Local Guide

Neighbourhood Guide: Thamrin

Hello FlokqJune 8, 2020

Central Jakarta is the administrative and political center of DKI Jakarta. Therefore, it is no wonder that Central Jakarta is jammed with towers of administrative offices and Central Business District (CBD). Thamrin is one of the districts that is included in Jakarta’s Central Business District, which means Thamrin mostly consists of business and government buildings. Thamrin highly contributes to Jakarta’s ever-growing skyline that is full of skyscrapers that house hundreds of businesses.

Check out our Neighbourhood Guide across Greater Jakarta
Setiabudi | Kelapa Gading | BSD | Karawaci | Gading Serpong

Even though Thamrin seems like a very formal neighborhood, judging from being a part of Jakarta’s Central Business District, Thamrin is just as lively as it is during the day with all the entertainments that Thamrin offers, where you can get together with your friends after work to release all the stress during the day. This neighborhood might not be the perfect fit for a residential area, as the area is full of commercial purposes, but this neighborhood surely is the best place for business. 

Thamrin is located right in the middle of the city, therefore you will have no problem traveling to Thamrin as the neighborhood is connected with a lot of public transportation, such as Transjakarta, Bus, and the newest public transportation yet in Jakarta, MRT. If you don’t want to ride on public transportation, you can always ride on your car or motorcycle, but just be careful of the Even-Odd Plate Policy, as Thamrin is one of the areas that is included in the policy. 

Shopping Malls

Thamrin is the home of the most luxurious shopping malls in Jakarta. The kind of malls that carry a lot of designer brands and has a lot of good restaurants. Here are the malls in Thamrin that you might want to visit: 

• Plaza Indonesia, one of the most luxurious shopping mall in Jakarta. Jl. M.H. Thamrin No.9, RT.9/RW.5, Gondangdia, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10350
• Grand Indonesia Shopping Town, the biggest shopping mall in Jakarta. Jl. MH Thamrin No.1, RW.5, Menteng, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310
• Sarinah Thamrin, the oldest mall in Jakarta. Jl. M.H. Thamrin No.11, RT.8/RW.4, Gondangdia, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10350

Nightclubs and Bars

There are a lot of nightclubs and bars around Central Jakarta, especially Thamrin as it is the heart of Jakarta. Here are some nightclubs and bars that you might want to visit: 

• Bart at Artotel, rooftop bar from a hotel in Central Jakarta. Jl. Sunda No.3, RT.8/RW.4, Gondangdia, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10350
• Social House, a restaurant-bar in the middle of bustling Jakarta. Jl. MH Thamrin No.1, RW.5, Menteng, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310
• SKYE Bar, enjoy sipping your alcohol from a whopping 56th-floor rooftop bar. Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 1, RT.001/RW.005, Menteng, RT.1/RW.5, Menteng, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10350

Coffee Shops

Coffee shops at Thamrin are no joke, they are very delicious and tasteful. There are a lot of coffee shops around the area that is served with high-quality roasted bean whilst being a good place to hang out. Here are some of our recommendations: 

• Djournal Coffee, a very famous coffee shop in Jakarta. Jl. MH Thamrin No.1, RW.5, Menteng, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310
• Filosofi Kopi, a coffee shop inspired by the movie Filosofi Kopi. Jl. Sunda No.3, RT.8/RW.4, Gondangdia, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10350
• Excelso, a long-standing coffee shop in Jakarta. Jl. MH Thamrin No.1, RW.5, Menteng, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310

Restaurants

Thamrin is filled with a lot of good delicious restaurants and it can be confusing where to eat from with all those many selections. Here we have listed some of the best restaurants at Thamrin that you might want to dine in: 

• Tangier, enjoy having authentic Moroccan cuisine. Jl. Tlk. Betung I, RT.3/RW.8, Kb. Melati, Kecamatan Tanah Abang, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10230
• Crystal Jade, take pleasure in having Cantonese cuisine. Jl. MH Thamrin No.1, RW.5, Menteng, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310
• Paulaner Brauhaus, enjoy having delicious sausage with a glass of beer. Jl. MH Thamrin No.1, RW.5, Menteng, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310

Also read our recommendation for Central Jakarta’s Best satay Spots

Hotels

If you are planning to spend the night around Thamrin, then here are some hotel recommendations in Thamrin that you might enjoy:

• Hotel Grand Hyatt, enjoy staying the night whilst looking at the iconic landmark of Jakarta. Jl. M.H. Thamrin No.9, RT.9/RW.5, Gondangdia, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10350
• Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, enjoy spending the night at the first 5-star hotel in Indonesia. Jl. MH Thamrin No.1, RW.5, Menteng, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310
• Hotel Mandarin Oriental, bask in the luxurious of staying at 5-star hotel in Jakarta. Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Menteng, Kec. Menteng, Jakarta, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310

Attractions

There are a few attractions in Gambir, most of them are history-related. Here are some places at Gambir where you can learn more about Indonesian history:

• Monumen Nasional (Monas), have a moment of silence to seize the beauty of the monument reminisce the fight of Indonesian against the colonials. Gambir, Kecamatan Gambir, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta
• Patung M. H. Thamrin, a dedicated statue of M. H. Thamrin to appreciate his fight against colonialism. Jl. Medan Merdeka Sel., RT.5/RW.2, Gambir, Kecamatan Gambir, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10110
• Monumen Selamat Datang, an iconic landmark of Jakarta. Jl. Kebon Melati 1 No.5, RT.1/RW.5, Menteng, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310

Transportation

Transportation in Thamrin is very diverse and strategic as the area is located in the very heart of Jakarta. Most of the time, people use their own vehicle or use online transportation services, but if you would like to avoid Jakarta’s congested traffic jam, then public transportation is the way to go. Here are some public transportations that are available in Thamrin: 

• Train: MRT is available to use around Thamrin. You could easily have access to go to Senayan, Blok M, and others. 
• Cars: There are a lot of taxis around Thamrin as it is filled with shopping malls. If you would like to save some money, then you can go around using angkot
• Bus: Transjakarta is everywhere in Thamrin, you can easily access a lot of area if you are using Transjakarta. 

Now that you get the idea of getting around Thamrin, you should check our complete transportation guide in Jakarta: Public Transportation Options in Jakarta.

So, there you have a neighborhood guide through Thamrin. We hope you have fun exploring the area with this list of recommended places!