Stand Alone Restaurant vs. In-Malls Restaurant, Which One is Better?

Being Jakartans, we’ve got a LOT of choices where to eat.  From fancy stand alone restaurants located in ‘the it’ place of the town, to well-known fast-food restaurants in malls. In my observance, stand alone restaurants nowadays are highly growing rather than in-malls restaurants. What makes them more popular than in-mall restaurants?

It was a sudden growth. When I went to Jl. Panglima Polim and saw the area was dotted with many restaurants, cafés, cake shops, and so on. I stopped at Taco Local, try to grabbed Mexican delicacies while noticed that a new restaurant was being built right next to the place. Taco Local itself was a fairly new place at the time of my first visit and it’s quite highly anticipated place, you can see a lot of people hang out there day and night. 

Speaking of which, when it comes to culinary journey, either stand alone restaurants or in-mall restaurants, I must say, both have positive sides. Here, I made several reasons on what the best you can get when you choose stand alone restaurants in Jakarta: 

1.      Exquisite Setting

Outside of the malls, there are many restaurant with great surroundings. From the downtown, urban area, to outskirt area with beach or garden view. There’s a lot of option to go and we can match it with our occasion. For example, you may go to a restaurant that can get you into romantic moment when you’re on a date or maybe choose a busy pace restaurant when you plan to go with your friends. 

2.      Creative Concept = FUN!

I’ve noticed that many stand alone restaurants have more interesting concept rather than in-mall restaurants. Either the décors, food selections, even marketing strategies. Some of them also hold live music too. These are what makes stand alone restaurants got a lot more attention nowadays, especially from young Jakartans who are always seeking for something new. And let’s admit it, there is somekind of “privilege” by visiting these kind of places, right? :p

3.      Freshly Made Food

I don’t know is it me or what, but somehow I rarely gets freshly made food at in-malls restaurant. Often times, I get a re-heated food. I guess when it comes to the freshness of the food, stand alone restaurants are the winner.  

However, there are some things about in-mall restaurants I just love: 

1.      One stop entertainment

Born and raised in Jakarta, I must say, malls are the most visited place to get myself entertained. In one of the fancy mall in Jakarta, you can get one stop entertainment in a place; from cinema, department store, salon, bookstore, karaoke club, restaurant, coffee shop, and much more! The plus side, we can walk around doing some window shopping while waiting the right time to eat, either to have a lunch, tea time, or dinner. 

2.      So many alternatives where to eat! 

The best part of eating at in-malls restaurants, we can get many choices while still considering the budget. When I’m broke, I can choose cheap fast food restaurant. And when I have spare money, I can walk in to fancy restaurant in the mall, have the best affogato in a hyped coffee shop, and end it with a pleasant dessert in a cake shop! :-P

3.      More comfortable for those who arrive by public transportations

Attending a stand-alone restaurant is not a good option when I’m using public transportation, because it’s a bit difficult to find nearest busway station or taxi line in front of stand-alone restaurants in Jakarta. Beside that, sometimes it’s rather inconvenient if we want to move to another place, so in the end we just hang out in one place for a very long time. 

Facing with so many options where to eat these days, what do you think suits you most, stand alone restaurants or in-mall restaurant? Let’s discuss!