Toko Merah

Unclaimed

Toko Merah is a Dutch colonial heritage building located on the west bank of Kali Besar and was built in 1730. The distinctive red color of this building is now known as Toko Merah. After Toko Merah was restored in 2012, it now functions as a multi-purpose room, exhibition space, cafe and shop selling durian. This afternoon I had the opportunity to stop by for a cup of coffee at the cafe. Oh yeah, now the cafe has moved to the 2nd floor. I ordered a manual brew with a choice of Kerinci beans and Cassava Cinnamon Gravy. Cassava is sprinkled with cinnamon powder and given a sweet sauce that makes the cassava taste even better. While the taste of coffee from the Kerinci beans is fruity so it is a bit sour with a medium body and a slightly bitter aftertaste. There are 14 tables with 56 chairs to welcome guests who come.

A historical building currently undergoing long renovation. It is located right in front of Kali Besar bus stop. It has a cafe upstairs, but other than that there’s nothing much to do aside from taking aesthetic pictures. Guards are very helpful. Might revisit the place after the renovation is completed.

A beautiful historical building with lovely interiors. It is rather unfortunate that it's still under major renovation and I have promised the very kind guard to not photograph those areas. I'm determined to return when it's all completed. We did have an excellent lunch served by truly lovely and kind and cheerful staff.

A great place to chill and hangout after strolling around Taman Fatahillah and Jakarta Kota Tua. The architecture, the interior vibes, the view, and the coffee are all amazing. Located right beside Kali Besar, only 5-minute walk from the center of Taman Museum Fatahillah, and right across the Kota Tua Busstop in Kali Besar. Toko Merah’s facade is a well executed example of a good historical architecture preservation. A contrast of neat red brick while still following the uniformity. The interior is also great. A sense of modernity with historical ornaments, taking us further to experience the old vibes that this building may once had, while still knowing that we’re in a present. Ambiance is silent, cold but comforting, with music that doesn’t disturb our chatting. The view. Mesmerizing. Fortunately, the sky was clear as day during our visit, so the view to the old buildings in Kota Tua was framed perfectly by the window and could be seen right from our seat. Coffee, no comment. Hit right on point. Their Americano and Kopi Susu Rode (Aren) are good. A perfect drink to accompany our chit-chat. One thing to consider is that they don’t have many seats available. If I remember correctly, probably only around 10 tables on the 2nd floor and maybe >5 on the ground floor. However, I think the limited seat is necessary to keep the ambiance as good and as chill as they are. Overall, definitely a place you have to go to when you visit Kota Tua Jakarta. ?

A distinct heritage building with rich history by the Kali Besar / Grand Canal. Now partially being adaptive reuse as a cafe. Renov project still on going in some parts