In Indonesia, traditional markets are not only a place for buying and selling goods, but also a storehouse of local wisdom. There are various unique markets in Indonesia that have their own characteristics.

Santa Market in South Jakarta, Indonesia, is no exception.

For culinary lovers, lovers of thrift goods (second-hand), to vinyl collectors (black discs), Pasar Santa in South Jakarta, Indonesia, is a must-visit.

Pasar Santa is a unique creative space with a very contemporary vibe. Many tenants with youth and hipster styles have emerged there. Pasar Santa visitors are usually young people who like to see casual clothing shops, vinyl record stores, and of course try various culinary delights. There are also many cool, modern, and contemporary hangouts inside.

Attractions of Santa Market

Known as Santa Modern Market, visitors to this market is often upload videos and photos to their social media thanks to the rows of kiosks that are a hit and a place for young people to spend their weekends.

This market offers various kiosks on each floor, ranging from daily necessities to unique items. Here are the attractions on each floor of Santa Market:

• Floor 1:

On the ground floor or first floor, visitors can find vegetables, meat, chicken, fish, and staple food kiosks.

• Floor 2:

The second floor consists of household appliance kiosks, ranging from clothing, gold shops, stationery, electronics, to cellphones and tailor services.

• Floor 3

Floor 3 offers various culinary delights, thrift (second-hand) goods, toys, unique accessories, old-school cassette tapes, to vinyl (black discs).

The attractions above make Santa Market a favorite place to hunt for unique items. So, visitors to Pasar Santa are not only those who buy daily necessities, but also collectors or casual fashion lovers.

Culinary Recommendations at Pasar Santa

Here are some delicious and affordable culinary delights at Pasar Santa that you can try:

• Senior Coffee Stall

The owner of this stall is Pak Solihin who is in his 70s, so the opening hours of this stall are not fixed. There is no dine-in area, but there are already many visitors queuing before the stall opens. The most sought-after menu is the cold sandwich and caramel pudding. The texture of the pudding is very soft, just right with the thick caramel which creates a unique sensation when it enters the mouth. Pak Solihin only prepares food in small portions.

• Animo Bread Culture

Animo Bread Culture can be the right choice for those who like to snack. This place offers various sweet snack menus such as traditional donuts with various toppings, such as chocolate sprinkles and powdered sugar. The texture of the donuts is fluffy and delicious, perfect to be enjoyed with a glass of Animo coffee milk.

• Juicible

For those who don’t really like coffee, you can hang out at Juicible. Located on the 1st floor, Juicible offers a variety of fruit juices, from banana, melon, strawberry, to beetroot. With opening hours starting at 11:00, Juicible is the right choice to refresh yourself in the midst of culinary activities.

• Bakmie Asta

Though the stall is small and a bit warm due to its location in the market, it is clean. The noodles have a soft, thin, curly texture, and the taste is savory without being overly oily. The chicken topping is generous, and the addition of crispy chicken skin brings a nice crunchy texture. The dumplings are thick and satisfying. The sauce is rich, and the broth’s flavor is distinct. Adding chili oil and onion oil enhances the taste, creating a perfect combination. There’s also a unique drink option: Korean corn tea. The frozen yogurt, which the super friendly owner mentions is delivered from Yogyakarta, is worth trying as well.

• Mungiharjo

Mungiharjo is a dining spot in Pasar Santa with a strong Javanese ambiance. The space is small and simple, yet its popularity speaks for itself. The home-cooked meals are satisfying and guaranteed to fill you up. The signature rice dishes include chicken, tongue, and squid rice. The chicken rice is seasoned with a curry-like flavor, topped with a crispy omelette, and comes in a generous portion. Other options include smoked fish mangut rice, tongue fried rice, and punk rock rice. Dining at Mungiharjo offers a unique and delightful culinary experience.

More info on the location, opening hours, facilities, budget to shop there, and how to get there.

Santa Market Location

Santa Market is located in a strategic area because it can be reached by both public and private vehicles.

It is located on Jalan Cipaku I Number 1, Petogogan, Kebayoran Baru District, South Jakarta.

Santa Market Opening Hours

Although Santa Market operates 24 hours, on average the kiosks on the second and third floors start operating from 11.00 WIB to 20.00 WIB.

Facilities at Santa Market

The facilities at Santa Market are quite diverse and quite complete. Starting from a large motorbike and car parking area. In addition, there are many food stalls, household needs stalls, and coffee shop stalls located on the ground floor or first floor.

On the second floor, there are various kiosks, including electronics kiosks, tailor service kiosks, gold jewelry kiosks, and hair cutting service kiosks. On the third floor there are various food and beverage stalls, thrift stalls (second-hand), accessory stalls, old-school cassette tape stalls, and vinyl.

How to Get to Pasar Santa

• MRT

The nearest MRT station to Pasar Santa is ASEAN MRT Station. The distance is about three kilometers (km). To get to Pasar Santa using MRT, you can get on from any station, such as Bundaran HI Station or Lebak Bulus Station, and get off at ASEAN MRT Station.

From the station, the journey can be continued by taking an online motorcycle taxi for almost 10 minutes. Or, you can also take the TransJakarta bus corridor 6V (Ragunan-Senayan Bank DKI) from the ASEAN bus stop, then get off at the Pasar Santa bus stop. Then you walk about 600 meters to arrive at Pasar Santa.

• TransJakarta

Pasar Santa can be reached by TransJakarta bus through several corridors, one of which is the bus corridor 6U (Pasar Minggu-Blok M) so you can get off at the Gunawarman 1 bus stop and then continue walking about 750 meters. There are also buses corridor 6W (Duren Tiga-Blok M via Bangka Raya), 7B (Kampung Rambutan-Blok M) that stop at Pasar Santa Bus Stop, about 700 meters from the market.

• Commuter Line

Commuter line users who want to go to Pasar Santa can get off at Kebayoran Station, which is about 4.8 km from the market.

From Rangkasbitung, take the train to Tanah Abang Station and get off at Kebayoran Station. If from Bogor, transit at Manggarai Station then continue to Tanah Abang Station, then get off at Kebayoran Station. From Tangerang, transit first at Duri Station before going to Tanah Abang Station. From Kebayoran Station, the journey can be continued by online motorcycle taxi, with a travel time of about 22 minutes.

Do you have plans to visit Pasar Santa? Or have you been there?

Share your comment or experience in the comments section below.