The long tradition of cafes and pubs

JAKARTA (JP): Visiting cafes and pubs has become part of daily life in Jakarta, but few here understand the original function of these establishments.

Budiman Wijaya, an executive at a local advertising agency, said that he expects delicious food, good music and a cozy atmosphere when he goes to a cafe. But the terms cafe and pub only entered the minds of Indonesians recently. "I still don't know when a restaurant should be called a cafe or a pub," he said.

Pierre Perusset, food and beverage director at the Regent Jakarta, explained that the history of cafes dates back to the l6th century, when the first cafe was established in Constantinople in Turkey in l550.

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, a cafe is small eating and drinking establishment, historically a coffeehouse and usually featuring a limited menu. Originally, cafes only served coffee. The English term cafe, borrowed from the French, is derived from the Turkish kahve, meaning coffee.

The introduction of coffee and coffee drinking to Europe provided a much needed focus for the social activities of the sober. Perusset went on to say that France had its first cafe in l672 with coffee and tea served to men and eventually women who did not want to consume alcohol, for which there was a tea room accompanied by a pastry shop.

In the l9th century, the most famous coffeehouses of Europe flourished in London as ready points for discussion. During the same century cafes also functioned as business centers. The business of buying and selling insurance, ships and stocks were held in cafes or coffeehouses.

Cafes also played important roles for cultural endeavors. Men of letters, actors and artists often did work in their favorite coffeehouses.

At the same time, France also experienced a boom in cafes and restaurants which acted more as gathering places for intellectuals and artists. The wealthier artists dined in Paris's finer restaurants, while the more modest cafes and bistros harbored the bohemian artists. Cafes have been an important social institution in France throughout the 20th century.

As espresso and other specialty coffees became popular in the United States, many restaurants specializing in coffee opened. Today's cafes include themes injected with fun and atmosphere such as the Hard Rock Cafe for rock music fans, Planet Hollywood or the Fashion Cafe. With a special license, cafes can now serve alcoholic beverages.

Pub is the other term which often leads to confusion.

In Jakarta, Jaya Pub and Jamz Pub in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, are among the establishments with pub status.

British writer Michael Jackson reveals in his book The English Pub that a pub at its best may be a place for drinking and talking, or better still, for talking and drinking, but it can also be place for eating, games, sports and music.

But to be a good pub, it must cater to those who want nothing more than a drink; it must serve them at regular prices and without charging anything to enter, Jackson explains.

Pubs belong to an Anglo-Saxon tradition found in the United Kingdom, where the image is hearty and the opening hours are strict. For the British, the pub is a neutral ground, Jackson said.

The Englishman is jealous of his home; it is after all, proverbially his castle. But castles are not always comfortable. Nor are they places in which to entertain a friend, or even an enemy. A pub is not a home, but it is a house, a public house. The term public house seemed to achieve official recognition in l854 when a House of Commons Select Committee used the expression.

The reticent Englishman can invite a friend for drink in a pub without any risk that the style of his home life will be found wanting.

In the Industrial Revolution era, the role of pubs in society changed dramatically. The social focus and rituals of rural life had been left behind, and the new city dwellers had to find a replacement. Pubs became centers for entertainment, spots and the dissemination of information. Pubs also acted as employment exchanges and sometimes wages were often paid out there.

Today, pubs and cafes are found in almost all big cities around the globe. They are now almost inseparable from the cities' lives and their inhabitants. (team)