Bali is known for many things: the sun, sand, and sea, the ginormous newly completed Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue, but perhaps most of all, for inspiring how many people have come to envision paradise. Its lush, tropical, and hospitable nature make it impossible to only visit once, and no traveler is immune to its charm. Spiritual forests and ocean swells aside, there’s a new reason to book a trip back to Bali nowadays: its thriving coffee scene.
One area that has always been privy to Bali’s ever-expanding caffeine culture is Seminyak, just north of Kuta. The area is chock-full of stylish boutiques, trendy restaurants, and the occasional mall – all retaining Bali’s palpable beachy holiday groove. While there’s no shortage of snazzy coffee shops lining the main streets, a little exploring may prove fruitful - one of the best coffee shops in the area is a little more reclusive.
Opposite Seminyak Square is a little alleyway that leads to a curated selection of craft shops, restaurants, and Titik Temu Coffee. Sat right across the lane, Titik Temu (also stylized as .Temu) is the first thing your eye catches as you find your way into the green courtyard. The size of the shop itself is nothing grand, however, the stairs (that also serve as seats) that line the shop’s side lets the eye travel upwards, giving the building a roomy amphitheater look and making it appear much larger than it actually is.
The interior of the shop is as engaging, in a simple, subdued way. Concrete walls and floors, straightforward furnishings, and a cascade of curtain creepers keep the space clean and airy – the perfect place for an afternoon pit stop before hitting the shops. Natural light streams in through the grooves in between the stairsteps overhead and makes you think that this has to be the minimalist’s go-to cafe.
The menu is not too long, and not too short. All coffee-based drinks are brewed with coffee roasted in a facility in Jakarta, but that’s not to say you must drink coffee. To combat the humidity, try their icy cold iced matcha latte, made even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream plopped on top. As for munchies, Titik Temu has a variety of proper meals ranging from a full breakfast to nasi goreng, but snacks to share are just as good – like their coffee-rubbed french fries.
Speaking of sharing, the best spot to chill out with a group would probably be on the roof. Just take the stairs straight up and you’ll find communal tables perfect for balmy nights filled with chatter. After all, titik temu does translate to meeting point, does it not? It’s only fitting that you spend your time at this cafe catching up and making plans with compandres over coffee, then.
