Kemang & Pondok Indah

Kemang and Pondok Indah are South Jakarta's residential heartlands, and their Italian restaurants feel like neighbourhood places: family-run trattorias in converted houses, garden terraces and long-standing favourites that regulars have been visiting for decades.

Toscana has been on Jalan Kemang Raya since 1996, turning out thin-crust pizza from its wood-fired oven. Mamma Rosy, a few doors along, cooks three generations of family recipes in a homely house with a terrace. Mike Pizza is run by a pizzaiolo from near Salerno and is good value for Neapolitan-style pizza and carbonara finished in a parmesan wheel, while ORO at Grandkemang Hotel serves homemade pasta until well past midnight. In Pondok Indah, La Balena makes almost everything from scratch in a house with a lit-up garden.

These are relaxed, family-friendly places with easier parking than the business districts. Several close on Mondays, so check the hours on each listing before you go.