Coffee Shops in Yogyakarta, from Just Hanging Around to Seeing Indie Films

A little caffeine in a cup of coffee is indeed the right companion to spend the evening or night, either in the loneliness or in a crowd. For the reason, enjoying coffee in the cafes in Yogyakarta should be an amusing tour agenda. While you enjoy such things, you can know Yogyakarta closer through the communities hanging around there.

There are some café concepts, ranging from the ones close to the early concept of a café to those adapting with cotemporary Yogyakarta culture. The coffee menus vary as well; there are classical espresso coffee and Indonesian typical coffees from Java, Aceh, and Toraja. In such cafes, the communities of artists, books lovers and cyber communities such as bloggers and gamers usually meet.

If you like reading and interact with other books lovers you can visit Deket Rumah Cafe that is located in Sagan and Coffee Break Cafe that is situated on Jalan Kaliurang. Various books on different themes, ranging from light reading such as comics to those containing philosophy themes are presented in those cafes in order to satisfy your lust for reading.

In Deket Rumah cafe, you can read literatures written by both local and foreign writers. You will find books written by legendary Indonesian writers such as Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana, Pramoedya Ananta Toer and N.H Dini and those written by Nobel winners such as Milan Kundera, Nawal el Sadaawi and Umberto Eco. Some books are even for rent with certain conditions.

If you want to enjoy your coffee while knowing Yogyakarta better through the works of its artists, you can visit Via-Via Cafe that is located in Prawirotaman, V-Art Gallery and Cafe located on Jalan Solo and Djendelo Cafe at the north end of Jalan Gejayan. Those cafes have multi functions as both the places where you can drink your coffee as well as the places to exhibit art works.

Some exhibitions are held there; for example the exhibition of Paintings of Fighters done in November 2006 in Via-Via Cafe. In Djendelo Cafe some painting exhibitions were also done. The same things were also done in V-Art Galery that also often play videos produced by Yogyakarta artists.

The easiness to surf in virtual world and to interact with the members of cyber communities is another offer given by Lor Kali Cafe that is located close to Selokan Mataran and Kedai Kopi on Jalan Gejayan. Through computer facilities connected to Internet network and hotspot facilities, you can surf in virtual world for free in Kedai Kopi.

If you like to use Internet network to play games, please visit Empire that is located at the north-end of Jalan Gejayan. This newly opened place has been the center for gamers in Yogyakarta. Besides, this place provides comfortable café that is suitable for you to get relaxed after you get tired of playing games.

Even though it does not name itself a coffee shop, Kinoki that is located on Jalan Suroto Kotabaru also provides various coffee menus and comfortable open space atmosphere. In addition to spoiling you with coffee, the place of which motto is 'neither a cinema nor a coffee shop' also functions as a place for Yogyakarta cinema artists to meet.

Everyday Kinoki presents interesting films, ranging from those winning film festivals to those indie films produced by young, talented Indonesian film producers. Furthermore, Kinoki sometimes functions as the place to perform short stories reading, poetry reading and light talks and even fashion show.

In general, those cafes in Yogyakarta open at 05:00p.m., but some of them open at the days. Kedai Kopi and Coffe Break open from 10:00a.m. to midnight. Kinoki and Djendelo Café, on the other hand, open from 05:00p.m. and play films at around 07:30 p.m.

Text: Yunanto Wiji Utomo
Photo: Sigit Nugroho
Copyright © 2006 YogYES.COM