Caffeine Lab Thamrin is a smart coffee shop that knows what it wants. While others race to emphasize on specialty coffee or create the most photogenic cafe, Caffeine Lab stands firm with simplicity and purpose: inviting people to #ngopidilobby. It’s neat and practical, just like a chemical periodic table. Perhaps that is indeed the inspiration behind naming the coffees as if it is a chemical element, for instance Am for Iced Americano and Cn for Iced Cappuccino.
Situated in the lobby of Grha Niaga Thamrin in Central Jakarta, Caffeine Lab will naturally be the go-to spot for office workers in the building for a caffeine boost to their day. It opens at 7:30 AM every weekday and closes every weekend. One can come for a cup of coffee right before work or in the afternoon to shoo the post-lunch sleepiness away.
When one is not up for enjoying coffee in the comfort of office cubicle, Caffeine Lab Thamrin has a row of small tables and chairs that can fit a total of around 15 people. It can also double as a place for emergency meetings and *cough*sharing office gossips*cough*.
Price is very pocket-friendly, head to head with other small coffee sellers on Go-Food or other similar mobile applications. The best-selling menu Eko (Es Kaffein Office), Caffeine Lab’s version of the famous iced coffee with milk and sugar, is priced at IDR 18K. Meanwhile, Iced Americano and Iced Latte that use a more premium coffee beans are priced at IDR 25K and IDR 30K respectively. Hot coffee and tea-based drinks are also available.
Caffeine Lab Thamrin is nothing fancy, but packs a punch. The barista and staffs are full of smiles, the coffee is good, the homemade bolu cake pairs well with coffee, and the price is affordable. Right now Caffeine Lab’s coffee is not available via ojek online, but we won’t be too surprised if it will be in the near future. Until then, one will just have to make do with a visit in person.
