Old Batavia has come back to life. De Tiger, a Far East Speakeasy Bar nestled within the colonial heritage walls of House of Tugu Old Town Jakarta, has officially opened its doors. On grounds that more than a century ago bore witness to the story of a one-eyed Javanese tiger who was freed, healed, and never forgotten.
In the middle of Jakarta’s increasingly loud nightlife landscape, De Tiger arrives with a different approach. Inspired by the speakeasy tradition, the hidden rooms that once gathered those who valued conversation, craft, and quiet, De Tiger is designed as a destination that places depth of experience above all else. Here, the cocktail is not a product. Every glass carries a narrative. Every member of staff is a storyteller. Every corner of the room is an extension of the history being brought back to life.
A Legacy Built from a Lifelong Mission
To understand De Tiger, one must first understand the family behind it. Tugu Group was founded by Anhar Setjadibrata on a single conviction: that the stories of Indonesia are worth preserving, and worth experiencing. For decades, he collected not just objects but entire narratives, the artefacts, the spaces, and the living histories of a culture that the modern world was in danger of leaving behind.
“I often imagine the harbour of Sunda Kelapa and the wild, untamed Jakarta of centuries past, when this was one of the world’s greatest ports. Pirates, fearless sailors, spice traders, Chinese junks, Gujarati merchants, Portuguese explorers, Arab navigators, and emissaries from the great kingdoms of the Nusantara all crossed paths here.” Lucienne Anhar, Co-Owner of Tugu Hotels and Restaurants ruminates. De Tiger is her family’s homage to that forgotten world. Every cocktail, every antique, every piece of art,
and every corner tells a story inspired by those remarkable encounters.
The name De Tiger was born from the true story of Merem, a one-eyed Javanese tiger
captured near the Kawisari coffee plantation in Blitar and scheduled for public display in
the early twentieth century. Upon hearing of the tiger’s fate, Raden Adjeng Kasinem, the
first wife of Oei Tiong Ham, one of the most influential businessmen in Southeast Asia at
the time, sent her trusted aide Parmun to buy the tiger’s freedom.
Every cocktail at De Tiger is a story given form. Divided into three narrative chapters—The Journey of Merem, The Trader’s Table, and The Spice Market—the liquid program transforms historical milestones into bold, avant-garde libations. Signature creations like 100 Karung Kopi and Taman Merem toast directly to the legendary Javanese tiger’s dramatic rescue and eventual peace, while exotic pours like Siam capture the essence of voyages beyond the archipelago.
From the global spice routes, conceptual elixirs like Gujarat, Hadrami, and Nagasaki honor the diverse merchants of Sunda Kelapa, utilizing unexpected, sophisticated infusions to bridge old-world maritime history with contemporary nightlife.
The experience at De Tiger is equally shaped by a carefully constructed musical identity. Drawing from Organic House, Afro House, Dark Disco, and Cinematic Electronic, De Tiger weaves traditional Indonesian textures such as kroncong guitar phrases and sampled vocals into contemporary electronic arrangements, creating a sound that feels culturally rooted while remaining entirely of the present.
For more information: https://tuguhotels.com/hotels/jakarta/
