In the City : Coffee Eight

In the City : Coffee Eight

Welcome to the first installment of In the City. The purpose of this segment is to talk about places that I have been to. It’s mostly about cafes but soon there will be more.

Of all the districts in South Jakarta, Kebayoran Baru is like the golden boy of the family. The number-nine player on football team, the guy who drives the nicest car in the group — you name it. History tells the same story : Kebayoran Baru was built to show that Jakarta could have plenty of green space, Yankee “Jengki” — style houses and spots that everyone seems to be flocking to nowadays. Try searching “Jakarta satellite city” on the internet, and you may find the district’s origin purpose.

The map of Kebayoran Baru by Moh. Soesilo (1949). Source : ResearchGate

My parents both came from the same village in Senopati, Kebayoran Baru. The village was mostly inhabited by Betawi people, I used to remember that there was a river that cut through from the main entrance to my grandfather’s house, where my grandfather’s house sat at the lowest point of the road. Looking up, I could see Grandlucky from there.

My siblings had the privilege of growing up in Senopati, there’s no doubt both my parents and my siblings is essentially “Betawi Kebayoran Baru”. Unlike me, I was born in Haji Nawi and grew up in Fatmawati, which is in the Cilandak district in South Jakarta. The only thing that separates Kebayoran Baru and Cilandak is the MRT Blok A Station. As I passed through Blok A, I could see much bigger houses, roads and greener trees.

I feel like I’ve finally had my fill of walking and breathing in Kebayoran Baru, although people find the area expensive, whether it’s the food, coffee, lifestyles, yet I still find places that are underrated tucked into the modest neighborhoods of the district. The first place that i’m going to write about is Coffee Eight in Bambu Kuning, Petogogan.

The Afternoon scene in Petogogan. October 2024

According to my friends, the place used to be a medicine store (Apotek Pela). As someone who went to school in SMPN 12, I felt ashamed to know the fact so recently. Surprisingly, they didn’t even change the building’s exterior, the bronze-colored floor tiles and the windows too. Getting down to brass tacks, they sell affordable varieties of coffee and food. The gula aren coffee is only Rp22,000, the hot drinks such as Piccolo and Magic are Rp23,000 to Rp27,000 and they’ve also begun serving Mont Blanc for Rp28,000 ribu rupiah.

The floor tiles. June 2026

Considering its price, location and atmosphere, I could say that most of my friends like it here. The only problem that a friend of mine found is how loud the music is. Can you imagine, sitting there at 4 p.m looking out at the street and watching passersby, and they were blasting songs by Indonesian bands from the Y2K era so loud? I found it rather comical.

Our favourite spot. July 2024

Besides all these factors, I also like how diverse the patrons are. I encountered school kids, salarymen, construction workers, mothers with their toddlers, a couple of cool middle-aged dads etc. Eight also tends to be a place that hosts some event such as bike-community gatherings and other activities. The air conditioning is cold enough, there are plenty of seats, not to mention an indoor smoking and an outdoor area as well.

From the inside. September 2024

I’m not going to compare this with other establishments in Kebayoran Baru, I may have some favourite spots, but each of them has different characteristics. It’s been two years since I started coming here regularly. Pro tip, you could come on Sunday afternoon and find the neighborhood quiet and at ease, because the portal was closed for the day.

More photos below :

The only Mont Blanc i found that is less than 40. July 2026

Side view. July 2024

The illustration of Coffee Eight. July 2025