When we were looking for a destination for our end year trip, our main criteria was that it had to be relaxing. We just wanted to eat, drink and sleep. We eventually decided on Bandung, Indonesia. The reason? It’s a great city for cafe-hopping and good food! So, this post will mainly be about the cafes and restaurants we visited (and how photo-worthy they are). We will also share a little about our accommodation and shopping at the bottom of this post.

Disclaimer: As we do not speak bahasa indo, the places we ate at are more or less ‘safer’ options in terms of communication. We picked places where we know they have English menus, or at the very least have enough photos of their dishes online so that we can point and order. We just didn’t want any stress xD

Food and Drinks

Restoran Kampung Daun

Widely recognised as the #1 restaurant in the Lembang area, Kampung Daun did not disappoint. It feels like a village, with shops lining up the side on our way to the restaurant. Some would probably say that it is a tad bit too ‘touristy’, but given that the prices were not too extravagant, we felt it was a great experience. The restaurant is decorated very nicely, and each group of people get their own huts for dining. We recommend the Sup Daging (Beef Soup), but generally, we found the food pretty good. Do note to get a queue number at the reception area!

Address: Perumahan Villa Triniti Blok RR1 Jl. Sersan Bajuri No.88 Km.4,7, Cihideung, Parongpong, Kabupaten Bandung Barat, Jawa Barat 40154, Indonesia

Armor Kopi

The first thing you’ll notice about Armor Kopi is the vast area of space they have, allowing them to have a mixture of outdoor and indoor seating. It’s a nice area for taking photos due to the abundance of natural light! We were definitely not the only ones snapping away over here. They have very limited food items, with their focus being on coffee and other beverages.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/armorkopi.bdg/?hl=en
Address: Jl. Bukit Pakar Utara No.10, Ciburial, Cimenyan, Bandung, Jawa Barat 40135, Indonesia

Utara Cafe

This beautiful cafe is a must-go for Instagrammers. Tons of photo spots at almost every angle. There’re lalang lining the side of the cafe, and it’s high up on the hill, providing the patrons with a nice view of the city. We tried their BBQ, which turned out better than expected. The BBQ food items are customizable, in case there’re any meat items that you don’t eat.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/utaracafe/?hl=en
Address: Ciburial, Cimenyan, Bandung, West Java 40198, Indonesia

Akasya Teras

We came across this place as it was near our accomodation, but it turned out to be great. The Gurame Goreng was fantastic! Strangely, it was also the first place we came across that had Jus Alpukat (Avocado Juice).

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akasyateras/?hl=en
Address: Jl. Raya Resort No.18, Ciburial, Cimenyan, Bandung, Jawa Barat 40198, Indonesia

The Soko Coffee Tea Chocolate

This place was literally a hop away from Akasya Teras. We popped in for some coffee and was pleasantly surprised! In fact, this was probably our favourite find of this trip. This cafe was on the roof of a building, and had a nice view too. We opted to sit in an outdoor area as it was better for photo taking! As you might have already guessed, their Coffee and Chocolate beverages were really good. Definitely recommended if you’re in the area.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesokoctc/?hl=en
Address: Jl. Raya Resort No.19, Ciburial, Cimenyan, Bandung, Jawa Barat 40198, Indonesia

Dasa Rooftop

This restaurant sits on a road with many other restaurant options, but we eventually settled on this one. To access the restaurant, you’ll need to take the elevator up to the roof. Needless to say, the view here is stunning as it overlooks the city. The food were generally good, especially for the price, but we found the sauce/gravy of the pasta to be on the heavier and thicker side. The place was quite dark, so it might not be the most ideal for taking photos.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dasarooftop/
Address: Jalan Bukit Pakar Timur IV No.8, Ciburial, Cimenyan, Bandung, Jawa Barat 40198, Indonesia

Hummingbird Eatery

Hummingbird Eatery needs no introduction. It’s been around for many years and there’re plenty of good reasons for that. The food and drinks were so good that we visited this cafe twice during our trip! Do note that it can be very crowded on weekends or public holidays, as this is a popular place for both locals and tourists. Remember to save some space for dessert!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hummingbird_eatery/
Address: Jl. Progo No.14, Citarum, Bandung Wetan, Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat 40115, Indonesia

