Admit it – we all love rooftop dining. The balmy breeze, the chaotic din from the repulsive traffic that seems so far away, and an opportunity to daydream overlooking the vast skyline; these things you wouldn’t find elsewhere in Jakarta than in rooftop establishments.
Therefore, when Hause Rooftop arrives on the 6th floor of MD Building, it immediately becomes the magnet in Kuningan area. The rooftop eatery’s semblance to a private abode pays heed to its title: friendly service, comfy space with padded chairs and a number of good reads placed in some corners at one’s disposal (the presence of thick novel means that they implicitly encourage you to stay longer at this place), and a stylish, green backyard with hanging air plants and potted greens. What’s more, herbs used in the menu are grown and picked from the said backyard.
Just as how Hause Rooftop doesn’t anchor itself on a specific type of establishment (yes, it’s a restaurant and yes, it’s also a bar), the menu itself is an eclectic choice of Western and Asian delights. Don’t skip their oven-baked barbeque chicken pizza and the sizeable aglio oglio pasta with jumbo prawns. They are the crowd’s favourites for good reason. Or try the spicy brown fried rice and take it up a notch with its sambal matah. Organic choices are available too for some menu, with options like burgers from Burgreens.
Other than serving classic cocktails, Hause Rooftop plays around with their signature “Hause-invented” cocktails with options like Backyard (white rum, ginger liqueur, lemon juice, clove syrup with lemongrass and scented basil) and Hause Sweet Hause (vanilla flavoured vodka, Frangelico baileys & fresh milk, and caramel syrup biscotti). Non-alcoholic choices are extensive too – relinquish yourself to one of their zestful Vitamine (fresh juice combined with flavoured syrup and sometimes soda) or coffee (handled by Giyanti), if you’d like to slow things down a little bit.
Good news, Hause Rooftop opens fairly early from 9am. Even for midweek drinks, it is better to reserve some seats early on (especially if you’re so looking forward to hunker down on their al fresco). Needless to say, Hause Rooftop makes an excellent case for restaurant slash bar that doesn’t fail to deliver.