There’s even more of a reason to hang out (responsibly) at Union now, as the establishment has again entered the coveted Asia’s 50 Best Bars list. This year, the popular brasserie, bakery, and bar placed 33rd in the annual ranking — its best placement ever.
“The list of single-malt whiskies is among the best in town, but signatures such as the Public Enemy No.1 (bourbon, cynar, cherry liqueur and absinthe) are equal crowd-pleasers — as well as a twist on a Negroni made with arak, a traditional Indonesian distillate,” read the site’s description of Union.
The bar’s signature cocktails were described by the site as the “winning combination” that propelled Union to become the only entry from Indonesia in the list, and, as such, saw it named the Best Bar in the country this year.
Headed by mixologist Kiki Moka, Union has been the go-to place for many Jakartans since the early 2010s. Union was established by those behind the Loewy in Kuningan, the bistro and bar often credited with bringing craft cocktail culture to Indonesia’s capital. Both Loewy and Union belong to The Union Group, along with six other popular restaurants and bars in Jakarta.
From brunch until late, patrons usually go for Union’s bistro fare, cakes, and cocktails. There are currently seven Union locations across Jakarta: Plaza Senayan, Senayan City, Pondok Indah Mall’s Street Gallery, Grand Indonesia, Central Park Mall, Mall Kelapa Gading 3, and PIK Avenue.
Union has been constantly representing Indonesia since Asia’s 50 Best Bars published its rankings in 2016. In the first edition of the awards, Loewy and Union came in at 32nd and 36th, respectively. The only year that Union didn’t appear in the list was in 2017.
In this year’s list, Union was preceded by Shanghai’s Speak Low (32nd) and followed by Seoul’s Bar Cham (34th). The top three bars in Asia this year were Hong Kong’s Coa (1st), Singapore’s Jigger & Pony (2nd), and Tokyo’s The SG Club (3rd).
Also Read — Asia’s 50 Best Bars: Hong Kong’s Coa topples Singapore’s Jigger & Pony for No. 1 spot
