Malang Nightlife: Best Bars, Clubs and Spas

Malang is one of the nicest cities I've been to in Java. It is a mid-sized mountain town just 2 hours from Surabaya, relatively clean (for Indonesia standards) and with a pleasant weather.

As you would expect, Malang nightlife is not the most happening. The current hotspot is actually the brand-new Starbucks, in front of which you may surprisingly see a couple of Ferraris. If you want to party, you have a few good bars and nightclubs though, enough to keep you busy for a weekend.

Most bars are laid-back beer houses or live music cafés with a student crowd. They are not so sophisticated and their prices are as low as it can get.

Clubs are more diversified. The best ones are modern, with a rich crowd, sexy girls and decent entertainment (DJs, bands, dancers). On the other end of the spectrum, you also have more underground joints with prostitutes and drugs easily available.

I learned that alcohol is supposed to be prohibited in Malang, yet I didn't have any difficulties to buy any, including hard liquor.

Getting Around in Malang
One of the most annoying things about Malang is that it is difficult to get around. There are no Blue Birds, no Express, no Uber, no Grab, no Go-Jek. Taxis do not actively look for customers but wait to be called so you should save their phone number.

I used Citra taxis (WA 08813349145 ) most of the time. They are quite cheap, they always put the meter and it took them on average 10 minutes to pick me up. The trip from the city center to the airport with Citra is only around Rp60,000.

Walking in Malang is not too bad. The sidewalks are in fair conditions, distances are short and the weather is not too hot. For simple trips, you can also use "angkot", small public buses that can be found everywhere. The price is around Rp3,000 for a 2 kilometer trip. Ask locals for directions as there is no map of the service.

I was staying in the Hotel Tugu near the train station and I believe it was a great choice. It is very central so you can walk to almost any attractions in the city. The hotel restaurant is one of the best in the city and if you want to try local dishes, you have several street food stalls 5 minutes away.

It is more expensive than average but still reasonable for Western standards. Prices are higher on weekends.

Hotel Kartika Graha
My main reason for recommending this hotel is that you have My Place nightclub inside (see below), the best in the city. The hotel itself is not spectacular but it is clean and comfortable. You also have a McDonald's around the corner and it is a short taxi ride from everywhere.

Hotel Aria Gajayana
This hotel is not as centrally located as the two above, but it is still very convenient. Within the same building you have a spa, a mall, a nightclub (Nashville), a karaoke and several restaurants. The value for money is excellent as you'll pay less than 50$ for 4-star facilities.

Best Western Malang
The Best Western is one of the few high-rise buildings in Malang. As such, you have a rooftop bar on top and you can ask for a room with a nice view on the city. It is modern and central, with prices very reasonable (less than 45$ per night). It also has a spa.

Located in Hotel Kartika Graha, My Place is the most popular nightclub in Malang at the time of writing. It is usually crowded even during the week. There are always several sexy girls, but don't get your hopes too high as some are working as GROs. It is also one of the few venues in Malang with expats.

The club has a 200-pax capacity, on two levels. The upstairs mezzanine is a VIP area with private sofas. There is also a luxury karaoke of 11 rooms. Prices for the karaoke start at Rp2,6M net with 2 lady companions (escorts), 3 hours in the room and a bottle of Jack Daniel's.

The entrance is Rp80,000 with one free beer. Live music every night (Top 40 songs), then a DJ performance (Rn'B, House, EDM). They also have fashion shows and sexy dancers occasionally. Ladies night is on Wednesdays (Free tequila and free entry for girls). Tuesday is beer night (Buy 1 Get 1 Draught Beer).

Website: My Place Nightclub Malang

Instagram: My Place Malang

Twitter: My Place Kartika Graha

Hugo's Club Malang
Compared to My Place, Hugo's is smaller and more student-oriented. Located in the basement of the shopping center Cyber Mall (ex-Plaza Dieng, next to City Point), it is a modern nightclub with good music and friendly staff. The dance floor is tiny, which does not really matter as most clubbers stay around tables.

It is generally not as crowded as My Place, except maybe on their campus night on Mondays and their Ladies' night on Wednesdays. Since there are no prostitutes in Hugo's, I'll recommend it for those looking to meet a local girl.

