Yogyakarta has been a sort of a based for me for around four months. Well, I have had a three weeks-ish break traveling to Cambodia and Vietnam.

Considering that I have been a nomad since 2016, staying in one city feels pretty amazing. I do have a bit hard time to make the city feel like home, but some good friends help me there. Btw, if this is your first time in Yogyakarta, check out this things to do in Yogyakarta article.

It has been good, though we moved ‘house’ several times. Hopefully, by the first quarter of next year, we will be able to stay in one place.

With the fact that I’ve been spending enough amount of time in Yogya, I started compiling a list of “my favorite cafes to get some work done” in Yogyakarta. In other words, you can call it a cafe with decent wifi and plugs/electricity sockets, of course, this should come with tasty coffee and/or food, a comfy seat, and a suitable ambiance.

This list is for my fellow freelancers out there or non-freelancer who are working on their side projects and need a place to work. Well, it’s suitable for anyone wanting to find a place to read a book or write/work on something.

I divided this list of the best coffee shops in Yogyakarta based on the location. I classified the cafes into three sections: south, north, and the city center or the middle. Let’s start! 🙂

outdoor coffee shop
Sapulu Coffee in the Royal Palace area

South

Sapulu Coffee

This cute little cafe with a fast internet connection is inside the Royal Palace area. It is part of the Guest House Chendela. Since this place is outdoors, it is a lot better to come early or late in the afternoon.

The cafe is on a busy road. If the sound of motorbikes passing you by is disturbing, then this is not the cafe for you. But, if you like a beautiful cozy small place with occasionally two cats wandering around you, then you will like Sapulu.

The coffee at Sapulu is nice, and they have a variety of interesting drinks. The cafe opens at 7 am. Cappuccino: Rp28,000.

Tujuan

Tujuan is a very cozy place to work. Their furniture is beautiful, the color tone of the cafe is warm and calming, and they have a fun playlist. I love to come here in the morning and stay there until lunchtime (their Nasi Goreng Hitam is tasty btw). The coffee is good, but not excellent. However, their cold brew is rather tasty.

Tujuan opens at 9 am. Small late costs Rp18,000.

Lussid Coffee

Lussid is a relatively new coffee shop. It is always busy late at night but is empty during the day. They have a designated area for people who are coming to ‘work’ at the cafe.

On the second floor, they have a small corner with beanbags, which I think is a comfortable space for reading a book. Their coffee is nice, and they have some food options (I haven’t tried their food). They open at 8 am. Cappuccino: Rp25,000.

Saorsa Kopi [Selatan]

Ok for this one, at the moment, I have nothing to say because I haven’t visited it. With that said, Saorsa Lopi looks like a cozy place! The coffee shop has an indoor area and an outdoor area. In the outdoor space, there are small tables out on the grass where you can sit.

I’ll update this article once I have visited the cafe. They open at 2 pm.

The cozy Pitutur Coffee

Sort of in the middle

Pitutur Coffee – CLOSED. 

[Update] Pitutur Coffee in Bausasaran is no longer available, it is now serving at Jalan Waras, Panggung Sari, Sleman. They don’t have a fix opening hours. They always announce their opening hours a day before on their Instagram page. The concept of this coffee shop now is a slow bar. Still nice to visit, but not a place to go for working with your laptop. 

Pitutur Coffee is one of my favorite cafes in Yogyakarta. The cafe is a small cozy place that feels just like home. The ambiance is tranquil and calm. It feels a bit like a library; it is as if everyone knows that you shouldn’t be noisy.

They usually have the news in English in the background. It might feel bizarre for some people, but for me, it was nice. Weirdly the ambiance makes me more focus on my work. Oh, they have a library full of good books.

You have to take off your shoes to enter the cafe. The cafe has various types of teas and coffees. I usually go for their teas. The minus point, for me, is they open at 2 pm. Cappuccino: Rp20,000-Rp27,000.

Jeeva Yogyakarta

Jeeva is a cute cafe in Kotabaru. It was recommended to me by Aggy. The interior of the cafe has a pretty pastel color tone, which I like. Their coffee is lovely, and the food is tasty.

Jeeva has various options for food and drinks. I think their menu is pretty creative. There are several desserts that I’m interested in trying on my next visit.

Sometimes the waitress at the cafe can have way too much fun, and they are the ones who get very noisy. Not so far from Jeeva, there is another nice place called Kalluna, avoid to come there during lunch or dinner time. Jeeva open at 10 am. Cappuccino: Rp28,000.

Esco / No. 27

I’ve been coming to No.27 Coffee & Eatery for a long time. Esco 27 has a nice working ambiance. It is close to my favorite Warung Nasi Pecel in Yogya. That is why I have never tried their food (I should do at some point).

Their coffee is great. Avoid their flat white, which tastes a bit weird! The cafe is relatively busy, but never too busy. It has an indoor and outdoor space. They open at 8 am. Cappuccino: Rp25,000.

Tanamera Cafe has a great breakfast deal.

