Jakarta’s dining landscape has entered a dazzling new chapter, marked by the near-simultaneous arrival of two international culinary heavyweights: Íñigo Urrechu with his flame-forward Basque grill house, Erre & Urrechu Jakarta, and multi-award-winning British chef Kirk Westaway with the refined The Crown at Fairmont Jakarta. Different in spirit yet united in ambition, these venues encapsulate the capital’s growing appetite for global excellence served with unmistakable flair.
At Gran Meliá Jakarta, Urrechu channels the soul of the Basque hearth through “Erre”—the art of cooking over open fire. Jackfruit wood and tamarind bark perfume the grill, setting the tone for a menu shaped by smoke, heat, and exuberant Mediterranean warmth. Croquettes emerge with a crackling shell and molten centers of tiger prawn or slow-braised rib-eye.
Grilled octopus softens at the touch of a fork, while a magnificent Australian wagyu rib-eye arrives with Spanish piquillo peppers slow-roasted to a sweet, velvety gloss. True to his showman spirit, Urrechu adds a local wink with a house-made sambal, smoky, spicy, and unapologetically fun. Sun-drenched interiors, breezy family-style dishes, and a signature dessert of “Urrechurros” complete the restaurant’s inviting, celebratory rhythm.
Across the city, suspended above Jakarta on the 22nd floor of the Fairmont, The Crown by Kirk Westaway reimagines modern British cuisine through elegance, restraint, and storytelling. Westaway, best known for steering Jaan to two Michelin stars, brings an approachability to fine dining without compromising refinement. His tasting menu opens with a whisper-light beetroot meringue, dissolving instantly into horseradish-tinged cream, and moves toward Indonesian-grown tomatoes dressed in a homemade “ketchup” paste atop burrata.
A comforting yet sophisticated leek and potato course recalls family kitchens across Britain, elevated with burned-leek broth and macadamia. For mains, Hokkaido scallops bathed in pea consommé and wagyu striploin with Reform sauce exemplify Westaway’s philosophy: familiar flavors, meticulously transformed.
Both restaurants underscore Jakarta’s rising profile as one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic dining capitals, bold, worldly, and irresistibly ambitious. With fire from the Basque Country and a soft pink glow of British nostalgia, the city’s newest openings set the tone for a dining scene that shows no signs of slowing.