It is a bit more challenging than online dating because you need to know what are the best venues and the best days to be successful. You must also be careful to differentiate between the "normal" girls, the prostitutes, and the professional girlfriends (sugar babies). The latter category includes all the ladies who make a living from having one or several boyfriends. Depending on what you are looking for, they can be either a great target or something to avoid.
Tips for Meeting Girls in Clubs in Jakarta
When to Party?
Wednesday is the absolute best day for partying in Jakarta. It is cheaper, less crowded, and many nightclubs have a ladies' night. This means the percentage of "good" girls will be higher than usual. Also, you have less competition from other guys, as there are fewer of those tourists/travelers who come for the weekend from Singapore/Kuala Lumpur looking for a one-night-stand.
Book a Table/Sofa
If possible, always reserve a table or a sofa. You generally have to spend a minimum of IDR4-7 Million to get a table for 6-10 people, in a VIP corner, preferably near the DJ or near the dancefloor. That's about 3 bottles of spirits + the mixers. If you are with 4 or 5 friends, that's not more expensive than paying an entrance fee and buying several drinks separately. If you are alone or with just a couple of friends, ask the waiter if you can keep the unused bottles for another night.
IndonesianCupid (Advertising)
Meeting girls while partying in Jakarta is not difficult as long as you are young, good-looking, and confident. For the rest of us, I recommend making some contacts online before going out.
IndonesianCupid works well because the majority of girls there are looking to meet foreigners. Unlike on Tinder, many will not care if you live in Indonesia or not. And unlike in SeekingArrangement, they won't ask you for money.
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It is free to register and to look at all the girls' profiles. If you match with them, it's also free to chat.
Best Clubs for Meeting Girls in Jakarta
I'm ranking below the 10 nightclubs where you have the most chance of meeting girls in Jakarta.
You can click on the name of each one for a complete review:
BasqueWithout any doubt, this is the most popular party sport for foreigners in Jakarta as of today. It is a Spanish restaurant by day, specializing in cuisine from the Basque region, and it transforms into a bar/club after midnight. There is nothing incredible about it, but it is spacious, with several distinct areas: A long circular bar, a dining room, a lounge, and a small dancefloor that gets packed on weekends.
During the week, it is much quieter except on Wednesday. There are a few other bars in the same building, Moonshine, and J. Sparrow which are both worth a look. Loewy is also within walking distance from here.
The crowd in Basque is an odd mix. Most guys are foreigners, either expats or tourists. Among the girls, many are students or professionals, but there are also probably around 25%-50% that are either prostitutes or sugar babies (the kind you would meet on SeekingArrangement).
This is also a large venue, similar to Basque but with a more Indonesian and upper-class crowd. They usually have live music or DJs playing Top 40 songs.
Opened in 2006, Dragonfly is probably the most famous nightclub in Jakarta and it still attracts a beautiful crowd of socialites, celebrities, expats, and wealthy Indonesians. Many girls visit the club hoping to find a foreign guy, preferably a rich one. This is why Dragonfly has a bad reputation among some people as it is considered a club for "ayam" or "gold-diggers". It is a rather expensive place to party, with an entrance fee of IDR300,000 without any drinks.
Located in Kemang, this iconic bar is a meeting point for foreigners in South Jakarta. I'm not a big fan of it personally, but it is always crowded and it is great to meet new people. Something remarkable about it is that there are clients of any age, from young interns who just landed in the city to retired expats who have spent 30 years in Indonesia. There is also a fair number of girls, most of whom are looking for serious relationships.
The bar has several areas including a sports bar and an indoor beer garden for live music events.
This restaurant and bar is still a popular joint for picking up girls, more than 10 years after it opened. This is a great place to start a night out as it is centrally located in the nightlife area of Mega Kuningan, and the food they serve is actually good. There is usually some action near the bar area, where you can easily talk to other customers.
Fable is part of the Fairgrounds complex, next to Lucy in the Sky, The Pallas, and Swillhouse. All these venues get really busy on weekends with hip Indonesians in their 20s. They tend to hang out in closed groups, though, but with a little effort, you should be able to make some friends.
Nu China, Dronk and Second Floor (Kemang)
These 3 nightclubs/bars are all located in Kemang and they are popular with a younger crowd (sometimes under 21). They are cheap but the alcohol they serve is probably not genuine.
This smokey bar has live music every night. It is not very popular with foreigners, so you'll stand out in the crowd if you go there. The downside is that you'll have to hear a lot of cheesy Indonesian pop songs.
CJ's and BATS
These two infamous hotel bars are located in the Mulia hotel and the Shangri-La hotel respectively. You can easily meet women there, but you'll probably have to pay since the majority of them are prostitutes. The male customers are typically either expats or foreign businessmen, usually above 40. CJs and BATS are also the best bars in Jakarta to listen to live music (covers of Top 40 songs).
CJ's Bar |
This nightclub belongs to the Ismaya Group, also behind Dragonfly. It has a younger crowd, mostly Indonesian Chinese, and from the upper class.