Dago and Braga Cafes in Bandung
Part of the Bandung travel guide — see every topic in All Bandung Guides.
Bandung is a young city full of students and designers, and it has one of the best cafe scenes in Indonesia. In 2015 it joined the UNESCO Creative Cities network for design. You see this in the coffee shops, small fashion labels, galleries and music venues all over town. Two areas are the easiest place to start: Dago, a long road climbing north into the hills, and Braga, a short old street in the centre that now feels modern and lively.
Dago
Jalan Dago, officially Jalan Ir. H. Juanda, runs from the city centre up into the northern hills. The lower part has shops, restaurants and the area near the Bandung Institute of Technology campus. Higher up, cafes and restaurants sit on the slope with wide views over the city. At night, the hillside places at Dago Atas and Dago Pakar look down on a carpet of lights. On some Sunday mornings the lower road becomes a car-free day for walking and cycling, but check locally, because this changes.
Braga street
Braga is a street about 850 metres long in the heart of the city. Its art deco buildings from the 1920s and 1930s have been restored and filled with coffee shops, bakeries, bars and small hotels. Local painters sell their work along the pavement, so the street works like an open-air gallery. At weekends parts of Braga are often closed to cars, and the street fills with young people, music and street food. It is a good place to walk in the evening, when the lights come on and the cafes are busy.
Coffee from the hills
The mountains around Bandung grow good arabica coffee, and many cafes serve beans from local farms. You can try pour-over, espresso or Indonesian iced coffee with palm sugar. Specialty roasters often explain where the beans come from, and some sell bags to take home. Cafes in Bandung are also places to work and meet friends, so many have fast Wi-Fi, quiet corners and long opening hours. Prices are much lower than in big Western cities. Many cafes sit in old houses with gardens, which makes them a cool, green place to rest in the afternoon.
Design and art
Bandung has many independent clothing brands, often called distros, which sell T-shirts, jackets and bags by local designers. Small galleries, art spaces and creative hubs show work by young artists. Street art and murals decorate walls in several districts. The city also has a strong music scene, with live bands in cafes and bars on weekend nights. Ask staff at a cafe or your hotel for current events, because pop-up markets and shows move around often. Weekend markets often sell crafts, prints and small design objects that make good gifts to take home.
Dago and Braga Cafes at a glance
| Getting there | Both areas are central; ride-hailing is easy |
|---|---|
| Hours | Many cafes open from morning to late evening |
| Cost | Coffee and snacks are cheap by Western standards |
| Best time | Evenings and weekend nights for atmosphere |
| Car-free | Braga often at weekends; Dago on some Sundays |
| Known for | UNESCO Creative City of Design since 2015 |