COBE JKT

Four friends, among them co-founder Laki Gushari, opened this bar around 2012 as Coffeebeerian, with a simple idea: specialty coffee by day and craft beer by night. It began in Panglima Polim and has since become a Jakarta institution, now trading as COBE from a renovated space at Jl. Ciragil II No. 26 on a quiet Kebayoran Baru street, with concrete floors, yellow windows and shelves of bottles and cans.

What sets it apart is its link to the city's homebrew scene. The rotating taps, chalked up on a blackboard, are often filled with beers made by regulars and local homebrewers, alongside Indonesian craft from labels such as Kura Kura, Black Sand, the more experimental Ruang Kecil and Laki's own Kulturale, whose canned range has included a Berliner Weisse made with dragon fruit. Past pours have included a citrusy stout and a fruity XPA, and the list runs from beginner-friendly ales and lagers to big stouts and IPAs. Staff will match a first-timer to the right pour, and the bar holds tasting events to help people find their way.

Coffee comes from local roasters, with beans that change regularly. The food rotates too, though baked pork belly and chicken wings with dip are fixtures; if the pork belly fries are on, order them.

The crowd is mixed, from cyclists grabbing coffee before work to after-work drinkers, and the mood is homely and a little quirky. Friday is the night to come, when fresh kegs arrive and the regulars pile in. Opening hours have been split between morning coffee and evening beer sessions, so check COBE's Instagram for the current times before heading over. It suits anyone curious about where Jakarta's craft community actually drinks.