Alis Bar and Restaurant
Jalan Jaksa No. 25
Phone: 3190 0807
Hours: 10am – 12pm

Alis Bar and Restaurant is unique place to hang out and groove. The open-air front section is decorated in the style of Bali, however if you go in inside you’ll find a very different atmosphere.

Many people consider, with good reason, that Alis Bar and Restaurant is just for Africans. Certainly, the majority of the patrons here are from the Dark Continent, but the there are also a spattering of Indonesians and Europeans.

As Simon Pitchforth points out, "Africans elsewhere in Jakarta tend to be, for various reasons, slightly suspicious of their Jaksa-frequenting brethren, but at least Alis plays infectious African pop music and has a party atmosphere."

The atmosphere in Alis Bar and Restaurant is quite different to the others in Jalan Jaksa; the music, patrons, décor ....

Alis Bar and Restaurant opens from 10am to 12am every day, with reasonable prices for soft drinks and food.

The staff will serve you as if you were in your own home … well, that's what they say ...

Here's what a former Jakarta resident has to say about Jalan Jaksa, the Romance Café and Ali's. This was published in a magazine called the Bayon Pearnik issue #126 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, if you want to read the rest of the story.



By H. Michael Carter
Jakarta, Indonesia.
There is a compact street in Jakarta called Jalan Jaksa, which is
abuzz with activity by society’s so-called low life forms. A
hilarious potpourri of drug dealers, prostitutes, transvestites and expat English teachers abound. Life’s Last Chance Saloon –
Skid Row with a sense of humour.

The first, last chance saloon I stopped in at one night, was an
unassuming little closet called the ‘Romance’ a bit misleading I
thought, as the place was full of middle-aged North American
men. The ensemble resembled a convention of twenty years after
the fact, stag roisterers. A novice banci (transvestite) and a trio of listless female staff were the only exceptions.

The friendly, lonely, ladyless-drunks who were there to welcome
me into their sordid fold assured me that The Romance was a cut
above the other bars along Jaksa.

After quickly quaffing a beer, I opted to cut my losses and
continued a long rue ramshackle until I happened upon Ali’s Bar.
The cave-like interior of Ali’s pulsated with rhythms of Youssou
N’Dour’s music and possessed a distinct aura of other worldliness
- certainly another world from the surreal Jaksa scene. Here in the heart of Jakarta, Ali’s is a home away from home for many
Africans.

I positioned myself on a barstool and was graciously greeted by
the stunning bar attendant.
“Hello handsome man. Can I get something for you?”
I glanced around and discerned that she must be speaking to me.
The darkness of the room obviously confused her ability to detect
handsomeness. Or perhaps she was trying to be polite.
“A Carlsberg please.”
She promptly delivered my beer and then ignored me for what
seemed an eternity.....

the same happen to me in batam, on a row of pubs
that consists of JUNGLE/RED COCK/ICE PUB.
"hi what drinks u want" TIGER BEER. after that u are on
your own. but my problem is i am chinese the other drinkers
are bule, but i also like the pub scene and play a little pool
the thing is the middlle age bule got all the gals but
i was hang out to dry. alas back to the fish bowl joint
to pick up a gal.

you got bested by a bule? shame on you william! you better get into the gym and get into shape! you're too flabby, that's the problem!

Ahhhhh. The fishbowl joint. That's the one through the restaurant right? When I was watching through the window all the girls were sitting down eating nasi padang with their fingers. Not at all stimulating. Still ...

You're joking? Nothing sexier than a few fingers popping a morsel of nasi topped off with sambal between parted lips.

but William, you are cool man!!

Kuku, that's too harsh, give William a break! He's just fine,I think bules are overrated (my opinion--hope I don't ruffle too many feathers on JC forum).

[quote=nwgirl
I think bules are overrated (my opinion--hope I don't ruffle too many feathers on JC forum). [/quote]

You are off this opinion merely because you have never met me!

Romance is very Ali's-esque these days. AQll good lads I'm sure

romance reminds me of the alien bar in star wars.

wHO CARES! aS LONG AS ICY COLD BEERS ARE ON OFFER ALL NIGHT (a hard and impossible feat it seems for most jalan jaksa establishments and ICE COLD means ICY, not just cold). No, "would you like ice with that". No! Its fucking simple! I WANNA COLD BEER. Congrats Ali's and Romance 4 the only truly cold beers. Other bars and bistros (especially yellow ones) that dont have the coldness you lost a lot of customers cause of it. Not too bloody hard is it. Turn your fridge up, or get a bucket of ice, and make sure you restock during the night.
Also a little mention for the little simple bar next door to romance, cheap COLD beers and happy service. Well done.

you must mean Merry's Cafe http://www.jakchat.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/32815

I read Carter's full article. What a load of inept, clichéd cobblers written in the first person to show everyone how wonderfully intelligent and investigative he is. He even claims that of two Africans he met, he picked what country they were from by their names, one of whom tells him how "perceptive" he is. Unlikely buddy. What is even more unlikely is that he refused the offer of E in Stadium, when it is a favoured
past-time for sad old hacks like him, particularly hacks who publish their pieces in Cambodia. His first paragraph alone, which he no doubt laboured over most, contains "societys" [sic] "abuzz", "low life [sic]", "potpourri" and "Life's [sic] Last Chance Saloon". Please. I am happy for the guy that he had a night out worth writing about, but a little accuracy about a group of "lonely, ladyless-drunks [sic]" he wishes to criticise is needed. A splash of originality wouldn't go amiss either.

