I officially took off my status as a small town girl in 2014 by moving out to a bigger city to attend university in Yogyakarta a city of arts and traditions. It was easy to find spots to go for a hike or fun camping. Gosh, I have big love to that kind of things.
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4 years later, an opportunity brought me to the second biggest city in Indonesia, Surabaya. Prior to that, (not ashamed to say) I was not a a big fan of this city. The attractions? Pretty much big city-like, malls, modern-sophisticated buildings, far from the situation I call, a comfort zone. I don't go for shopping often (online shopping mostly✌😁), bad at direction so strolling around the city is not an excellent idea (my fiancé 
spoils me too much, drives me everywhere mostly lol), while my crave for nature kind of recreation can only be satisfied by 2-3 drive out of town. So it's super had for me to find recreation in this city.
spoils me too much, drives me everywhere mostly lol), while my crave for nature kind of recreation can only be satisfied by 2-3 drive out of town. So it's super had for me to find recreation in this city.Realize it or not, I'm always drawn into some places closer to "home". Homey artistic traditional kind of vibe. Been hopping here and there looking for those kind of gems.
Aaaand, just found one!✨😜
Situated in the center of busy Surabaya, a place so very much resembles my late grandparents house 😹. And yes they named it "Grandfather CoffeeShop".
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I managed to click some pictures so you'll have a clear image of it. Here's how it looks on the front.
And yes, It is literally a house magically turned into a lovely hanging out space, also YES they do have a real life locomotive on their front yard!
Stepping into the front door, the situation is a typical Indonesian vintage living room before '00 era. Wooden and rattan furniture, floral vintage-patterned cushions, black and white framed photographs, old paintings, also ornaments like small retro statues and radios to spice things up.
Next, I'm taking you to the backyard. It's by far my favorite part of this place. It's also where the coffee bar's situated. So many small details placed at the walls, retro advertisement boards, vintage decoration plates, more of black and white photographs, and (my personal favorite) traditional wooden and earthenware characters masks. Almost forgot to mention those beautiful vintage chandeliers.
This place has both indoor and outdoor spots. As you have seen the vast outdoor space on their front yard, there is also another outdoor space back with a sliding roof (it's an excellent idea anyway, considering the unexpected rain these days and the constant heat of Surabaya which could reach up to 96°F during daytime😵) There's a small pond next to it, an a scooter as decoration, so lovely!
Overall, the concept and ambience of this place as a retro hanging place is :
10/10
Unfortunately we did not order their main dish or snacks, but their coffee and drinks are :
9/10
They do have quite variative local coffee beans, which is great. Plus, the service and serving time is good. Sooo, I highly recommend this place for those who lives in Surabaya or will have the chance to visit. This "grandfather house" will welcome you warmly.
Grandfather CoffeeShop
Jl. Kalasan No.25 I, Pacar Keling, Kec. Tambaksari, Kota SBY, Jawa Timur 60131
Here's a bonus picture of us, tired but happy! Cheers from Surabaya, hopefully I can share some more of my favorite places and activities with you all soon!
Credits :
- All photos were taken by me
- Thumbnail edited by CANVA
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