1/15 Coffee. (Burufly Photo).
The coffee scene in Jakarta just keeps getting better with a flurry of exciting new openings, many with impressively dedicated baristas. As the capital of a nation that produces more than 10 percent of world’s coffee, it’s about time for this city to have a robust café society.
Forget Starbucks, Coffee Beans, Segafredo, Illy and other international brands for a while and enjoy the freshness of beans recently imported from the plantations of exotic places such as Madheling, Toraja, Bajawa or Papua.
Here you’ll find six of the best cafés, places where you’re sure to have an exceptionally pure cup of caffeine served in a stunning ambiance that will keep you coming back for more.
Cinnamon, Mandarin Oriental Jakarta
Located in one of the best hotels in the metropolis, this cavernous establishment is very easy to access. Cinnamon serves Caswell’s, a local brand that has produced premium coffees since 2001. If you need some desserts as an accompaniment to your coffee, just visit the bakery right in front of the café. Best time of day to go: 6 p.m., a better alternative to sitting in the ever present traffic jam.
Kopi Javva, Senopati
Owned by Indonesia’s leading coffee expert, you will not find any espresso machine here. Instead, you can enjoy the freshly ground beans of single origin from Sumatra or Papua in three different versions: drip, syphon, or French press. A friend says this place serves delicious bacang (glutinous rice, stuffed with different fillings, usually meat). Best time of day to go: as soon as the door opens at 10 a.m.
1/15 Coffee, Gandaria
The latest addition to the city’s cafés, 1/15 Coffee’s interior looks just like those hip coffee places in Melbourne or New York. The coffee is served by an award-winning barista and you can sip Aruna (an espresso blend of Sumatra, Java and Toraja) or other blended and single origins from around the world. You can choose to sit at the bar or at a communal table. Best time of day to go: 3 p.m.
Café Miz Moren, Mall of Indonesia
This is not the easiest place to get to for coffee, especially for an iced coffee, but despite its distance from the city center, we recommend that you go to Café Miz Moren to experience the passion and expertise of Lee Jin-ho, the Korean native owner who studied coffee in Japan. Expect to enjoy iced coffee that takes around eight hours of preparation to ensure the perfect palatable experience. Café Miz Moren brings science to coffee making; your order will be prepared with equipment that looks like it came from a lab. Best time to go: 2 p.m.
Anomali Coffee, Senopati/Kuningan/Kemang/Plaza Indonesia
When two buddies decided to pursue their passion in coffee, the result was phenomenal. In five years they have launched four branches of their coffee shop in Jakarta and two more in Bali. Anomali has a cozy interior that attracts the younger generation, who enjoy Anomali’s quality products. Expect to hear a lot of noise as you will always find a crowd of wi-fi-hungry folks hunched over Macbook Pros and iPads. Best time of day to go: noon, if only to be sure to secure a seat.
Liberica, Pacific Place/Gandaria City/Central Park
Frequented by yuppies and socialites, Liberica is the most sophisticated coffee place on this list. This coffee house demands quality shoes if only to fit in with the crowd. Before enjoying your cup of joe, sample their wide ranging menu that combines European and Asian flavors. Best time of day to go: mid-afternoon.
The post Six of the Best Coffee Places in Jakarta appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.