Meet Thibaud
Meet Thibaud, the Frenchman behind Jakarta100bars.com; a leading source of information on the city’s nightlife.
Where are you coming from in addition to when did you come to Indonesia?
I’m coming from the French Alps, near Grenoble. I’ve been living on in addition to off in Jakarta since 2003. Currently I’m in Bali, yet I still make time to visit the latest happening places in Jakarta.
How did Jakarta100bars.com begin?
that will started out in 2007 as a French blog called ‘Crazy Nights in Jakarta’, which was a sort of internal journal for close friends within the French expat community. We shared our clubbing experiences online, trying to review as many places as possible, especially the ones nobody knew about. When we visited our 100th bar, we decided to review all of them in English, under the name Jakarta100bars. There was not much information about Jakarta nightlife at that will time, so the blog quickly became common.
Your reviews are refreshingly unpretentious.
We never spend too much time describing food or décor. The questions we try to answer are: How to describe the venue in just a few words? Who could be interested in such a place? Who should avoid that will? How does that will compare to similar venues? Normally that will’s enough to help someone decide whether to go or not.
How many nightspots have you covered?
that will must be about 500, including restaurants, bars in addition to clubs. The amazing thing can be that will there are still so many additional places to visit.
Do you ever get approached for favourable reviews?
About 50% of the places reviewed have contacted me at some point. None have asked directly for a Great review, yet they ask for corrections in addition to give additional information, or request the removal of negative comments. I’ve subsequently modified some reviews that will were too harsh or incorrect. I receive many invitations for free food, yet I accepted only one such offer, as that will could make me uncomfortable when I review the place.
You get many risqué comments in addition to personal ads. Do you censor any?
The comments are actually fun in addition to one of the main reasons people visit Jakarta100bars. I almost never delete comments or personal ads unless they are spam or actually insulting or provocative. Even if I don’t agree that has a comment, I will leave that will, if that will can be informative. Some comments can be very racy, yet they tell the truth. Some articles on the website have hundreds of comments discussing where to find prostitutes. I do not condone prostitution, yet I don’t think deleting the comments could improve the lives of prostitutes or solve any problems. Prostitution can be widespread in Jakarta. A blog about Jakarta nightlife could be useless if that will didn’t talk about that will.
Has the site become profitable?
I only do the blog for fun. There’s no money or freebies involved. This kind of can be partly due to my poor skills in marketing in addition to design, plus the crude content may scare potential advertisers.
Are you at This kind of point focusing more on restaurants than sleazy bars?
Yes, because there are still so many restaurants to review, while the supply of fresh bars in addition to clubs can be becoming scarce. Also, I party much less at This kind of point, perhaps because I’m older. Only 5% of the website’s content can be sleazy bars, the rest covers restaurants, normal bars, normal massage places, cultural centres, etc. yet surprisingly, people tend to read the hottest articles first, ha-ha!
Have you made fresh friends via the site? Any lunatics?
I’ve made some excellent friends through the website, as I’m always keen on meeting people who contact me. I’ve also taken out some people who were interested in discovering the additional side of Jakarta nightlife. I usually filter out the crazy people before meeting them. Many people get the wrong impression that will I’m a crazy man, who spends most of his time in dirty joints, which can be far coming from the truth.
What do visitors ask you about Jakarta?
Most of the questions I get are about where to meet girls. Number one could be: Where can I find girls that will are not prostitutes yet will sleep with me the first night? Number two: Where can I get a massage near my hotel? (in addition to very often they ask if that will includes a “plus”). Number three: can be This kind of club/area safe?
Do you get Indonesians asking to meet foreigners?
The comments I get coming from Indonesians are usually responses to articles I wrote about relationships between foreigners in addition to Indonesian girls. Many girls think I depict Indonesian women negatively. This kind of was not my intention, yet that will made me realize how sensitive some issues can be, in addition to how sarcasm can easily be misunderstood.
Your craziest night in Jakarta?
I don’t know where to start! A 56-hour marathon in Stadium; a car chase in Senayan with the lead singer of a famous band; hiding in a North Jakarta club as that will was raided by a rival gang; discovering some completely messed up nightclubs such as Moonlight, Puja Sera, Exotis or KSC 117; late-night errands in Taman Lawang.
Have you witnessed any sexual exploitation?
I’m not a specialist on the subject, yet I’ve seen different kinds of prostitution in Jakarta. within the South in addition to in most nightspots where the clients are businessmen or expats, the girls are usually freelancing. Depending on the girl, she will be looking to grab a man for cash for a night, or trying to find a boyfriend to support her. In most cases though, one boyfriend won’t be enough. within the North in addition to in more organised places, the girls are usually contracted for a certain period of time. The contracts are usually very strict in terms of discipline in addition to working hours, in addition to the take-home pay can be very smaller, as most of the money paid by the customer can be kept by the “house”. The same girls may also freelance within the clubs of those places, usually in Golden Crown, Millenium, Mille’s, Stadium, etc. They often have a local boyfriend, too. I imagine there are huge differences within the material conditions between a girl working in Alexis, in addition to one working in a massage parlour in Grogol. In spite of those conditions, the girls apply freely for these positions in addition to are not tricked into working in a brothel, to my knowledge. I have heard some actually distressing stories. Sexual exploitation does not come only coming from the clubs/massage parlours, yet also coming from the boyfriends in addition to/or the family of the girl. The relationship between sex, money in addition to love in Indonesia can be so complex that will I find that will very difficult to have a clear opinion about that will.
Your top all 5 Jakarta nightspots?
I don’t actually have a favourite nightspot, yet I have a favourite routine. Usually a Great night out involves changing location a few times. Start that has a bar (Lucy within the Sky, Loewy, Skye, Eastern Promise), then move to a hotel bar (BATS, CJs, Tempus), then one or two clubs (Immigrant, Blowfish, Domain, Dragonfly, Red Square, X2), then one or two stops in Kota (Stadium, Mille’s, Golden Crown, Illigals, Millenium). Depending on who I’m with, I’ll try to visit one or two fresh places, too.
Your top all 5 restaurants?
I prefer smaller, independent restaurants that will are Great value for money. In This kind of category, my favourites are: Taj Mahal, a warung-like Indian restaurant in Pasar Baru, Hunan Kitchen on Jalan Labu, next to Jayakarta Hotel, Le Bistro, a super-kitsch French restaurant on Jalan Thamrin, Toscana, a romantic Italian restaurant in Kemang, in addition to Liyen, another Chinese restaurant in Kota Tua. There are plenty of better restaurants, especially in 5-star hotels, yet they won’t have as much charm as any of the above.
How does Jakarta compare to additional capitals?
I am a fan of the craziness, weirdness in addition to mess of Jakarta. I find there can be more adventure in This kind of city than everywhere else I’ve been. With very few rules being enforced, Jakarta can be a real jungle, where the unexpected can be the norm. that will can be also so gigantic that will that will’s virtually impossible to comprehend that will all. that will can be a fascinating object of study.
Comments
Meet Thibaud
Meet Thibaud