Music is similar to My Place: EDM, Hip-Hop, House, Top 40. For more information about their events, you can check their twitter and instagram accounts below. Open until 3am except Sunday.
Address: Jalan Raya Langsep 2, Cyber Mall, Basement
Phone number: (0341) 586305

Website: hugosmalang.com

Smooth Club and KTV is located just across the street from Hugo's. The waiters and security in the clubs were not foreigner friendly. They made jokes, tried to scam me and short-changed me. This rarely happened to me before in any nightclubs in Indonesia.

In spite of this negative experience, I will try to be fair in this review. Smooth is a small nightclub with all-night entertainment: DJs, live bands and sexy dancers take turns on stage while the crowd, mostly older guys, sits around tables in the dark. There are a lot of very pretty girls, all of which are lady companions and possibly prostitutes. Prices are high.

Address: Jalan Terusan Dieng 36
Phone number: (0341) 555 777

Twitter: Smooth Cafe Malang

Nashville is more like an event space. It is open daily but people usually visit it during special events, particularly live bands. It is the largest nightclub I've seen in Malang and it is open until 4am. If there are no bands, they will normally play house and progressive music. Sexy girls may do a short dance as well.

The place is starting to feel a bit old and the design is kind of kitsch (Egyptian or Safari style). It is not so easy to find within the Olympic Garden Mall Complex.

You also have a karaoke with lady companions. Entrance fee was Rp100,000 the day I visited (inclusive of one soft drink).

Address: Hotel Aria Gajayana, Jalan Kawi 24, Mall Olympic Garden Complex
Phone number: (0341) 336 262 or 08 123 578 94 88

Instagram: Nashville Club Malang
Facebook: Nashville Live Music Malang

Levels Brewhouse
Levels Brewhouse was the first beer beer bar to open in Malang and it is still one of the most busy today. It is cozy, with air con and comfortable sofas, pretty much like a Starbucks actually. They have a selection of foreign beers, including Hoegaarden, Erdinger and Leffe. Live bands and DJs a few nights per week. Sports on TV.

Address: Jalan Terusan Borobudur 26
Phone number: (0341) 416 814
BBM : 2263FF8E
Email : levels_brewhouse@yahoo.com

Instagram: Levels Brewhouse

Houtenhand
This café and beer house can be considered as the main hipster spot in Malang. Located on 3 floors of a tiny house, it is an alternative space opened by Donny Hendrawan, a part-time folk band member. They regularly welcome local Indie bands, some of which are famous.

There is some charm to it, but don't expect too much from the service and food. The nicest area is the rooftop where you may meet a few backpackers.

Address: Jalan Basuki Rahmat 56A
Phone number: +62 8 133 4050 777

Facebook: Houtenhand House
Instagram: Houtenhand
Twitter: Houten Hand

Chow Sports Bar
With a beer tower (3,6L) of Bali Hai at Rp145,000 net, the small Chow Sports Bar is one of the most affordable beer bars in Malang. It is a clean, bright and laid-back hang-out spot, more Westernized than most of its competitors. For this reason, you may see more foreigners and more Indo-Chinese. As the name suggests, it is a good venue to watch any sports, particularly football.

Address: Jalan Puncak Mandala 4E
BBM: 5CCC1E64
Phone number: 0856 4982 6583

Instagram: Chow Sports Bar Malang

Vivace Music Café
Centrally located and cheap, Vivace is one of the best places in Malang to listen to live music. The bands start at 8pm and generally play indie rock songs. Depending on the evening, you may also have reggae, metal and pop nights. It's quite masculine. The only girls turned out to be the girlfriends of the band members. They serve some food as well (pizzas, pasta, rice).

Address: Jalan Padjajaran 14
Phone number: (0341) 363 777

Instagram: Vivace Cafe Malang

Lavos Lounge
Lavos is a pub located in MX Mall, next to Malang Town Square (MATOS). It is a simple bar that looks like a restaurant, with an indoor and an outdoor area. It is surrounded by universities and therefore quite popular with students. If you happen to be near, you can have a look. If you are far, I don't think it's worth it as it is not really different from other beer houses in Malang. People stay in groups so avoid it if you are alone. Prices are very cheap: A beer tower of Bali Hai costs just above Rp100,000.

Address: Jalan Veteran
Phone number: (0341) 550336

Instagram: Lavos Lounge