A nightlife tour of Jakarta might be the best kind of Jakarta tour there is, not only because the terrible traffic generally clears at night, but also because the Southeast Asian megacity hosts world-class bars and clubs.

There is, of course, a strong conservative side to this city of more than 8.5 million, the capital of the country with the world's biggest Muslim population. But those with the inclination can party long and hard in Jakarta, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. So here are two nights' worth of polished, sophisticated destinations, with a stop for brunch in between.

Start at Social House, which adjoins the Harvey Nichols store at the Grand Indonesia mall. A restaurant with an open-air bar, it's a place to sit amid warm wood hues and chattering groups of friends as you enjoy tasty sushi hand-rolls (and a Mango and Cardamom Daiquiri, perhaps?) and look down on the city's landmark Selamat Datang welcome statue.

From here head south, but first a note about getting around. Jakarta is a spread-out city, so four wheels are the only way to go. Reliable taxis are usually easy to find; look for Silver Bird, Bluebird or Express (their cars are black, blue and white, respectively). Often a building's concierge can also get one for you.

So downstairs from Social House, catch a cab to the Mega Kuningan area, where below the Oakwood residences you'll find Loewy, an open-air bistro/lounge bar that attracts a livelyinternational crowd. Book ahead if you want to eat here, especially on weekends, when the candlelit dining area is usually full. Try the roast chicken rotisserie and Moroccan-inspired tabbouleh salad; there's a good selection of international wines. Ladies feeling adventurous might try the Cotton Candy Cosmopolitan, as pink as it sounds.

Farther south, at Pacific Place mall, you'll find Potato Head, an open-air bar/restaurant known for its zany cocktails and funky interiors, including a soaring wall covered entirely in plants and another lined with colorful wood shutters. To go with your Peppered-Lime Daiquiri or Earl Grey and Mandarin Sour, munch on the mini flatbread with Tasmanian salmon and spicy fruit salsa. The stock exchange is nearby, in case you're wondering about all the loosened ties.

Then it's time for some music and mingling. A good first stop is Dragonfly, arguably Jakarta's most beautiful club lounge, incongruously located in a drab, obscure building. Direct your driver to the 'Graha BIP' building on Gatot Subroto, pronouncing 'BIP' in the local manner: 'beh ee peh.'

Don't come here in a T-shirt or sandals and expect to get in. Go for sexy and sophisticated -- and wear a collar if you're a man -- and you'll be fine. Inside you'll find a good vibe, soulful house and vintage disco music and a dancing crowd silhouetted against leaf-patterned wall panels glowing a sultry red.

You might be tempted to stay all night -- Dragonfly is open till 5 a.m. on weekends -- but there's still much more to experience. So head for the Senayan area, where Arcadia, a fun annex building behind Plaza Senayan mall, offers a range of nightspots whose appeal depends on your mood. For relaxing, the wine bar Vin+ Arcadia features a good selection, dark interiors, and extra-large sofas that even the longest legs can stretch out on. Black Cat, a jazz club serving Cajun fare, hosts local and international musicians and is a good choice if you're in a romantic, mellow mood.

But if you're feeling rambunctious, perhaps table-top dancing and cocky bartenders juggling flaming vodka bottles is the right speed. For that, venture into the vodka bar Red Square. Always jam-packed on weekends, it's not a place to expect elbow room, even if you dance up on one of the counters. And the vodka drinks are staggeringly strong.

Afterward, if you're up for more, stagger across the tree-lined parking lot (quite pleasant and perfectly safe with lots of securitypersonnel on hand) to X2, a pristine three-in-one nightclub on the upper floors of the Plaza Senayan mall. Don't let the mall location fool you -- open till 5 a.m. on weekends, this is one of Jakarta's biggest, most happening clubs.

On the entrance level you'll find a lounge bar called Vintage and the main club X2, playing progressive house and other genres and often hosting international DJs. One level up is Equinox, where hips thrust to hip-hop and R&B tunes. Despite being a huge space, it's usually too crowded to hold your drink steady.

As X2 winds down, some hard-core Jakarta clubbers might encourage you to join them as they venture deeper into the night, morning, and indeed straight into the next night at clubs in the Kota district. Open nearly round-the-clock, spots with names like Stadium and Millennium teem with hundreds or thousands of tweaked-out, head-swaying party people -- and dexterous pickpockets. If that's not enough to keep you away, there's also the prospect of illegal activities, dodgy taxis and occasional police checks and raids.

Luckily, at this point you'll likely be too exhausted anyway.

After a nocturnal adventure like this, it's only natural to wake up late and hungry, which can only mean one thing: brunch!

Canteen, on the fourth floor of Pacific Place mall, offers brunch all day on weekends; it also happens to be next to a branch of the city's best bookstore chain, the home-grown Aksara. The eggs benedict is excellent, as are the fresh juice blends. The brick walls, stained mirrors and wood floors create a warm, cozy atmosphere. Pancious, one level up, serves breakfast all day too, and has pancakes so warm and fluffy you may want to rest your head on them. (Don't.)

After the rigors of the first night out in Jakarta, 'mellow' is a good theme for the second night. The open-air Portico, beside the Senayan City mall, offers a chilled-out experience along with creative drinks like the Burnt Lemon Champagne Cocktail and the Mango and White-Chocolate Bellini. Through high glass walls, one section of the restaurant looks out on candlelit front-lawn dining in another. (If you decide to dine here, try the Caribbean chicken and pineapple crepes.)

