Don’t get me wrong. Spending time in Bali drinking beer or having shots is nice. Yet sometimes your body needs another poison.
“What? Cyanide?” No. Caffeine. As one of the top coffee-producing countries in the world, Indonesia offers myriads of coffee varieties waiting to be slurped.
Here are some of the recommended cafés to get a cup of coffee around Bali:
Revolver Espresso Seminyak
If Clint Eastwood had ever visited Revolver Espresso, he would burst in happy tears. Strategically placed on Jalan Kayu Ara Gang 51, Seminyak, this boutique coffee shop has a strong Western ambience. The walls are colourful and the rest of the properties looked as if they were sent directly from one of Sergio Leone’s movies.
It offers various coffee drinks from espresso (IDR 25K) to macchiato (IDR 30K). At night, along with coffees, Revolver Espresso also serves delicious dishes such as Steak Fritz (IDR 95K), Crispy Tempe Burger (IDR 85K), and salads (IDR 60K-85K).
Motion Café
The low ceiling, combined with the cheerful images painted on the walls and the classic ceramic floor, is enough to make you stay there all day chit-chatting with your pals or quietly reading your favourite books—or doze off.
Motion Café serves exquisite latte. Since it is so likely that you’re gonna be regular, sometimes you must also order its legendary Protein Shake (IDR 30K) and one of its healthy tropical dishes. (Motion Café is also renowned for its healthy vegan dishes.) It opens daily from 7 am to 10 pm on Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong No. 69B, Canggu, Kuta Utara.
Crate Cafe
The place is cosy and the coffee is inexpensive (IDR 20K). Once you get your coffee served you will forget that you have somewhere else to go. No wonder it is always packed with people. (Rule of thumb: go there very early or a couple of hours after mid-day.)
Opening daily from 6 am to 5 pm, Crate can be found next to a stretch of green paddy fields on Jalan Canggu Padang Linjong, Kuta Utara.
Nude Café
It’s not what you’re thinking; you still need to put up some clothes to go there. Located on Jalan Pantai Berawa No. 33, Canggu, it is the perfect place to have a cup of hot coffee (from IDR 22K to 30K) after a good, warm breakfast.
The breakfast dishes in Nude Café are mouth-watering, from thick burgers to vegan spaghetti. Some visitors complain that the wi-fi connection is poor. But you won’t need the Internet connection when you can really connect with people in real life. Works can wait though… at least until your client start texting you.
F.R.E.A.K Coffee
F.R.E.A.K is actually the abbreviation of Fresh Roasted Enak Arabica from Kintamani. Good thing they don’t use the long name since it must be hard for the customers to remember—let alone recommend it to others.
Serving hot and iced coffee drinks (from IDR 15K to 30K), F.R.E.A.K is perched strategically on Jalan Hanoman 19, Ubud, and brews coffee daily from 8 am to 8 pm. A simple breakfast meal and a shot of good espresso will be more than enough to make your stay in Ubud more cheerful.
Machinery Café Bali
Along with the nine types of coffee drinks and healthy vegan delicacies, the café also offers sweet smoothies which will surely help you overcome the heat of the tropical island of Bali. A cup of espresso will cost you around IDR 24K, hot americano IDR 30K, and the super smoothies IDR 52K.
It also has a good wi-fi connection allowing you to enjoy your days in Canggu while simultaneously finishing your works. In order to find this place, go to Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong No. 35.
SOUQ Organic
The cooks and baristas of SOUQ Organic serve food and drinks with heart. “What happened to their limbs?” Well, of course, they are still using their hands. What we’re talking about here is: SOUQ Organic is a member of slow food movements. That’s why they take food and drinks processing very seriously.
Yet, the prices are still reasonable. All variants of coffee drinks are sold between IDR 10K (Babycino) to IDR 30K (Mocha Coffee). The foods range from IDR 40K to 88K. It is located on Jalan Raya Basangkasa No. 10, Seminyak. The operating hour is from 7.30 am to 6 pm, except for Sundays (9 am to 6 pm).
The Dusty Café
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It’s just a name and the café is not actually dusty. Instead, it is comfy. The best times to go to Dusty Café are in the morning and in the evening. Having a bite of its warm, tasty omelette (“The Gate,” IDR 55K)—watered by a cup of café latte (IDR 28 K)—will be one of your best culinary experience.
To get to this café, ride your bike to Jalan Cemplung Tanduk No. 4, Seminyak. The operating hour is from 9 am to 11 pm.
Gangga Coffee
Serving drinks from premium coffee beans whose origins can be traced to the farmers, Gangga Coffee is definitely riding the third wave of the coffee industry. You can also learn a lot about coffee from the baristas or take a look at their store to buy ceramic dripper to brew your own coffee at home.
Situated on Jalan Raya Andong No. 18, Ubud, the cafe is operating daily from 8 am to 9 pm. Therefore, you can either have breakfast, lunch, or supper there.
PISON
Some people go to PISON to have a cup of cappuccino (around IDR 30K). Some are tempted by its signature dish, the Pork Belly. However, some others find this place attractive because there’s regular live music. If you were a digital nomad, it would be a sanctuary as you could work with your laptop behind one of the many comfy seats in the corners.
To get to PISON, ride your scooter to Jalan Petitenget 8A, Seminyak. It opens daily from 8 am to 11 pm. On Saturdays, the café is brewing till midnight.
