Calling all Jakarta Vintage Lovers! This old house café's vibe is Mantap, but it has plenty of flaws.

Every time I pass by the old street of Cikini in downtown Jakarta, I feel like I'm watching an old Indonesian movie. Today, I finally walked into Kedai Tjikini, a place that's been on my list for a long time. The moment I stepped in, Anjay! It really felt like I'd time-traveled; the air was filled with the scent of old times.

Instantly Transported Back to 1980s Jakarta

Time for some real talk, pros and cons

【An Insider's Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls】

Finally, here's some solid advice for the girls who want to check it out. Take notes!

All in all, it's still worth visiting once for the atmosphere. It's a great place to Nongkrong and chat with friends, and to experience the "Tempo Doeloe" (old times) of Jakarta.

• Parking is a nightmare: If you're thinking of driving, take my advice: just don't! The parking spots out front are ridiculously few[10], and if your skills aren't great, you'll have a meltdown on the spot. I recommend just taking a Gojek/Grab, or parking your car at the Menteng Huis mall across the street and walking over.
• A heads-up for the work-from-cafe crowd: The atmosphere here is great for bringing a laptop to work, super chill. But their Wi-Fi can be unstable at times[11], so if you're on a tight deadline for important work, you might be rolling the dice.
• The Takeaway Mishap: If you can't finish your food and want to take it away, remember to absolutely! absolutely! remind the staff to pack things separately. Otherwise, they might just dump your fried rice and soupy dishes into the same bag... Don't ask me how I know 😅[12]