Timings : Sunday to Thursday- 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM Friday to Saturday- 7:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Time Required : 1-2 hrs
Entry Fee : Average cost of food and drinks: Between IDR 100,000 and 250,000
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Cafe Batavia, Jakarta, Jakarta Overview
Cafe Batavia is a 19th-century old restaurant situated in Kota Tua (also known as Old Town) in Jakarta, Indonesia. This 200-year-old building is known to be the second most former building of Jakarta after the Fatahillah Museum. Very few buildings from the 19th century can be found in Jakarta, and this restaurant is one among them. The classy bistro style of the architecture with a touch of colonial decor, old parlour floors, marble tabletops, and art deco furnishings is capable of pulling a decent crowd.
Cafe Batavia will assuredly take you on a clock back walk to the colonial times. And while on a visit to Jakarta, this place might turn out to be your new favorite. With an extensive menu of Asian and Western dishes, the cafe speaks of the history it beholds. Also, the ambiance with some soothing Jazz music and the occasional live music in the evenings gets it the bonus points.
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Interior & Ambience of Cafe Batavia
The interiors of Cafe Batavia reflects the early 19th-century architectural perfection. It was initially used for commercial purposes, but soon it was turned into a two-storeyed building. The cafe has a bar, a stage, and a lounge area on the ground floor. The stairway leading to the upper floor is made of Javanese teakwood. The top floor has the main dining hall which can host 150 people at a time. The ‘Grand Salon’ on this floor is made of wood with large shuttered windows overlooking the Taman Fatahillah Museum.
The Grand Salon Source The interiors will remind you of the vintage era, and thus you will also come across vintage photographs of celebrities and royalty from the 1930s in the dining hall. A wooden gallery can also be found on the second floor. A glass panel encloses the arcade below this gallery. This allows the interior to remain air-conditioned. An interesting fact about the cafe is that the Winston Churchill bar of Cafe Batavia received “The World’s Best Bar” Award by Newsweek International in 1996.
Cafe Batavia provides quite a lengthy menu to its customers to choose from. From Asian cuisine to Western dishes to food exclusively for children, the cafe also serves seafood and some innovative dishes. Also, if you want to grab brunch with your family or friends, you can always search for the perfect brunch items at this cafe. Here’s a list of food and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) available at Cafe Batavia:
Starters (pancakes, waffles, steak and egg, crepe parmentiere, etc.): from IDR 80 to 135 Soups (vegetarian and non-vegetarian): from IDR 70 to 150 Salad: from IDR 75 to 100 Pasta (spaghetti with vodka, penne pasta, penne arrabbiata, etc.): from IDR 85 to 135 Dim Sum (chicken spring roll, fried shrimp dumpling with mayonnaise, hamsui gok, etc.): from IDR 32 to 45 Sandwiches: from IDR 115 to 160 Main Course: Western from IDR 150 to 350, Asian from IDR 80 to 165 Just for Children food: from IDR 45 to 65 Beverages: from IDR 40 to 140
If ever you visit Cafe Batavia do not forget to try some of the unique dishes of this cafe. If you want to try some western recipe, then Bitterballen will be a perfect choice. Also, not trying the Indonesian dishes will be an injustice to your visit. Batavia fried rice, Dim Sums, Satay, Shrimp Crackers, Fried Prawns of this cafe are a must try. And to end your meal, you can grab the pineapple-based mocktail which is unique of this cafe. Or if you are a non-alcoholic, you have to get a taste of the authentic Indonesian Coffee.
The building of Cafe Batavia was initially constructed in 1830. Since then the building has been used for various commercial purposes. First as an office of the Dutch governors, a warehouse, administration office, and an art gallery. Until 1884, the ground floor of this building had been occupied by a trading firm and also by “Kongsi Tiga- Kantor Kapal Hadji”. They were known to arrange Muslim pilgrimages from Batavia to the Middle East by steamships.
Source It was then in 1990 that Australian citizen Graham James bought this building. He restored the building in between 1992 to 1993 and opened a restaurant for public. It was inspired by the 1930 vintage themes and is a favorite dining place among the visitors.
How to Reach Cafe Batavia
Cafe Batavia is located in West Jakarta which is in Kota Tua, Jakarta. It is facing the square Taman Fatahillah. The area of this cafe is popularly known as Kota and is easily accessible by buses from all corners of the city. Being at the heart of the city, local and foreign tourists can travel to this place very quickly.
If you are coming from Bogor or Bekasi in West Java, you can board a train to the Jakarta Kota station. Visitors coming from South Jakarta can get on the TransJakarta Blok M leading to the Kota route. From Central Jakarta, you can hire a public minivan M12 from Pasar Senen or M08 from Tanah Abang to Kota. People from East Jakarta can get a public bus from Mayasari Bakti AC70 from Kampung Rambutan to Sarinah. From here get on TransJakarta to Kota. And those coming from North Jakarta can get the M15 minivan from Tanjung Priok to Kota.
