The Cafe Batavia in Jakarta

The Cafe Batavia is a coffee shop in the old town of Jakarta. The old town, in the Indonesian language “Kota Tua”, is the first settlement of the Dutch people. It was in the 16th century when the Dutch came to that area. The town square is still framed with buildings at this time. Some of these buildings have been renewed in recent years. One is the Townhall and a couple of other historical buildings. The old city locates in the north of Jakarta.

The cafe’s furniture is old colonial style and looks beautiful. That gives an impression of how life could be during the Dutch colonial period. But Cafe Batavia isn’t as old as thought. Established in the 1990th earliest, it suggests being much older. However, only the building is much older. Build around 200 years ago it’s one of the remaining historical buildings around the town square.

Even the cafe is not a relic from the colonial time, the atmosphere draws back into this time indeed

I meet a group of retired people in the coffee shop. All are Dutch but born in Indonesia. They told me that this building wasn’t a coffee shop in their youth. It was interesting to listen to them and to their old stories. Furnished with a lot of Teakwood the cafe gives also an insight into Javanese culture. The Teakwood I know very well because of the Teak forest around Tuban. That’s the place where I live in East Java.

Anyway, the photo wall on the stairway is interesting to study, it has a couple of interesting pictures. For sure, it’s always a good idea to stop at this coffee shop. Of course, it’s a joy to drink coffee, listen to music and experience the atmosphere of the past times.