Christmas Eve Dinner At Alto Jakarta
After arriving at the Four Season, which you can read my full review here (INSERT LINK), Christmas Eve dinner was around the corner. In a lot of major hotels around the world, you will be offered a set menu for that night. However, the ambiance of this restaurant blew me away, combining that with the fact they treated me spectacularly, this was one of the best dinners I have ever had.
I pre-reserved this reservation for 1.6 million IDR, which is just north of 100 USD per person (106). Wine was a little bit extra so it came out to 2.1 million for the evening.
Heading upstairs, I was greeted at the entrance to the restaurant by name, "Mr. Tillman, it's so good to see you, how are you"? The manager escorted me to the table in the house with the best view, overlooking the city.
This is what the menu entailed for the night.
Since they know how much I love my Aperol Spritz, a surprise, complementary one was brought over, and made to perfection! Along with the 3 amuse bouches. The Codfish Brandard was marvelous! The classic warm Alto bread was accompanied by the amuse bouches as well as sparkling water.
I had to put my full feelings aside for the night and dig in, lots of good food yet to come! Next up was the foie gras terrine which was rich, but flavorful. The manager and assistant manager came over every few minutes to check on me which was thoughtful. I feel at home here as I know most of the staff, they are very friendly, but most of all kind.
2 courses down, 4 to go...
Oh my lord! The tortellini was divine! Completely melted away in my mouth. I accompanied this dish with a glass of New Zealand red.
The chef came over (amazing guy), and asked me how everything was. Even on the busiest night of the year (sold out), he made an effort to check in on me!
At this point, I needed a little bit of time to digest, so I headed to the smoking area outside (more on that later). They said to me "Take a break, no problem, when you are ready for the next course let us know".
Eventually, I came back inside, and within 10 minutes the next course came out... a Chilean Sea Bass.
While I personally am not the biggest fan of fish, this was an exception. My mother would have lost it with this fish since she adores sea bass.
I also asked the manager to take a picture of me, which he was happy to do.
Ok, Konrad, I have to put my coma feelings away. We had the highlight of the meal next, the Wagyu Beef...
More wine was offered, and since it was Christmas Eve, why not? The Wagyu beef was number 3 on the best dishes. That doesn't speak to it being bad, it wasn't, it speaks to how good every dish was for this dinner.
The Beef was tender, cooked perfectly, and a perfect way to end the meal. Or so I thought...
My original plan of attack was to skip dessert since I was about to burst. However, a special dessert (not on the menu) was presented to me by the manager. It was a panna cotta base which usually I am not a fan of. However, I managed to eat about half of it. Considering I'm not a fan of Panna Cotta, this was extremely good! The decoration on top was made of chocolate 🥰. I devoured that part 😅.
A limoncello (complimentary) was accompanied by this course.
Overall, I am happy to say that this was one of the finest meals I've had in a long time. Accompanied by the live music going on in the background the setting was perfect for a Christmas Eve!
Santa made his way all the way from the North Pole to show up at this dinner 😉. Do you think he was a reservation or a walk-in?
He went around to every table offering candies and good conversation.
Naturally, being a kid inside, I asked to have my picture taken with him. At the end of the day, it's Christmas time!!!!!!
As I mentioned earlier, there is an outdoor area that overlooks the city. Between a few courses, I headed outside to enjoy some fresh air. Words can't describe how peaceful it is out here, feels like a home away from home.
A blurry picture of the view.
This is where Alto shines for me. I grew up going to Gleneagles every year which had a very similar Christmas offering. However, the service at this restaurant is one of a kind. Every single staff member is truly incredible in how they care, act, are kind, and conversational (only if you want). Here are a couple of notes.
Asking how my year has been (I haven't been back in 4 months).
The complementary Aperol Spritz on arrival, it's a small gesture but means a lot.
A beautiful table was reserved for me and the wonderful manager took care of me.
I was addressed as "Pak" which translates to Sir, a sign of respect.
The Chef came around to check on how the food was...
I headed to the bar after where me and the bartender got into chatting for a while. He let me try the local gin (wooooo, it's strong) and served me a Codigo Rosa to the outside area after the meal. Another stellar man!
The service here is incredible, from start to finish, you will be surprised at how well they treat the guests.
After spending 3 hours in the restaurant, I had to get back to my room to grab some rest as I was heading on a long adventure the next day. After saying my goodbyes, I found a gorgeous Christmas tree by the elevator.
With my white outfit, I thought it was a nice photo idea of me standing in front of it. Needless to say, it turned out amazingly.
Once I made it down the stairs and through the hallway, I arrived to my suite. A little Christmas gift had been left for me by the Four Seasons staff consisting of chocolates. Did I mention that Alto gave me a handwritten Christmas card wishing me a Merry Christmas from all of the staff. So thoughtful, thank you!
Before, I summarize everything that happened, I want people to know that this wasn't a one-off occurence. I have plenty of experiences dining at Alto with the same level of food and the same level of service. However, the staff made this Christmas Eve very special. All of the courses that were presnted were phenomenal, the aperol spritz upon arrival was thoughtful, the conversations with staff were warm, the wine ended a perfect evening and the live Christmas carols were the cherry on top. If you happen to be in Jakarta, I cannot recommend this restaurant enough. From the original menu, the pasta dishes are divine as well as the steak. Cocktails are crafted to perfection while Alto has some of the best wine offerings in town.
After a long day I winded down with a bubble bath, and headed off to bed at 10pm with a wakeup call schedule for 2:30😒. Singapore First Class here I come!
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