For us fellow kids, endless Instagram scrolling usually precedes our next culinary/hangout spot hunt. So when we saw the captivating snaps of TANATAP Coffee’s new joint in Ampera, South Jakarta on our timeline one day, we just had to see it for ourselves.
The first TANATAP Coffee opened last year in Meruya, West Jakarta, occupying the ground floor of RAD+ar architect studio, which also developed the coffee shop. Just like its predecessor, TANATAP Ampera also boasts a spacious interior with tranquil ambience from strategically-placed greenery.
We thought the year-end holiday would be a good time to visit TANATAP Ampera, assuming that many Jakartans have left town for their break. But when we arrived, it was clear that we underestimated the hype surrounding the coffee shop, as we had to wait some 30 minutes for the indoor area to clear out before queuing to order, which took another 15-20 minutes.
Before we jumped into the queue, we took out our design critic hat and checked out the circular space — and boy, was it stunning. Every side had functional and aesthetic value, with the indoor area occupying half of the circle while the outdoor area occupying the other half, which faces the amphitheater-like seating in the garden. There are also seats on the rooftop that are accessible from the stairway at the garden seating section, which, weather permitting, makes for a nice spot for afternoon coffee.
You need to push the white tiled-door located to the left of the main entrance to access the outdoor seating area, while the indoor seating area, which features proper dining tables, is located on the other end across the coffee bar.
You’d be hard pressed to find a more beautiful (and, indeed, insta-worthy) coffee shop in Jakarta. The exposed structures of the building, the natural lighting that seep through the glass walls, and the abundance of vegetation in and around the coffee shop make TANATAP Ampera the perfect little breezy escape amid the hustle and bustle of South Jakarta.
Equally important is, of course, the food and coffee. We eventually sat down on a bench with a small table, facing the bar with a large fan underneath our seat. As much as we’d like to, we weren’t able to stay for too long, for reasons we’ll explain later.
As it was past lunch time, we ordered an Iced White (IDR48,000), Tempeh Katsu (IDR32,000) as a starter, and the Bobo Ramen Stir Fry (IDR60,000), which we picked due to as rice dishes were unavailable at the time. We saw that many patrons ordered bottled iced coffee such as Kopi Susu Gula Aren, Pandan Latte, and Vanilka (IDR39,000 each) to share. Our iced latte came in a thick plastic cup and the meals were served with plastic sporks, presumably for practicality’s sake.
The Iced White was light and milky, and we made a mental note to add an extra shot on our next visit, while we thought the Tempeh Katsu was very lightly seasoned. The Bobo Ramen Stir Fry — consisting of furikake, mushrooms, prawn, and nori — was like yaki udon but with spaghetti. It was a nice light meal, but probably not too filling after a long queue.
Had TANATAP been less busy during our visit, we would have further explored their menu, especially their selection of filter coffee (IDR48,000 for hot, and IDR50,000 for cold), oand try their rice-based dishes such as the Salmon Japanese Bowl (IDR57,000) and Rendang Fried Rice (IDR55,000).
Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay for too long because the wifi didn’t work and the queues in front of the cashier kept getting longer to the point that it reached our seat. As TANATAP Ampera is still under trial opening, hopefully some aspects will be improved by the time the shop is open for real.
TANATAP Ampera will have their soft opening on Jan. 7, 2022, promising more food and drinks, as well as offline events to be held at their space.
FIND IT
Tanatap Coffee Ampera
Jl. Ampera Raya No.129, Ps. Minggu, South Jakarta
Opening hours: 9am-9pm, daily
Whatsapp: +62 812-7419-4789
USD1=IDR14,243
