Esa: Where to Eat in Jakarta

What Esa actually is

Esa isn’t a Betawi restaurant reinterpreting itself for tourists; it’s three Jakarta chefs, Aditya Muskita, Jessica Eveline and Kevindra Soemantri, building a tasting menu that treats the city’s own food history as raw material.

The kitchen calls its style “New Jakarta Cuisine.” That means Betawi staples, the cooking of Jakarta’s indigenous community, reworked with European technique and plating.

The room runs as a gallery-style degustation. Courses are presented more like sequential art pieces than a stacked plate of rice and sides, and the whole meal is designed to be read as a single narrative rather than a menu of separate dishes.

Why it’s on the radar right now

Esa was named among Tatler’s 20 Best Restaurants in Indonesia 2026, a list that tends to move reservation books fast. That kind of recognition for a Betawi-rooted concept is unusual; most Jakarta fine dining leans French, Japanese or pan-Asian.

The three founding chefs aren’t unknowns experimenting quietly. Their pedigree is part of why the “New Jakarta Cuisine” label is being taken seriously rather than treated as a marketing line.

For a visitor, that translates into a straightforward reason to book: this is a chance to eat Betawi flavors reconstructed by people who trained in fine dining, not a casual warung take on the same ingredients.

Booking a table

Treat Esa like any award-listed tasting-menu restaurant: reserve ahead rather than walking in.

• Book online or by phone before you travel; degustation seats sell out faster once a “best of” list drops.
• Confirm current opening days and seating times directly with the restaurant. None are published here because they can change.
• Ask about the tasting menu’s current price and course count when you book. Degustation pricing shifts with the seasonal menu.
• Flag dietary restrictions at reservation, not at the table. Tasting menus are sequenced and harder to modify on the spot.

Ordering and pacing the meal

Come in expecting a set sequence, not an à la carte night. Gallery-style degustation means the kitchen controls pacing, so budget a couple of hours rather than a quick dinner.

Because the concept leans on Betawi heritage, ask your server what each course references. Part of the value here is the story behind a dish, not just its plating.

Dress and pace yourself for a fine-dining rhythm: slower service, wine or pairing options likely offered, and a check that reflects a chef-driven tasting format rather than a casual meal. Confirm final details, hours and reservation policy with Esa directly before your visit, since award-season restaurants often adjust both quickly.