A Romantic Night Out for Two

Yoshi Izakaya at the Gran Melia Jakarta is one of many restaurants rolling out a special menu for Valentine’s Day. (Photo courtesy of Yoshi Izakaya)

Valentine’s Day means chocolates and sweets, candlelight dinners and declarations of love.

We have compiled a list of our favorite romantic restaurants in Jakarta, where sharing a delicious meal prepared with love will definitely add to an enjoyable evening.

Yoshi Izakaya

The Japanese restaurant and bar at the Gran Melia Jakarta hotel is located quite strategically in Kuningan. Yoshi Izakaya also offers a warm and cozy ambience — a perfect setting for all lovebirds.

For this Valentine’s Day, the Japanese restaurant offers a special four-course dinner with a glass of the house wine or juice or soft drinks for the set price of Rp 622,000++ ($51) per couple.

Among the Valentine’s menu is Yoshi’s three-kind signature starters, Zensai Sanshu, which consists of sesame-flavored tofu, fresh tuna and avocado tartar and deep-fried scallop, a choice of lobster and oysters or beef and gindara for the main course, and a choice of Valentine’s sweet desserts to flavor the evening.

After dinner you can sit at the bar and sample some of the restaurant’s premium sake and sochu. The rarest among the collection include Jyozen Mizunogotoshi Ginjyo sake, Imo Shochu (distilled beverage made from sweet potato) and Umeshu Kajitsushu (Japanese plum wine).

Lan Na Thai

When it comes to ambience, not many restaurants in Jakarta can keep up with the artful and elegant Thai restaurant Lan Na Thai, located in the heart of the city.

The dim lighting, paintings and sculptures create a very special atmosphere. Throw in exquisite Thai cuisine — set menus for Valentine’s Day start from around Rp 400,000 — paired with the best wines from around the world, and you have a perfect evening planned.

In the same building, and equally sophisticated, is Indian restaurant Hazara as well as the popular Face Bar, where couples can go for a cocktail after dinner.

Emilie

Since its establishment in 2005, Emilie has become a favorite in Jakarta’s fine dining scene and is the first go-to restaurant where French cuisine is concerned. Having won plenty of awards — its wine collection has received the “Award of Excellence” from New York-based Wine Spectator Magazine every year since 2007 — Emilie may seem quite expensive. But it is generally money well spent.

One can order a la carte or set menus with either two or three courses (priced at Rp 280,000 and Rp 340,000 respectively).

A seven-course degustation menu with optional wine pairing is also available for dinner (Rp 1.2 million andRp 850,000 for the wine pairing). To round off the evening, stop by at the restaurant’s bar for a refreshing cocktail.

Seribu Rasa

Providing excellent Indonesian fusion dishes, Seribu Rasa in Menteng, Central Jakarta, has become a restaurant that people keep returning to.

Meaning “One Thousand Flavors,” Seribu Rasa has a signature charm as it represents the diversity of Indonesian cuisine fused with rich Southeast Asian flavors with the freshest ingredients.

To experience this in a more romantic setting, book a table by the courtyard to be enchanted by the restaurant’s ethnic-inspired surroundings.

Along with a friendly service, and scrumptious signature dishes like Mie Jawa and Udang Gulung Tempoe Doeloe, Seribu Rasa might just be the right place for you and that special someone for a night to remember.

Moovina

Treat your loved one to a most memorable evening at Moovina with executive chef Mirko Lanini’s specialties. Valentine’s Day packages and a new a la carte menu are available.

Valentine’s Day at Moovina is celebrated with special “Kiss from a Rose” menu for a memorable evening. The special menu is a four-course for couples that will serve you appetizer, pasta combination, a main menu of your choice and a dessert to share. For appetizer, you can choose between the pan-roasted duck breast salad, tuna tartar with avocado or the goat cheese flan. The choices for pasta are a bit daring with the black ink tagliolini with fresh crab or porcini mushroom with black truffle ravioli. As for the main course, you can opt between oven-roasted Australian lamb with bacon and herb crust, or mint and vegetable salmon with bearnaise sauce.

The “Kiss from a Rose” menu will cost Rp 488,000 for couples, excluding beverages. If you want to add a bottle of Domaine Chandon Brut or a bottle of Moet & Chandon Brut within your “Kiss and a Rose” special menu, there’s package options to make it cheaper.

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