(New) Jakarta's First Speakeasy-Inspired Venue, Bau-Haus 1933

Speakeasy is actually a term coined to refer to establishments that sold alcohol illegally. Such places thrived in the United States, back when there was a period of time that the manufacture, sales and distribution of alcohol was prohibited, hence the Prohibition Era (1920-1933). Nowadays we hardly need any speakeasy, because alcohol has been legalized for a long time, even in Indonesia (with hefty taxes, though!) But there's actually a (new) place in town that is inspired by the speakeasy concept, and I'm going to share with you, what it's like inside...

The Drinks menu comes with detailed description of each of the items

Bauhaus, in German, simply means construction house, but there is more to the name than the literal translation. As I looked up the name and the year, Bauhaus was actually a name of an art school in Germany that was forced to close down by the then ruling Nazis in year 1933. It seems like all the important events occured in 1933, hence no doubt that Bau-Haus 1933 was chosen as the name of this speakeasy-inspired venue in Jakarta.

Tucked at the basement floor of a busy office building in Kuningan, South Jakarta, the entrance does not reveal much of what's waiting downstairs. As you scale down the entrance stairs, and you will enter a room decorated with vintage ornaments and leather sofas, reminiscent of old Western saloons. The yellow lighting from the overhanging rustic chandeliers cast soft shadows that further emphasize the secretive ambience of the place.

Walk past the main glass door and scale down the stairs

 Reminiscent of old Western saloons

A private lounge on the mezzanine floor

In the spirit of Oktoberfest (German's national beer festival), Bau-Haus intentionally add some autumn elements to the table decor and there are some special German dishes on the menu as well, such as Homemade Pretzels, Pork Schnitzel, Jagdwurst (Beef & Chicken sausage) and Bratwurst.

In the spirit of Oktoberfest

Bau-Haus makes an ideal hangout spot for after work drinks, with the exhaustive selection of alcoholic beverages and cocktails (wine, champagne, crushed. gin, you name it!). And it is popular as a place to have tapas among the patrons. Not many know that Bau-Haus has a good Lunch Set Menu deals! Seriously, Main Course, Dessert and Iced Tea for only IDR 95,000++ (21% Service Charge & Government Tax), that's a steal! You can choose, for the Main Course either Ramen Carbonara, Roast Beer Chicken or Bulgogi Fried Rice, and for the Dessert, choose either the Coconut Chocolate de Pot or Key Lime Pie. If this does not sound like a good deal, I don't know what else is! LOL.

Just from the mention of a few dishes above, you can already tell that Bau-Haus does not limit itself to German dishes, in spite of the name. In fact, the items on the menu are an eclectic mix of Western and Asian dishes, to name a few: Chipotle Sliders, Sea Clams & Naan, Truffle Mac & Cheese, Grilled Chicken Satay and Bau Haus Laksa (this is one of the guests' favourite here). I had the Ramen Carbonara, a fusion of soba noodles served with creamy carbonara sauce and bacon bits, interesting right?

Left: Black Coffee
Right: Cigars are available here

Homemade Pretzels IDR 25,000

Baltimore Crab Cakes IDR 65,000 (2 pieces) 

Ramen Carbonara IDR 85,000

I tried the Beef & Chicken Sausage Jagdwurst from the Oktoberfest menu too, that comes served on a bed of potato mash, sauerkraut and honey mustard. Be warned, the portion is massive (at least for me), I would have to share this dish with someone else, but I think this is a manageable serving for guys.

Then comes dessert time! Coconut Chocolate de Pot is like a dense and rich chocolate-coconut ice cream, served with apple chips and the Key Lime Pie, homemade recipe of the chef's, a thin crusted pie, with a thin creamy lemony custard layer on top of it, served with berry coulis. It was my first time having key lime pie and now I understood what's the craze all about! It is so good...

Special Oktoberfest Menu: Beef & Chicken Sausage Jagdwurst IDR 99,000

The first cut is the deepest...LOL

Key Lime Pie IDR 45,000

Coconut Chocolate de Pot IDR 45,000

Meet Executive Chef Edo Widjaja, who is also a co-owner of a mixed martial arts training center in South Jakarta. A guy who works out and can cook well, someone tell me he's still single please! At least I've snapped some photos of him to treat your eyes ;)

He cooks and he punches, such a lethal combo! LOL

Want to join the select crowd of Bau-Haus speakeasy patrons? Well, it's pretty easy, at least we don't need a password to get in like it was in the past. ;)

Open Hours:

Sunday - Thursday : 11AM - 1AM

Friday - Saturday : 11AM - 3AM

Bau-Haus 1933

The East Plaza, Basement Floor

Lingkar Mega Kuningan Kav. E3.2 No.1 (Click to open in Google Maps)

Kuningan - South Jakarta

Ph: +6221 29527173 / 29527174

www.bauhausjakarta.com

Facebook: Bauhaus Jakarta