French food with Indonesian twists. That’s the kind of food you’ll find at Glou Wine & Bistro, a cozy casual French bistro in Melawai. Opened last September by Jaddi+ in collaboration with Chef Renatta Moeloek and Chef Adam Rizal Pradana as the brains behind the French-(Peruvian-Spanish)-inspired menus, Glou also strives to highlight local produce by incorporating unique ingredients from all around Indonesia into their dishes. The idea translated into every plates that they served, giving patrons an elevated dining experience that is reminiscent of a home-cooked meal.

Greysuitcase Jakarta Restaurant Series: Glou Wine & Bistro, Wijaya, Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia.

The Food

Roasted Cauliflower (75k) | 8.5/10

Charred bell pepper sauce, tahini, almonds and pickled shallots.

The cauliflower was roasted nicely, giving that right amount of crunchiness without it being to hard. The sauce was creamy, savory and there’s a smokiness from the charred bell pepper that works wonderfully with the roasted cauliflower. The crispy almond gave a hint of nuttiness and added to the texture of the dish. And the pickled shallots were amazing. Just the right thing needed to balance the cauliflower and the sauce, making the overall dish brighter and more refreshing. This was my favorite dish from my visit.

Bone Marrow Escargots (185k) | 8/10

Escargots in herb and anchovy butter on top of a bone marrow.

The dish is nicely seasoned in butter and herbs with lemon. A nicely executed straight forward dish. We did ask for a bread replacement (I think they gave us sourdough) per a friend’s recommendation because according to her, the bread that came with dish was way too tough and since we aren’t really a fan of tough bread, we followed her recommendation and glad that we did. Also, appreciate that the restaurant accommodated our request.

Fish Meunière (175k) | 8/10

Pan seared whole flat fish with herb butter and lemon, pickled green Pontianak chilli.

The fish was fresh, didn’t taste fishy at all. Nicely cooked where the fish meat is still tender and the flavors are reminiscent of Indonesian flavors for sure.

Steak au Poivre (465k) | 8.5/10

Grilled US Prime steak, unripe green peppercorns from Bogor, andaliman and parsley.

Super tender and juicy meat, sliced nicely sitting on top of a plate full of brown sauce. I asked for a medium for the degree of doneness of the meat and this was one of those rare occasions in Jakarta where I actually get a medium steak on the plate (most restaurants usually served it over or under unless I’m at a nice steakhouse). That was pretty impressive. The green peppercorn sauce was also very delicious. I thought it’s going to be stronger, but the peppercorns were actually very subtle, making the whole dish very enjoyable and again, reminiscent of local flavors.

Overall Experience

The food at Glou Wine & Bistro certainly lived up to the concept of the restaurant itself, a casual neighborhood French bistro that reminds you of home. I actually didn’t know what the concept of the restaurant was prior to my visit because it was a last minute decision to go to try this place. But after I’m done with my meal, the first thing that came to mind was that the dishes and flavors of everything I ordered tasted like French food but with familiar Indonesian flavors infused to them which I was pleasantly surprised.

Service was also wonderful. The server who waited our table was friendly, knowledgeable about the menu and made us feel at home. They adjusted the timing of the food according to our request, checked-in periodically without feeling too overbearing and our glasses were kept full the whole time we were there.

Noise level was a bit high for me since it wasn’t a full house when I was there but as the evening progressed, I did had to raised my voice more and more so that my friend could hear me speak.

All and all, if you’re looking for a casual French bistro restaurant with wine selections, Glou Wine & Bistro is worth checking out.

Glou Wine & Bistro

Address: Jl. Wijaya II No.56, RT.5/RW.7, Melawai, Kec. Kby. Baru, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12160, Indonesia
Telephone: +62821 7000 1270
Hours: Mon-Sun 11.00 - late

Instagram: @glou.jakarta