Must-see restaurants in Indonesia

  • Holliday Restaurant

    Semarang

    It's easy to see why this two-storey restaurant is permanently packed: the food is exceptionally good! Earning the unreserved recommendation of the local…

  • Patio

    Borobudur

    For a magical hilltop setting enhanced by traditional music, this vintage restaurant, 4km west of Borobudur, is hard to match. Eat in the formal dining…

  • Main bar at Loewy side shot.

    Loewy

    South Jakarta

    One of Jakarta’s most popular dining spots, this casual 1940s Paris–meets–New York bistro is located right in the middle of the busiest business district…

  • Interior of OKU

    OKU

    Jakarta

    Inside Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, OKU is an outstanding Japanese dining experience. Its Zen-like minimalist dining room allows the food to stand out. Chef…

  • Interior of Common Grounds

    Common Grounds

    Jakarta

    Common Grounds is a pioneer of Melburnian third-wave coffee culture in Jakarta. Its award-winning baristas brew fine coffees roasted in-house, while the…

  • Samadi Bali

    Canggu Region

    A guesthouse, yoga studio (class 140,000Rp), holistic treatment centre and organic cafe rolled into one, Samadi Bali is the quintessential wellness stop…

  • Gianyar Night Market

    East Bali

    The sound of scores of cooking pots and the glare of bright lights add a frenetic and festive clamour to Gianyar's delicious and wonderfully aromatic…

  • Blue Terrace

    South Jakarta

    Counteract some of Jakarta's toxins at Blue Terrace, which crafts beautifully presented dishes for the health conscious. The menu is chock full of…

  • Bali Asli

    East Bali

    The green hills around Amlapura are some of east Bali's most beautiful and Australian chef Penelope Williams takes full advantage of the vistas at her…

  • De Soematra 1910

    Surabaya

    Put on your posh frock to come to this highly regarded restaurant. It's set inside a renovated colonial mansion with 6m-high ceilings, chandeliers and…

  • Kunstkring Paleis

    Jakarta

    High tea or cocktails? You can have both, plus a divine Indonesian dinner in between at this alluring re-imagined Dutch colonial mansion, once Batavia's…

  • Melati

    Malang

    The Tugu hotel's poolside restaurant is a romantic setting for a meal, with attentive staff to guide you through the delicious Indonesian and Chinese…

  • Nusa

    South Jakarta

    Inside this grand old 1920s colonial house is one of Jakarta's best upmarket Indonesian restaurants. The menu changes nightly depending on what the chefs…

  • Sari Rasa

    Flores

    This sparkling-clean, bare-walled restaurant is filled with travellers out for a taste of local food, but who come back for Martin, the charismatic owner…

  • Pasar Ikan

    West Java

    Pangandaran’s terrific fish market consists of more than a dozen large, open-sided restaurants just off the east beach. Karya Bahari is considered the…

  • Mediterranea

    Yogyakarta

    This lively French-owned kitchen is a delight in every sense and comes highly recommended by expats. Everything is homemade, including crusty baguettes…

  • Mopi's Place

    Flores

    This open-sided Indo-Australian affair starts with local coffee, house-made soy milk and freshly baked bread; it progresses to exceptional Indonesian…

  • Single Fin

    Bukit Peninsula

    From this triple-level cafe on its cliff-side perch, you can watch never-ending swells march across the Indian Ocean and the surfers carve it up when the…

  • Lewis & Carroll

    Jakarta

    There are more than 70 types of artisanal tea on offer at Lewis & Carroll. The tea lounge serves locally sourced teas with names like Batavia Grey and…

  • Din Tai Fung

    South Jakarta

    This branch of the Michelin-starred Taiwanese dumpling restaurant, one of many in Jakarta, is well hidden and has a relaxing ambience. It specialises in…

  • Room4Dessert

    Ubud

    Celebrity chef Will Goldfarb, who hails from the States and gained fame via Netflix's Chef's Table, runs what could be a nightclub but is in fact a…

  • Genius Cafe

    Sanur

    This hub for entrepreneurship, which is part of a growing, membership-based network of beach clubs, also serves up delicious food and drinks from a…

  • Java Banana

    East Java

    Set off the road up to Ijen from Banyuwangi, this restaurant, inside the upmarket Jiwa Jawa hotel, is a stunner, with a massive ground-floor gallery and…

  • Pulu Mujung Warung

    Central Mountains

    Easily the best option for a meal in the area, this fantastic cafe has epic volcano views. It's affiliated with the much-loved Warung Bodag Maliah…

  • Restaurant Laryss

    Flores

    Don't miss this beachside fish shack. Sit at a tree-shaded table on the sand and order the catch of the day or a soul-stirring ikan kuah assam (tamarind…

  • Waha Kitchen

    Jalan Jaksa Area

    A fittingly fashionable bistro occupies the lobby of the designer Kosenda Hotel, with a 24-hour bar and a menu of modern Asian. Food appears to be served…

  • Men Gabrug

    Denpasar

    A favourite sweet treat for Balinese of all ages is jaje laklak – disks of rice flour cooked in an open-air cast-iron pan and redolent of coconut. One of…

  • Saigon Street

    Kerobokan

    Modern, vibrant and packed, this Vietnamese restaurant lures in the buzzing masses with its swanky neon decor. Creative Vietnamese dishes include peppery…

  • Depot Cak Asmo

    Denpasar

    Join the government workers and students from the nearby university for superb dishes cooked to order in the bustling kitchen. Order the buttery and…

  • Bixio Cafe

    Aceh

    Who would have thought Sumatra’s best Italian food was hiding in a remote corner of Pulau Weh? Sit by the lapping waves and dig into Luca and Eva’s…

  • Bumbu Bali 1

    Bukit Peninsula

    Long-time resident and cookbook author Heinz von Holzen, his wife Puji, and their well-trained and enthusiastic staff serve exquisitely flavoured dishes…

  • Historia

    Jakarta

    Served in a hip Kota warehouse with soaring ceilings, big art murals and a retro-industrial vibe, Historia's dishes hail from around the archipelago. Try…

  • Full Circle

    Ubud

    Australian-style cafe society is represented by a few popular businesses here in Ubud, and this is its most recent – and sleek – incarnation. Though it's…

  • One Eyed Jack

    Canggu

    Izakaya, the style of Japanese dining that encourages groups of friends to enjoy drinks and shared plates of food, is exemplified by this wonderful small…

  • Ocean's Resto

    Balikpapan

    Fresh fish and crustaceans (the menu is a book in itself) are the standout here, but there's also steaks, burgers, pizzas, Indian and Indonesian dishes,…

  • Green Leaf Cafe

    East Bali

    After you've chilled out, chill out some more. This excellent cafe right on the beach serves good, fresh food, with many vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free…

  • Korintji Heritage

    West Sumatra

    Set up as a social enterprise to empower locals, this fantastic new cafe in Sungai Penuh is set inside an atmospheric bamboo building overlooking the town…

  • Omah Sinten

    Solo

    Sharing space with a heritage hotel is this attractive restaurant offering home-style Solonese specialities. While the menu makes good reading, giving the…

  • Warung Amsha

    East Bali

    Tables at this popular beach warung are arranged on the sand and are hotly sought after – it's a good idea to make a booking or arrive early. The menu is…

  • Yam-Yam

    Central Java

    This stylish beachfront restaurant is the indisputable top choice in Jepara. Dining is in the garden, around a pool or on tables so close to the sea that…

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