The St. Regis Bar Jakarta has unveiled a conceptual cocktail program that transports guests into the heart of 1920s New York jazz culture, blending live music, storytelling, and ritual into one of Asia’s most immersive bar experiences.
Ranked No. 22 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025, the bar draws inspiration from the era when jazz, nightlife, and modern bar culture were being shaped in real time. Improvisation, elegance, rebellion, and social energy define the concept, creating a space where cocktails become cultural narratives rather than simple drinks.
The new New York-Inspired Cocktails collection treats each serve as a chapter in jazz history. Its third volume, released in January, introduces drinks inspired by legendary musicians, venues, and Prohibition-era icons. Duke Ellington’s refined orchestration becomes Duke of Jazz No. 2, a cognac sour reflecting composure and balance. Louis Armstrong’s exuberant trumpet lives on in Pop’s, with bright effervescence echoing his signature bursts of sound. The secret codes of the Cotton Club inspire 403 Negroni, while the Savoy Ballroom’s dance floor finds expression in the energetic Happy Feet. Even Al Capone’s bartending years surface in Crimer-Tender, recalling how fresh ingredients once softened harsh bootleg gin.
“Each cocktail is rooted in a specific jazz figure, venue, or song from that era,” says Bar Manager Paulo Naranjo, formerly of The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore. “We translate personality and rhythm into flavor, creating a cultural timeline you can taste.”
Beyond the drinks themselves, St. Regis rituals elevate the experience into theater. The Violet Hour marks the transition from day to night with a refined martini ceremony, while The Art of Sabrage and dramatic Bloody Mary presentations turn service into performance. Every glass, garnish, and explanation is curated to honor both the legend behind the cocktail and the St. Regis tradition of precision.
Live music remains central to the concept. The Rapture Band performs six nights a week, restoring the intimate relationship between sound, conversation, and drinking culture that once defined jazz clubs of the 1920s. Here, music shapes not just the mood, but the rhythm of the entire evening.
Under Naranjo’s leadership, the bar has also launched “Raising The Bar,” a guest mixologist series inspired by jazz collaboration. Visiting bartenders reinterpret the 1920s theme through one-night-only menus and creative exchanges. Upcoming 2026 takeovers include Bvlgari Ginza Bar, Hope & Sesame, Dean & Nancy, and Obsidian Bar, reinforcing Jakarta’s growing influence in Asia’s cocktail landscape.
The bar’s rapid rise—from No. 88 in 2024 to No. 22 in 2025—reflects a long-term cultural vision rather than trend-driven success. Alongside recognition from Tatler Best Asia 100 Bars, the achievement positions Jakarta among the region’s leading cocktail cities.
Located in the Golden Triangle at Rajawali Place, The St. Regis Bar Jakarta is open daily from 5:30 PM to 1:00 AM, with live jazz performances from 8:00 PM. In a city where modern nightlife is evolving quickly, this bar offers something rare: a living archive of jazz history, served one cocktail at a time.