No that's Oscar's. Some serious sea monsters in there. Writhing tentacles

I remember a certain article you wrote for a certain defunct publication praising the place.

Boy's gotta make a living writing PR for the masses I spose eh RH?

Supposedly Carter never went to Stadium. He wrote this fictional piece based on hearsay.
I couldn't get through his whole article... it just seemed to ramble on very much just like he speaks...

Hey - I like Oscars....

You are so right. every morning I look at myself in the mirror and say 'PB - you are so over rated"...

Then last nights takaway wakes up and says "Hello big boy. Wot you say?. You boom boom agian plis...."

Its hell being a bule.

Ah, the famous "hansum man" syndrome!

Getting the name of Ali's bar certainly didn't help either. He called it Clays. LOL. Anyway, I should have known he was a Canadian. Anyone who comes from a country with a gunja leaf on their national flag is going to take a while to get their point across. They not only speak and answer slowly, but they keep littering their conversation with 'far out dude', 'check it out' and 'whooooah man', and have to stop every five minutes to eat something sweet.

Further Canadians never seem to ever talk about sex. Just ice (mainly with pussies in pads skating on it), snow and Micheal J Fox.

Do you mean this flag Piss?

I think you're just jealous about how lax Canadian rules regarding mary-jane were when the liberals were in, now the conservatives are in and trying to change some of the things the liberals fought so hard for :P

I have been investigating this Canada place. Did you know that there is a Canadian Ice Service? (I almost want to insert a dancing banana in this post.) I actually don't know what it does but I would imagine it is something similar to Pizza Hutt. Like Pizza Hutt, I would also imagine, you would have a selection of different ice types to choose from because Canadians are into that sort of thing and can tell the difference.

Gonzo: “You feel like a number 32 from CIS tonight darling?”
Gonzo's wife: “Sure with a side of 11 and a 48 for desert.”

Strangely enough I came across CIS after typing in Canada, Ice and Sex in a search engine, but I can find nothing to do about sex. This proves Canadians are sexless.

"Your search - canada sex - did not match any documents.

Suggestions:
Make sure all words are spelled correctly.
Try different keywords.
Try more general keywords.
Try fewer keywords.
Try Google Blog Search.

Also, you can browse today's headlines on the Google News homepage."

try: canada sexe

(yes, in french)

I found a web site for exchanging couples, another one about "street workers", virtual sex, sex profesionnals in Canada, and so on...

English-speaking Canadians are frigids thanks to the British heritage... but French-speakers! Wow, baby, bring it on, we dont know taboo

Ali's is the bar where I don't wanna go. Had a fight and a lot of trouble around the place, and it's not me. The prices are good and the ambiance is unique, true that, the crew is nice, true that.

But why the hell do I have problems almost every time I get there ??

And no it's no me who's looking for it, I don't even drink.

if u are chinese like me dont hang around a pub where there are
lots of bule in jakarta u find the gals are mostly interested in
picking up a bule not a chinese. u better off hanging around the
fish bowl or karaoke bar there are lot of gals there waiting for u
not that i am against bule that is the way it works it happen everywhere in south east asia fron manila to bangkok even in shanghai home base of the chinese u go to a pub where there lots
of bule the chinese gals done even want to look at u. fuck man

in singapore if u go to the orchard tower all the pros are looking for bule dont waste your time if are a chinese
u are better off in geylang road or a karaoke bar

KIM, it's because chinese men are cheap bastards!

LMAO...touche...

It's true. French Canadian girls are R-A-U-N-C-H-Y poutine eating shaggin' machines.
God bless each and every one of them.

Agreed. Can't be bothered to read the whole article. P.S, Just interested to know whether Carter mentioned his preference for charming blok m bars (filled with equally charming specimens) and his particular fondness for degrading wet t-shirt contests where he was (water)rifle-man in chief??????????

Writing about the "sordid" side of Jakarta from that well-known centre of refinement Phnom Phen..c'mon

Heh heh. I worked with Get Carter. He claimed the floozies were too expensive and picky in Jakarta. Couldn't wait to get back to Kampuchean sleaze.

I'll do anything for a million Rupiah. You ask Chris Lambert.

Polish his knob did you? That must have been tasty.