To the south, the Kemang neighborhood is full of cafes, pubs and restaurants, with traffic that's maddening on weekdays but tolerable on weekends. Start at Eastern Promise, a fun-loving sports-bar/restaurant/live-music venue with a good mix of locals and expats noted for its Anglo-Indian fare. (Chicken tika masala goes remarkably well with Guinness Stout.)

If you like beer, head to the fondue-serving gastropub Elbow Room. Chug down a Koenig Ludwig Weissbier from Bavaria, a James Squire Golden Ale from Australia or a Pink Killer from Belgium -- a country big on beer with a touch of fruit, in this case pink grapefruit. (It's a good pairing with the pork-belly fried rice.) The dark wood furniture here creates an atmosphere of rusticsimplicity, a nice contrast, perhaps, to the sensory overload you've been experiencing.

Steve Mollman

• traffic [´træfik] n.交通，运输 (初中英语单词)
• restaurant [´restərɔnt] n.饭店，菜馆 (初中英语单词)
• welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)
• downstairs [,daun´steəz] ad.在楼下 a.楼下的 (初中英语单词)
• lively [´laivli] a.活泼的；热烈的 (初中英语单词)
• international [,intə´næʃənəl] a.国际的，世界的 (初中英语单词)
• collar [´kɔlə] n.衣领；(狗等的)项圈 (初中英语单词)
• romantic [rəu´mæntik] a.传奇(式)的；浪漫的 (初中英语单词)
• venture [´ventʃə] n.投机 v.冒险；敢于 (初中英语单词)
• stagger [´stægə] v.&n.(使)蹒跚(震惊) (初中英语单词)
• security [si´kjuəriti] n.安全；证券；抵押品 (初中英语单词)
• thrust [θrʌst] v.&n.猛推；冲；刺；挤进 (初中英语单词)
• despite [di´spait] prep.尽管 (初中英语单词)
• encourage [in´kʌridʒ] vt.鼓励；怂勇；促进 (初中英语单词)
• prospect [´prɔspekt, prəs´pekt] n.景色；境界 v.勘察 (初中英语单词)
• occasional [ə´keiʒənəl] a.偶然的；临时的 (初中英语单词)
• atmosphere [´ætməsfiə] n.大气；空气；气氛 (初中英语单词)
• neighborhood [´neibəhud] n.邻居；邻近；附近 (初中英语单词)
• squire [skwaiə] n.护卫，侍从；乡绅 (初中英语单词)
• contrast [´kɔntrɑ:st] n.对比 v.使对比(照) (初中英语单词)
• conservative [kən´sə:vətiv] a.保守的 n.保守者 (高中英语单词)
• inclination [,inkli´neiʃən] n.倾斜；爱好；天资 (高中英语单词)
• reliable [ri´laiəbl] a.可靠的；可信赖的 (高中英语单词)
• selection [si´lekʃən] n.选择；选拔；精选物 (高中英语单词)
• pacific [pə´sifik] a.和平的；温和的 (高中英语单词)
• salmon [´sæmən] n.鲑，大马哈鱼 (高中英语单词)
• appeal [ə´pi:l] vi.&n.请求；呼吁；上诉 (高中英语单词)
• mellow [´meləu] a.芳醇的 v.(使)成熟 (高中英语单词)
• perfectly [´pə:fiktli] ad.理想地；完美地 (高中英语单词)
• location [ləu´keiʃən] n.定位；位置；地方 (高中英语单词)
• progressive [prə´gresiv] a.进步的；前进的 (高中英语单词)
• crowded [´kraudid] a.充(拥)满了的 (高中英语单词)
• cocktail [´kɔkteil] n.&a.鸡尾酒(的) (高中英语单词)
• pineapple [´painæpəl] n.菠萝 (高中英语单词)
• belgium [´beldʒəm] n.比利时 (高中英语单词)
• rustic [´rʌstik] a.田野的；质朴的 (高中英语单词)
• simplicity [sim´plisiti] n.简单；朴素 (高中英语单词)
• southeast [,sauθ´i:st] n.&a.东南(方) (英语四级单词)
• bluebird [´blu:bə:d] n.蓝知更鸟 (英语四级单词)
• adventurous [əd´ventʃərəs] a.冒险的；惊险的 (英语四级单词)
• lounge [laundʒ] n.懒洋洋的姿势；闲逛 (英语四级单词)
• flaming [´fleimiŋ] a.熊熊燃烧的；热情的 (英语四级单词)
• happening [´hæpəniŋ] n.事件，偶然发生的事 (英语四级单词)
• creative [kri:´eitiv] a.有创造力的；创作的 (英语四级单词)
• remarkably [ri´mɑ:kəbli] ad.非凡地；显著地 (英语四级单词)
• landmark [´lændmɑ:k] n.界标；里程碑 (英语六级单词)
• sultry [´sʌltri] a.狂(闷)热的；风骚的 (英语六级单词)
• personnel [,pə:sə´nel] n人事(部门)；全体人员 (英语六级单词)
• illegal [i´li:gəl] a.不合法的，非法的 (英语六级单词)
• fluffy [´flʌfi] a.绒毛似的 (英语六级单词)
• champagne [ʃæm´pein] n.香槟酒；微黄色 (英语六级单词)