Tucked inside the iconic Grand Hyatt Jakarta, Cosmo Pony is more than a bar—it’s a destination, where the city’s vibrant energy and warm hospitality are distilled into an elevated cocktail experience. Brought to you by hospitality powerhouses Union Group of Jakarta and the team behind Asia’s No. 3 bar, Singapore’s Jigger & Pony, it has quickly established itself as one of the region’s most compelling addresses, landing at No. 38 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 within its first year.

The room is a cocktail of textures and moods: vintage Italian furniture mingling with custom woodwork, soft leather brushing against lush velvet, all glowing under a warm, golden light. Two bars hum with energy, framing a charming view of Jakarta’s ever-moving traffic—romantic, almost cinematic, especially when admired with a Martini in hand.

At the heart of Cosmo Pony is its debut menu, Rising City, a poetic love letter to Jakarta and Indonesia’s people and bounty. Curated by general manager Silvio Daniele, the drinks balance creativity with approachability, celebrating local ingredients without overcomplication. Highlights include: the Tequila Cosmo, a playful nod to the Cosmopolitan’s ’90s heyday; the Ugly Banana, a tropical riff on the whisky sour; and the bold Black Pepper Sazerac. Large-format punch bowls and reserve premium cocktails are also on the menu if you fancy.

What makes Cosmo Pony remarkable is not only the craftsmanship of its cocktails, but the sense of place it captures. It is at once cosmopolitan and unmistakably Jakarta—sophisticated, dynamic and unafraid to charm.

—by Viranlly Liemena

Step through the glass doors and let the elevator whisk you back to another, more gracious time. Welcome to Le 9e, a perfectly restored Art Deco masterpiece on the ninth floor of the Eaton Building in downtown Montreal. 

Back in 1927, Lady Flora Eaton, whose family owned the Eaton’s department stores, commissioned the French architect Jacque Carlu to design a restaurant inspired by the dining room in the Île-de-France transatlantic ocean liner. It became one of the finest examples of Art Deco design in Canada, and the place for ladies to lunch after their shopping sprees. But in 1999 the company filed for bankruptcy and the restaurant closed, a bagpiper mournfully playing Amazing Grace to mark its passing.