a weekend guide for jakarta, indonesia

Apart from its unique coffee offerings—including ginger milk lattes and sparkling, pandan-infused iced coffee—1/15th also boasts an impressive food menu. Along with your beverages, try their kaya jam (coconut jam) toast, chia pudding, or a smoothie bowl made with coconut milk, dragonfruit, mango, and other seasonal produce.

Expat. Roasters Jakarta promises an exceptional coffee experience in the heart of the bustling capital. Located on the 13th floor of the iconic Mori Building in Sudirman, Central Jakarta, this 100 m² coffee sanctuary serves both the entire building and the general public. With its captivating blend of modern aesthetics and warm hospitality, it's the perfect spot to enjoy a superb cup of coffee.

Titik TEMU Coffee is a trendy coffee shop. The shop's name translates to "meeting point," which reflects its aim to create a space where people can come together over a great cup of coffee. Titik TEMU Coffee offers a range of coffee beverages, including pour-overs, espresso drinks, and cold brews, as well as a variety of pastries and light bites. With its welcoming ambiance and high-quality coffee, Titik TEMU Coffee has become a popular spot for coffee lovers in Jakarta.

A telling sign that Giyanti is good vibes all around? Its fun, colour-infused space located just across an antique market on Jalan Surabaya. Whilst the eclectic, paraphernalia-filled aesthetic is no doubt every maximalist’s dream, the house blend sizes up well too—that first sip better paired with some of its warm bakes and pastries. - vogue singapore

For a slice of heritage, this is where you can expect to be transported through a time capsule—right back into the 1870s. Exuding an effortlessly vintage air with its colonial-style architecture and Dutch-style art deco, Bakoel Koffie is one of the oldest coffee shops in Jakarta. As you enjoy its dark, atmospheric embrace, make sure to sip on a brew of its traditional Javanese coffee and team with it some of its light snacks. - vogue singapore

Opened recently during the 2018 Asian Games, this café initially served as a resting spot for athletes to unwind after a day of hard training and competitions. But after the event was over, it eventually became the favourite chillax haven for city dwellers.

Owner Jony Yuwono has done four years of research seeking the best ingredients from across Indonesia’s archipelago and mastering ancient techniques of jamu making. For centuries, jamu is believed to have healing and immunity benefits. More than that, jamu bears a deep philosophical meaning: it has 8 main recipes that stand for the 8 cycles of life and 8 points on a compass. This is why a traditional Jamu Gendong (jamu-seller lady) always carries 8 bottles on her back…Acaraki experiments with modern brewing pressing and dripping techniques to introduce the jamu legacy to a younger audience. Our favourite picks are Golden Sparkling; a refreshing cold jamu with soda that ingredients that boost blood circulation and healthy skin; and Saranti is also on our list. Beras kencur (kaempferia galangal) with creamer will mprove your appetite. Make your own postcard at Acaraki’s terrace. Choose from various batik patterns, local designs or make your own. They provide designated boxes for each day of the year, so that we can pick the exact dat for your card to be mailed.

Ibu Jum’s is famous for its nasi uduk, or mixed rice. The dish starts with steamed rice that’s been cooked in coconut milk fused with cloves, lemongrass, cinnamon and pandan leaf. What you add to it is up to you! Ibu Jum’s is famous for its nasi uduk because of the selection of side dishes that come with it. Load up on everything from stir-fried papaya flowers to grilled squid, and eat up in an open-air seat in front of a big screen!

eat food in a plane

Located at the top of GKM Tower Building just outside of the outer road toll of Jakarta is a garden-style restaurant. The garden and its artsy concept makes the ambience feels calm and chill, and it sure is one of the best places you can have to end your busy day. They serve delish Berliner style cuisine on foods and beverages menu. As for entertainment, you can enjoy the live performance of bands or the resident DJ’s playlist. And the best time to visit this place is around sunset time. You will see the gorgeous golden hour of Jakarta there.

Bakso is a popular Indonesian meatball soup. Like many other dishes in Indonesia, it grew out of Asian and European influences in the country. Throughout Indonesia, there are many variations of bakso, but all of them include three main ingredients: broth, noodles, and meatballs. What distinguishes bakso from other Asian varieties is the consistency of the meatballs, which should have a springy texture. Although bakso is essentially street food, it can be found anywhere from outdoor eateries to elegant restaurants. The garnishes, which are additionally added, are usually wontons, hard-boiled eggs, or tofu.

Kali Besar literally means the big canal, a piece of superb water engineering by the Dutch. When they built Batavia city, they dredged the small Ciliwung stream and turned it into a navigable waterway, so the many sampans could offload goods from the tall ships in the Sunda Kelapa harbour.

IN THE MIDDLE OF SARINAH, Indonesia’s first modern department store stands the country’s oldest escalator. Built in 1966, the escalator no longer operates but still sits between two working escalators. Narrow and with colorful sides, the escalator is almost like a Time Machine bringing visitors back to 1960s Jakarta.

hip area frequented by expats. with some cafes, galleries, etc.

