Brunch is a marvellous occasion. You’re probably familiar with weekend brunches. But how about “ weekday brunches”?
I’ve never had brunch on a Thursday or any other weekday before, yet there I was at noon, feeling overwhelmingly tired from the insane Jakarta traffic back to “normal”, comfortably relaxing on a navy blue couch against pastel blue cushions, imagining the foods from the descriptions on a brunch menu of one of the capital’s luxurious gems, ALICE at The Langham, Jakarta. To my surprise, plenty of weekday-brunchers chose to grace their middays too.
If “Alice” sounds familiar to you – aside from being a friend’s name – you’re not wrong to wonder if the famed animated and live adaptation movies correlate to this eatery. Pulling inspiration from Lewis Caroll’s famous book “Alice in Wonderland”, the Grand Café ALICE is ready to welcome connoisseurs to dine in the intimate setting of Wonderland. The Langham, Jakarta invites you on a wondrous journey of scrumptious brunches, exquisite dinners, and the legendary afternoon tea with inspired sweet and savoury bites since its opening on 9th March 2022.
“ALICE brings to life the culture of the quintessentially British afternoon tea and serves as a gourmet rendezvous to celebrate every day, from morning until evening, for the city’s tastemakers and their loved ones,” said Alexander Poindl, General Manager of The Langham, Jakarta.
Just like the movies, ALICE is playful as it’s elegant. The movies teach us that risks have rewards, self-discovery, acceptance of others’ differences, not lingering in the past, and standing up for ourselves. ALICE encourages you to feel inspired.
You won’t be seeing the movie set designs interpreted here but small details are obvious. For example, the waiters are dressed in white button shirts underneath black vests. That’s Madhatter’s signature look minus his hat and blazer! ALICE is a dreamy place where creativity flourishes. Langham’s DNA derives from two strands: the staff are empowered while the guests are inspired. Every moment embraces artistically-presented food and beverages with a French twist.
ALICE is a sophisticated Grand Café. Describing an eatery as “grand” means its size or appearance is very impressive. Indeed ALICE is accommodating up to 115 diners. The front dining space upon entry is exquisite. Chandeliers top the ceiling, the white walls are Art Deco-inspired accentuated in gold, the marble black and white floors glow bright like after getting a facial done, the mirrored tables dismiss your need to use your compact powder or phone for a quick touch up, and the navy blue chairs don’t make your bosom exhausted from long sittings. Then, there’s the dessert corner. An array of freshly-baked, mouth-watering desserts with no additional sugars are displayed in a glass cabinet. Each bite is infused with fresh fruits, down their signature sweet yet sour flavours. Nothing guilty about that.
Turning left, more dining spaces are present. Don’t miss the black and gold Art Deco bar. The bartenders are busy shaking and stirring concoctions of cocktails to serve diners a bubbly brunch. Interestingly, ALICE happens to be the bar in the city with the most extensive gin collection. You won’t be induced with merely a gin and tonic. Let your mind expand as the bartenders have poured creativity into their gin mixes.
A vast rectangular space of more mirrored tables, black chairs, and grey sofas seat more ladies having social gatherings, businessmen holding meetings over crucial matters, as well as families in a culinary wonderland. There’s also an outdoor patio where you can people-watch crossing from the hotel to Ashta 8.
My French-inspired brunch included the revitalising seared tuna salad with black sesame and orange glazed tuna, wakame, and edamame; the comforting lobster cappuccino with lobster essence, milk froth, and rouille crouton; the hearty short rib with 28-hour slow-cooked beef short rib braised with veal jus; the comforting seasonal vegetables in a buttery puff pastry shell; the addicting poached salmon and caviar with poached Norwegian salmon with aromatic broth, shimeji mushroom, dill oil, and caviar beurre blanc; the lavish ALICE billionaire burger; and the nostalgic fried mac and cheese balls with creamy tomato sauce. Yes, that’s a lot but I’m having a weekday brunch for the first time!
The signature ALICE billionaire burger is the brunch best-seller and a highly-recommended dish for first-timers – the name itself sold me. An all-time favourite, this burger is also served during dinner. ALICE’s chefs craft a luxurious 30-day dry-aged beef patty with smooth duck foie gras and classic beef wagyu, topped with beef bacon, and loaded with truffle aioli. The final touch is the 24K edible gold layer on top of the bun. I bet Alice’s wonderland didn’t have this – only The Langham, Jakarta serves this unique burger!
Aside from brunch, ALICE serves the highly-recommended modern yet classic and sophisticated afternoon teas: LANGHAM and ALICE, both serving savoury and sweet treats. The scones’ recipe is from The Langham, London dating back to 1865.
ALICE is the perfect place to have a legendary British afternoon tea, following the exact culture of the tea (no pun intended). If you desire tantalising light meals over fruitful conversations with chic French music in the background and changing lighting throughout the day, regardless of the time and day of the week, ALICE is it! Brunch is open from 7:30am to 1pm with the last order at 12:30pm.
Welcome to wonderland! Rest assured, no rabbit holes and obstacles will be endured.
- ALICE – The Langham, Jakarta
- Address: Sudirman Central Business District, District 8 SCBD, Lot 28, Senayan, South Jakarta, 12190.
- Tel: +62 858-8388-8805
- Website: https://www.langhamhotels.com/en/the-langham/jakarta/dining/alice/
- Instagram: @langham_jakarta