Review: Cafe Batavia (Jakarta, Indonesia)

Cafe Batavia is located at the very heart of Old Town Jakarta. It's an old cafe that is very popular among tourists. All the Jakarta blogs and vlogs that we've read and watched all says this restaurant is a must-try. And as your resident foodie, I know I need to drop by.


Cafe Batavia is a two-story 19th century type of building. According to google, the building they are in is one of the oldest in the place. First level is the smoking area while th 2nd level is the non-smoking area.

When we arrived, the non-smoking area is full so we had to wait for about 30 minutes before we were seated. I left my contact number on the reception and we were told they'd just give us a call when a table frees up. We decided to just wait outside the restaurant instead of wandering around which is a good call because we didn't have to wait for long.

Luwak Gayo (160,000 IDR) | Flores Bajawa (65,000 IDR) | Sparkling Water (40,000 IDR)

Since I'm in Indonesia, I know I have to try Coffee Lusaka so despite being on the pricier side, I know I had to order one. My cousin opted for Flores Bajawa which comes highly recommended by our server.

Cafe Batavia only serves iced coffee. I was actually shocked that my coffee arrived iced coz I prefer hot coffee. But a glass of iced coffee turned out perfect for that hot afternoon.

The coffee luwak is PERFECT! My cousin says it is on the strong side which I actually prefer. Her Flores Bajawa is on the lighter side - fruity, a bit nutty with a hint of caramel. I also loved the Flores Bajawa.

Another thing to note is they don't have service water, so we had to get sparkling water. They also serve still water though.

Soto Betawi Beef (108,000 IDR) | Nasi Putih (10,000 IDR)

I wanted something to warm up my tummy so I opted for another recommendation - Soto Betawi. I asked for non-spicy options and this is one of the highly recommended.

The soup has a hint of coconut milk with thinly sliced beef. The meal came with a bowl of white rice but since my cousin and I plan to share, we just asked for an extra rice.

This dish is worth a try! I have no Filipino dish to compare it with as it is very unique for me. But it was really, really good.

Crispy Calamari (72,000 IDR)

There are loads of other dishes I want to try but I think a crispy dish would be perfect for my soup dish so we opted for the calamari. Which turned out to be a great choice! The squid is fresh and batter is crispy. When paired with the soup and rice, it was a heaven!

Pannenkoek Dutch King (88,000 IDR)

It was Dutch King day when we visited so they have a promo for some desert dish. The Pannenkoek sounds delish and unique so ordered one. It's like a crepe with filling of sliced banana and chocolates Topped with almonds, strawberries and blue berries. It's soooo good!


Every corner of the cafe is instagram friendly. The walls are filled with framed photographs. It has this old-school vibes and very museum-like. My Namjooning heart was very happy.


Even the restroom is very very beautiful. The mirrors, the walls adorned with framed photographs, the sink, the lights! All so pretty!
My view as I pee.

Overall, the experience is superb. It is a bit on the pricey side but for me, the experience is totally worth it. Definitely a must-try when visiting Jakarta. Next time, I'd try their other dishes.


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