Top Rated Shopping in Jakarta

The biggest mall in the country and one of the biggest in South East Asia, Grand Indonesia has a lot to brag about. The tenants range from heavy weights like Chanel, Gucci, Seibu, and Harvey Nichols, to casual names like Topshop, Guess and Zara to everything locals Alun-alun. They also have tons of food outlets including the upscale Palalada and Y&Y Grill and family favorites Food Louver and Food Hall. The biggest attraction in the mall is the Crossroads of the World section. In this part, the plaza is decorated to have the atmosphere from other countries like Morocco, France, China, and USA with the crowd-pleaser dancing water fountain showing hourly. Don't miss the 8th floor of the mall where the biggest (and funkiest) cinema, Blitzmegaplex is located.

Located at the heart of Jakarta's financial district and adjacent to Senayan Sports Complex, this elegant mall features Metro Department Store, Sogo Department Store, Armani and Versace. It also offers the seven-cinema Studio 21 Cineplex. The food court definitely merits a visit. Rest your legs after a frantic day of shopping and choose from various local and international vendors, including Mrs. Fields, Soto (for traditional chicken soup) and Gentong.

If you wish to shop on a budget then Jakarta's Blok M is the place for you to be. The mall is quite extensive and it is occupied by a variety of shops selling everything from clothing, accessories, footwear, toys, accessories to books, records and more. Establishments such as tailor shops, and computer repair stores also occupy a part of the mall. Lined with several eateries, Blok M is also a perfect place to sample delicious street food.

Pasar Baru is a rare street in Jakarta, in that you can actually stroll along it. It's definitely not for the branded shoppers, but more for those looking for stores with old-time feeling. Locals come here for family-owned stores that mostly sell shoes, textiles and watches. Have lunch in Bakmi Gang Kelinci or Bakmi Abun, both are long-time favorites of noodle fans, then shop for second-hand fashion in Metro Atom (closed on Sundays). Vintage shirts, dresses, belts, jackets and everything are as cheap as USD1-don't forget to bargain though. No vehicles are allowed in Pasar Baru, so begin the walk from Metro Atom at Jalan H. Samanhudi then take the long-needed walk towards the rear end where the historic Gedung Kesenian Jakarta (Jakarta's Art Center) is located.

Bartele Gallery has been delighting connoisseurs of antiques since 2009. A wonderful gallery taking pride in their extensive collection of rare books, archaic maps, photos, and antiquities, this gallery-shop is a treasure chest waiting to unravel itself. A perfect place to pick up a souvenir for someone who would appreciate rare prints, the Bartele Gallery is a collector's dream.

Spend time browsing English books and magazines here could take hours. Their specialty is coffee-table books, but that doesn't mean they lack paperbacks or contemporary literatures. The magazine rack in the back corner is one of the city's bests. Aksara also famous for its CD collections that boasts one-of-its-kind local indie bands produced by Aksara themselves to hard-to-find soundtracks to European titles. Other treasures are the stationary corner for inspiring essentials like Moleskine notebooks or some paperweights. And if those are not enough, sip a coffee in the café where local artists like to hang out.