Your eyes are wide
and though your soul,
it can't be bought.
Your mind can wander…
Hello, hello I'm at a place called Vertigo
It's everything I wish I didn't know
except you give me something I can feel… feel…

Are you familiar with these lyrics? These were taken from U2 single called Vertigo; lyrics which I remembered as I set foot on the Vertigo Club. The place is hip and sexy, taking Jakarta 's partygoers to a higher level of excitement.

Vertigo has become one of the most popular entertainment spots in the metropolis; it provides a surreal view of Jakarta from the 17 th floor of Plaza Semanggi, boasting of an excellent sound system. The place is quite enormous; up to 2000 clubbers can party the night away at Vertigo. Feeling thirsty? The house has two large bars; one is right behind the DJ booth and the other one is adjacent to the dance floor, both are ready to offer you a range of drinks to match your taste. Resident music masters DJ Reynald and DJ Rowland spin their hottest progressive tracks every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday while DJ Arsya whips up R&B beats on Thursdays. “Our DJ Reynald has his own loyal party crowds here. He is one of Indonesia's best DJs when it comes to progressive tunes. He just flew back from Ibiza and played there for a couple of weeks,” Ms. Adisti of Vertigo's Public Relations group proudly pointed out. If you don't feel like dancing, you can always go to the comfortable sofas at the corner of the club and unwind a bit.

The SD team went there on a regular Friday night… so we thought. It turned out that our visit coincided with FHM Indonesia's 3 rd Anniversary bash. The place was packed with Vertigo's regular patrons, a few expats, and loyal FHM readers. Most of them definitely spent extra time to dress up for party; men were wearing flamboyant outfits with polished shoes while the ladies were fully made-up, all chic and in vogue. Vertigo was packed; several guests stood by the bar while sipping their drinks.

One caught my eye though; a German named Christian. He was there with his friends and looked as if he was thoroughly enjoying the scene. A friendly chat with him revealed that he is actually a regular and likes to come to Vertigo on Wednesdays. “I like Ladies Night on Wednesdays; not too crowded and still pleasant. Vertigo is nice and I like coming here with friends after work to have couple of beers,” he smiles. “Another reason why I like going to Vertigo is that it's like being in two places for the price of one. You see, by paying for just one entrance fee, I can go to both Vertigo and X Lounge. They play different music; one is progressive while the other one is R&B. I can just follow my mood and swing to the place I like.” he adds.

That night, the party started to heat up at around 1 am as the host declared celebrity Cut Tary as FHM Indonesia's sexiest woman, based on a three-month reader poll. The crowd hit the dance floor as guest spinners DJ Bimo from 1945, DJ Ai Moonchild from Whitelands, and DJ Funkagenda from Toolroom Records, UK started playing their hottest tunes with FHM's dancers showing their moves in their sexiest outfits.

According to Ms. Adisti, the party heats up starting midnight to 3 am during weekdays and until 5 am during weekends. “We have a strict policy prohibiting men under 23 years old and women under 21 years old to come here. Our specialty drinks are our cocktails, which I must admit are rather pricey. Then again our cocktails promise long-lasting effects,” she smiles. We tried the Long Island (Rp 90,000), and it indeed gave our heads quite a spin.

Entrance fee at the Vertigo is Rp 80,000 on Fridays and Saturdays, inclusive of a complimentary drink voucher. Ladies are free during Wednesday nights while guys get in for only Rp 50,000, with a free glass of draft beer or soda. College kids, rejoice! Thursday is Campus Night so you can enjoy Vertigo for Rp 50,000, inclusive of a free drink.

Adjacent to Vertigo is the X Lounge, which offers a cozier and a more relaxing ambience.

Vertigo Club
Plaza Semanggi, 17th Floor, Jl. Jend Sudirman, Kav.50, South Jakarta, Indonesia
Tel: + 62 21 25536756