large and roomy
place, involving an upstairs and downstairs. The inside is all
exposed brickwork, with exposed air ducts (or ducts of some sort)
overhead.

There are two bars, one downstairs and another upstairs. The
Saturday night I was there, the upstairs bar never opened, so I
never had the opportunity to enjoy the view from up top. Besides
the bar upstairs, there are also several tables.

Downstairs, there is a good-sized stage for the band, and a
little area cleared of tables for dancing. As this is also a
cafe, there is a good-sized seating area for diners in front of
the stage. Behind these tables, separated by a railing, is more
seating. The bar down here is off to the left as you enter.

It is good sized and comfortable and far enough from the stage
that it is possible to talk and be heard when the band is
playing. Near the bar are several high circular tables and
stools.

The crowd at Mario's was definitely not young and hip (no
offense, neither am I). Most of the people there seemed to be in
their late 20s, early 30s and 40s. It was a fun group, laughing
and having a good time, enjoying the band, but it was a more
relaxed crowd. It's a nice change from some of the more manic
clubs in the city.

Everyone was in groups and there was a disappointing lack of
beautiful babes, and me having managed to sneak out without the
girlfriend. Though one young lady did drop by at the bar to chat
me up, and I mentioned my girlfriend within the first two minutes
of the conversation; she may not have been there physically, but
apparently she was there in spirit.

Odds and Ends: The staff at Mario's Place is friendly and
professional, and go out of their way to help the customers. I
found myself out of cigarettes and was told they did not carry my
brand. So I was getting up to go outside to buy some cigarettes,
when they insisted I give them the money and they would go and
buy the cigarettes for me.

I do have one complaint, though. They do not let you keep a
tab, so every time you order a drink they bring you the bill and
you have to pay on the spot. So every 10 minutes you have to pull
out your wallet again and pay, which gets to be annoying. It is
much more convenient, I think most people would agree, to pay for
all your drinks at once when you are getting ready to leave.

Last call: Mario's Place proved to be a comfortable and
enjoyable bar, just right for some relaxed drinks. The place is
physically appealing and, while not the hippest crowd, the people
there have fun, and so will you. (Penn Dawson)