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In ancient Greece, the philosopher Epicurus believed that the goal of life was to attain a state of tranquility, free of fear or pain. Ephicure, a new wine lounge in South Jakarta, has adopted that credo by offering Jakartans a tranquil place to unwind after a long day at work.

“The name [Epicurus] can also refer to a person with great taste, devoted to sensuous pleasure,” said Adriantomo, Ephicure’s marketing coordinator.

Having officially opened its doors at the fX Lifestyle X’nter on the auspicious date of Nov. 11 this year (11-11-11), Ephicure expects that crowds of young executives will fill the lounge after hours, especially on weekends.

“This is a business district where places like this can be a great hangout option for young executives, especially during the after-work rush hour,” said Dony Adriansyah, Ephicure’s manager. “And we are the first [lounge] to open in fX mall.”

Ephicure’s main draw is its selection of more than 200 wine labels from the world’s best wine-growing regions, including France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Chile, Argentina and South Africa, sold at competitive prices. Dony, who is also a sommelier, or wine steward, is on hand to help visitors choose the right drop.

“Wine is associated with luxury, this is true, but we want more people to be able to enjoy it,” he said. “Wine can be bought by the glass or bottle and enjoyed here. Another option is to just walk in and buy a bottle to take home. Sure, you can find places offering similar stuff, but here we offer affordable, good wines. ”

Most of Ephicure’s wines are priced between Rp 350,000 and Rp 1 million ($38 and $111) a bottle, with the vintages ranging from 2000 to 2010, although a 2003 Bordeaux Chateau Haut-Brion goes for sobering Rp 9.5 million. “It is our best wine here,” Dony said.

With such a wide selection of wines, it’s a shame Ephicure does not have a kitchen to match. The lounge has no food menu, but it works with the adjacent restaurant Cosi, which serves a mix of Oriental and Western dishes, so customers can eat while they drink. And Dony said they were looking to do even more with Cosi.

“Some but not all of Cosi’s items can be ordered here at Ephicure,” Dony said. “We only choose food items that can be paired with wines.”

The lounge also offers Champagne and premium coffee, including the world’s most expensive coffee, kopi luwak, which is made in Indonesia from beans that have been digested by civet cats.

“We chose kopi luwak from Malabar, West Java, which is one of the country’s best producers of this special coffee,” Dony said.

But perhaps one of the nicest parts of unwinding at Ephicure is the casual, comfortable ambience.

“Smart-casual seems to be the most suitable term to describe this place and that can also be an answer when people ask whether they have to dress up to go to this wine lounge,” Dony said. “Again, this is a place to relax and unwind.”

Ephicure can comfortably accommodate 27 people, including bar seating and outdoor tables with a view of Jalan Jendral Sudirman below. As seating space is limited, making a reservation is highly recommended.

Ephicure Wine Lounge
Open 7 days a week
10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
fX Lifestyle X’nter, F2 #2
Jl. Jend. Sudirman
Pintu Satu Senayan
South Jakarta
Tel. 021 2555 4259
Fax. 021 2555 4274
For delivery. 021 2555 4260
www.ephicure.com