IN THE MIDDLE OF SARINAH, Indonesia’s first modern department store stands the country’s oldest escalator. Built in 1966, the escalator no longer operates but still sits between two working escalators. Narrow and with colorful sides, the escalator is almost like a Time Machine bringing visitors back to 1960s Jakarta.

Located in a posh locale of Jakarta, Jalan Surabaya is an eclectic mix of street culture, cafes, antique shops, and more. On one side of the road, there are a number of stalls selling antiques like wooden puppets, ceramics, and porcelain. Parallel to it, Jalan Surabaya is lined by some of the best cafes in Jakarta.

The Museum MACAN, or the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara, houses a large collection of modern and contemporary art from Indonesia and around the world. Famous for its active exhibitions, its chief highlight is the stunning masterpieces of Yayoi Kusama, a pioneer in contemporary art.

Largest mosque in SE asia, can accommodate 120,000 people.

The Jakarta Old Town or Kota Tua Jakarta bears reminisce of the Dutch era, with its colonial architecture and historical references. The streets of the Old Town boast buildings and structures that date back to colonial times, most of which are converted into museums today. The area is also studded with cafes and restaurants.

Situated off the northern coast of Jakarta, Kepulauan Seribu is a group of 342 islands. Also popular as the Thousand Islands, only 36 of its islands are authorized by the government to be used for recreational purposes. Unfortunately, out of these 36 islands, only 13 islands are open for public visit, with two islands being established as National Park.

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, literally translated to Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park, is an Indonesian cultural theme park. Depicting some iconic places of Indonesia, the TMII gives a glimpse into the country's cultural heritage in the form of architectural displays, flora, fauna, textiles, costumes, etc. You will come across replicas of the country’s different regional pavilions, museums, recreational spots, and houses of worship.

Tanah Abang Market is the largest garment and textile wholesale centre in the entire South-East Asia. It brings together traders from all over Indonesia and South-East Asia. The market comprises of several blocks, with Block A and Block B being the most recent additions. The market houses 13,000 kiosks and sees over 75,000 shoppers in any single day. Visitors can expect to find a wide variety of garments at wholesale prices.

Setu Babakan is located in the Southern end of Jakarta and is very well-known amongst tourists for its cultural heritage. Also known as Situ Babakan this village is centred on a manmade lake and is dedicated to the preservation of the Betawi culture. In fact, the village is named after one such lake.

Sunda Kelapa was an important port connecting markets worldwide in the 15th century during the reign of the Hindu Sunda Kingdom of Pajajaran. It was previously known as Pasar Ikar, which means "fish market." It is a great place to wander in canoes and boats while witnessing the humdrum of the fish market and the unloading of timber, coal, and spices.

Used to be a residential area back in the 1950s up until the 1990s, the area has now been fully converted into a cool hangout place for the youths. It offers a selection of food merchants and local brand stores for you to shop in.

Commenced way back in 1976 this pub has stood the test of time. As you visit the bar, you can feel the nostalgic vibes it has on offer. Right from the interior décor consisting of souvenirs and photos to the live music performances, everything takes you on a different trip down memory lane. Renowned jazz, blues, and rock from the 60s, 70s, and 80s are mostly taken up by the live performers. Owned and managed by the beautiful Rima Melati and her husband, this pub offers the best of services among its competitors.

Kali Besar literally means the big canal, a piece of superb water engineering by the Dutch. When they built Batavia city, they dredged the small Ciliwung stream and turned it into a navigable waterway, so the many sampans could offload goods from the tall ships in the Sunda Kelapa harbour.

Owner Jony Yuwono has done four years of research seeking the best ingredients from across Indonesia’s archipelago and mastering ancient techniques of jamu making. For centuries, jamu is believed to have healing and immunity benefits. More than that, jamu bears a deep philosophical meaning: it has 8 main recipes that stand for the 8 cycles of life and 8 points on a compass. This is why a traditional Jamu Gendong (jamu-seller lady) always carries 8 bottles on her back…Acaraki experiments with modern brewing pressing and dripping techniques to introduce the jamu legacy to a younger audience. Our favourite picks are Golden Sparkling; a refreshing cold jamu with soda that ingredients that boost blood circulation and healthy skin; and Saranti is also on our list. Beras kencur (kaempferia galangal) with creamer will mprove your appetite. Make your own postcard at Acaraki’s terrace. Choose from various batik patterns, local designs or make your own. They provide designated boxes for each day of the year, so that we can pick the exact dat for your card to be mailed.

OLVEH stands for Onderlinge Levenszerkering Van Eigen Hulp, a Dutch Indies Insurance Company, designed by RLA Schoemaker, brother of famous architect CP Schoemaker. Staying true to its roots, the building is still owned by an insurance company, Jiwasraya. Vacant for years, it got a new lease of life as an office for research agency IRAI. The building is now a happening place with pop-up art exhibitions, workshops and other fun events. It also host Kopi Kopling, a coffee lab to train people who work in coffee industry.