Buttercup Boulangerie

This cafe/bakery was right on the doorstep of our hotel, so we finally decided to visit it on one of our lazy mornings. Their breakfast items tasted awesome. We tried both scrambled and baked eggs and they were both really well done. Their coffee was great too! Further down in this post, we will talk more about the hotel we stayed at, but being right next to this cafe is one of the reasons why we definitely recommend staying there.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buttercupbdg/?hl=en
Address: Jl. Ir. H.Djuanda No.46, Citarum, Bandung Wetan, Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat 40115, Indonesia

Raja Rasa

This was hands down the best restaurant we ate at during the trip. It’s a traditional restaurant that serves authentic Sudanese food. You can’t go wrong with this place if you are looking for a nice place for dinner. We highly recommend getting the Chicken Satay, Gurame Bakar Raja Rasa and Sop Daging. In our opinion, this place is a must-visit.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rajarasa.official/
Address: Sukawarna Sukajadi, Jl. Setraria No.1, Sukarasa, Sukasari, Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat 40164, Indonesia

Cups Coffee & Kitchen

This cafe has a very nice interior, making it very instagrammable (seems to be a criteria nowadays)! We found the food to be just decent, not great, but the coffee was good. It’s worth coming if you are in the area and need a cuppa joe.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cupscoffeeshop/
Address: Jl. Trunojoyo No.25, Citarum, Bandung Wetan, Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat 40115, Indonesia

Shopping

We really didnt do much shopping at all, as the clothes in the factory outlets wasn’t our cup of tea. Here’re a few special mentions for shopping though!

UNKL Headquarters

According to a friend of mine, UNKL has been around for years and is quite a name in the skateboarding world. Personally, I really liked their shirt designs and so i bought quite a few of them. Great place for shopping streetwear. It’s a bonus that they have their own cafe too!

MRJN Clothing

Chanced upon this shop in the midst of cafe hopping. Local designer with some interesting and fun designs. Didn’t manage to take any photos! Check them out at: https://www.maryjane.id/

Paris Van Java

I know, you’re thinking how touristy can i get. But hear me out! Cindy managed to buy a pair of Keds shoes at 80% off. I bought 2 t shirts from Ripcurl for SGD 30. It’s really not that bad! Why not have a meal around here and do some shopping?

Accomodation

Hotel Intercontinental Bandung

A world renowned brand when it comes to hotels, and it definitely did not disappoint. We were lucky enough to get bumped up to a better room too. The bathtub was awesome, and the panoramic view from the room was one that we can get used to. Breakfast buffet had a wide range of choices! We can’t recommend this more if you are in the Lembang area.

Four Points by Sheraton

Right in the heart of the city, this hotel was clean and convenient. We spotted some fellow Singaporeans here too! Plenty of food options beside the hotel, including our favourite Mister Donut! Buttercup Boulangerie, a cafe/bakery with really nice food and coffee sits right at the door step of the hotel too. Supermarket is a minute walk away, and there’s even a mall right across that sells everything you need for your home (from spoons to sofas). Oh, and their service was excellent too!

Before we end the post, we just want to share some tips if you are travelling to Bandung.

1. Getting around is easy. Grab and Gojek makes it very convenient.
   
2. Download Google translate to your phone. Most locals do not speak english.
   
3. Main courses in cafes range around SGD 4 – 6 per item on the average
   
4. Do not drink the tap water, not even after boiling it.
   
5. Traffic jam can be really bad during peak hours. Try to avoid being on the road at those times.

All in all, Bandung is a great getaway destination from Singapore. Our national hobby of cafe hopping is made very affordable over there. They really know their coffee and I’m really surprised at how well they plan their cafes to be in terms of design and decor.

If you enjoyed this post, please find us on our instagram: @anderspluscindy

Do hit us up if you have any questions and we will try our best to answer them if we can 🙂