Tanamera Coffee & Roaster

This cafe is my go-to cafe whenever I want to start work quite early, and I want granola for breakfast. For the past few months, they have this bundle menu, breakfast with coffee that comes with an excellent price.

Tanamera’s coffee is one of the best in Yogyakarta, in my opinion. The minus point for me, sometimes their indoor area can be freezing. It’s a good idea to bring a jacket if you can’t stand cold like me. Meanwhile, it can be quite hot in their outdoor space.

They open at 7 am. Cappuccino: Rp33,000.

Roaster and Bear

Roaster and Bear is on the premises of Hotel Harper Mangkubumi. The best thing about this cafe is they have a lot of options for food and drinks, plus they have a lot of cake choices.

The restaurant is so big. There are two floors. Even if it is busy, it won’t feel too busy anyway.

The cappuccino is not only cute but also tastes good. My partner’s favorite menu is their smoothie bowl. They open at 11 am. Cappucino: Rp20,000-Rp30,000.

Tekoff Coffee and Tea

Tekoff is tiny and feels cramped, but I don’t know why it is a nice place. You realize how small it is because it gets confusing, arranging your laptop, coffee, and a cake on a tiny table.

If you are thinking to have a coffee/tea and read a book, or work but without the need for using a laptop, then Tekoff is a great place. The place is cozy and has a lot of shady areas.

Tekoff has a lovely terrace with bean bags. The best time to go is in the morning or later in the afternoon. They open at 8 am. Cappuccino: Rp23,000.

Kunena Eatery

Hannif recommends Kunena, and I quickly came to the conclusion it is one of the cafes in Yogyakarta to work with a laptop.

The restaurant is spacious, and they serve tasty food and drinks. I think anyone whose favorite color is blue will like this place. They open at 11 am. Cappucino: Rp25,000.

Simetri Coffee Roaster

Simetri is like a house. There are different rooms where you can sit. Some of them are dimly lit, while others have plenty of sunlight. The cafe is comfy, and it has a lot of big tables and cozy chairs. Their internet is pretty fast too.

Considering the name is ‘coffee roaster,’ I was surprised that I was disappointed by their coffee. Their artisan tea was lovely, though! I should give it another try 🙂

They open at 9 am. Cappuccino: Rp36,000.

Estuary Cafe. The best spot is on the second floor.

North

Ekologi Desk & Coffee

I like Ekologi because of its fast internet connection, tasty coffee, and space. The cafe is spacious, and a lot of natural light comes in.

Rather ironically, ‘Ekologi’ used to use paper cups for people who were drinking at the cafe. It was silly. Thankfully they have changed for better; they are using real cups.

Ekologi open at 10 am. Cappuccino: Rp34,000.

Estuary Cafe

I was introduced to this cafe by Bulan. The cafe is similar to Ekologi. It’s very spacious with a lot of large windows. They have a lot of co-working tables, and the ambiance is like a fancy co-working space. I think it is one of the best coffee shops in Yogya for working or studying. 

Estuary Cafe also has various options for food and drinks. Their coffee is tasty, and the food menu is good as well.

The last few times I visited Estuary Cafe, it was bustling. Don’t get me wrong, previously it was busy too but not too noisy. Friends have told me not to go on the weekend because it gets very crowded and noisy.

They open at 10 am. Cappuccino: Rp27,000.

Peacock Coffee (Peacockoffie Palagan)

Peacock Coffee is one of my favorite cafes to work when I was living in Palagan. It is not a big cafe, but very comfy and they are open 24 hours (OMG!).

Peacock Coffee is a great place to go if you are a morning person and want to get some work done early. Coffee is good, and there are a lot of plugs.

Eplus.co Coffee & Coworking

Eplus.co Coffee & Coworking has a straightforward, simple interior, but comfortable enough for working. A lot of big tables and plugs in the cafe. This cafe doesn’t have AC, but the big windows make it airy and fresh. I like it when the cafe is not too busy.

You can rent a virtual office at this cafe. It’s a good option if you are looking for a place to work from every day.

I’m not sure if they still use only plastic cups for cold drinks. I hope they have the option of proper cups. They open at 9 am.

At Esco cafe no 27, go for the coconut water and lime if you want to take a break from coffee. Or order both.
Jeeva Coffee Yogyakarta. They have a lot of interesting food options (and drinks too!)
Simetri Coffee Roaster. I need to visit this cafe and try their coffee again.

Conclusion

There you go. That was a list of my favorite cafes/restaurants to go to get some work done (do remote work in Yogyakarta). Oh btw, if you see me at one of these places, say hi. Keep in mind I’m there for work 🙂

I deliberately didn’t include coworking spaces like JDV or CoHive because I don’t use them. I tried JDV twice a long time ago, and it was ok. There’s a chance that my suggestions might not go well with you, because perhaps we have different preferences and that is ok.

So if you have any favorite cafes/restaurants in Yogyakarta to work from, please let me know. Maybe I missed some good spots.