Yogyakarta - Cafes at Jalan Prawirotaman

Littered with homestays, cafes and restaurants, Jalan Prawirotaman in Yogyakarta is the best place to spend a late afternoon. Galen and I walked from the Palace and Water Castle, and it took around 15 minutes.

Streets of Yogyakarta exudes a timeless, nostalgic charm. Galen and I agreed that time seems to tick and tock by slower in Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta allowed us to really slow down, take a closer look at the environment, and pondered about the stories of every crock and nook.

We decided to spend the slow afternoon at Ministry of Coffee. It is a stand-alone 2 storey building with a cafe at the front, and a homestay at the back. The interior of the cafe was cosy and there was a selection of newspapers, magazines and games in the library on the second floor.

We decided on a table at the alfresco area. Ministry of coffee offers a wide variety of coffee and tea, and a selection of sandwiches and hot dishes like pasta. The ice latte was frothy and milky, and was such a huge relief in the sweltering Yogyakarta heat. Yogyakarta newspaper was my company for the afternoon, while Galen embarked on an adventure with Mr Sherlock Holmes.

We moved on to Cafe Viavia for dinner. It was just a 3 minute stroll down Jalan Prawirotaman. We were greeted by this cheery, colourful wall which was an exact replica of its website!

We chose a table on the second storey of the cafe. There was a little kitchen on the second storey too, for cooking lessons! There was a caucasian couple who was busying themselves with Indonesian dishes while we sipped on our traditional drinks - Es soda gimbera and Es dewet.

We watched the sunset from where we sat. The temperature was dropping as the sky turned dark, birds were chirping, and there was some chanting from a distant mosque. Every sunset should be like this, isn't it? And not in a crowded train, packed with fellow minions in monkey suits carrying blank expressions while engaged with their smartphones. Anyway, I digress.

Mains were steak with mushroom sauce and sauteed spinach, and seafood marinara pasta with garlic bread. The steak was a little on the chewy side, but the mushroom and spinach were awesome. The pasta was hearty- the tomatoes were really fresh!

Dessert was passionfruit lemon cheesecake from the Viavia bakery. This was simply lipsmacking. The cheese was smooth and rich, and perfectly balanced with a hint of sourness from the passionfruit and lemon. It was easily one of the best cheesecakes I've ever had!

Plan to spend half a day at Jalan Prawirotaman. The little establishments here have the charm of freezing time and reaching to the little quiet spot in your heart. The spot which you might have neglected.

Yogyakarta Food Blog Review by Kumory

Ministry of Coffee

Address: Jalan Prawirotaman 1/15a, Yogyakarta

Email: management@ministryofcoffee.com

Cafe Viavia Jogja

Address: Jalan Prawirotaman 30, Yogyakarta

Phone: (62) 274 386557