Where to Eat in Semarang: Lumpia, Wingko & the Best Warungs

Semarang has a more distinctive food identity than its tourism numbers suggest. The city’s Chinese Peranakan heritage (centuries of intermarriage between Chinese traders and Javanese women produced a hybrid culture with its own cuisine, architecture, and language) is most visible in the food: lumpia, bandeng presto, and a range of Chinese-Javanese fusion dishes that don’t exist in the same form anywhere else in Indonesia.

Lumpia (Spring Rolls)

Lumpia Gang Lombok

The original and most celebrated lumpia in Semarang — a small shop in the Chinatown area that has been producing fresh and fried spring rolls since the 1920s. The filling is bamboo shoots with shrimp and egg; the wrapper is thin and crispier than restaurant versions. Fresh lumpia (not fried) are particularly good.

Price: IDR 15,000–25,000 each | Hours: 9am–6pm daily | Location: Gang Lombok, Chinatown

Lumpia Mbak Lien

An alternative lumpia institution on the Simpang Lima side of the city — the fried version has a slightly thicker wrapper and more generous shrimp filling. Popular with Semarang locals who consider this the better option for fried lumpia specifically.

Price: IDR 15,000–22,000 each | Hours: 10am–8pm | Location: Jl Pandanaran

Lumpia Express (Semarang Tawang Station)

For travellers catching trains, the food stalls inside and outside Tawang station sell freshly fried lumpia from street carts alongside wingko babat and bandeng presto. An efficient way to collect all three Semarang food souvenirs simultaneously.

Price: IDR 12,000–18,000 each

Chinese Peranakan

Warung Semawis Night Market

The Chinese food night market on Jalan Warungsemawis (near Gang Lombok) operates on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings from approximately 6–11pm. Dozens of vendors sell Peranakan Chinese dishes: fried tofu with fermented soybean sauce, clear steamed fish, char kway teow, bak kut teh (pork rib herbal soup), and a full range of dim sum snacks.

Price: IDR 20,000–60,000/dish | Hours: Fri–Sun 6pm–11pm | Location: Jl Warungsemawis, near Gang Lombok No admission charge

Tay Kak Sie Restaurant

Attached to the Tay Kak Sie temple complex in Gang Lombok, this restaurant serves Chinese Peranakan lunch dishes on weekdays: nasi campur Chinese style (rice with multiple small dishes including pork belly, braised tofu, and vegetables), prawn dumplings, and clear soups.

Price: IDR 35,000–70,000/person | Hours: 10am–3pm (closed Tuesdays)

Tahu Gimbal & Local Snacks

Tahu Gimbal Pak Man

Semarang’s signature street food — fried tofu, prawn fritters (gimbal), boiled egg, bean sprouts, and cabbage topped with a sweet-savoury peanut sauce and kecap manis, finished with a crumble of fried peanuts.

Price: IDR 20,000–35,000 | Hours: 10am–7pm | Location: Various street carts near Simpang Lima

Wingko Babat

Sold at every bakery, station, and supermarket throughout Semarang — the classic souvenir. NN Wingko Babat on Jl Pandanaran is the most respected producer for fresh wingko: round, sticky coconut rice cakes with a chewy pandan-scented interior. Buy warm if possible.

Price: IDR 5,000–10,000 each | Hours: 8am–8pm | Location: Multiple shops on Jl Pandanaran

Bandeng Presto (Pressure-Cooked Milkfish)

Bandeng Presto Bu Wied

Bandeng (milkfish) is normally full of fine pin bones that make eating difficult. Presto cooking under pressure for 4–6 hours softens the bones until they dissolve completely, making the fish edible whole. Bu Wied’s version is the most popular: whole fish in flavours including original, black pepper, and chilli, sold vacuum-packed for easy transport.

Price: IDR 60,000–120,000/fish depending on size | Hours: 8am–6pm | Location: Jl Pandanaran

Colonial Cafes & Fine Dining

Spiegel Bar & Bistro (Louis Kienne Hotel)

The most atmospheric restaurant in Semarang — a double-height colonial banking hall with original plaster ceilings, marble floors, and pendulum clocks, serving a menu of Indonesian and Continental dishes. The nasi goreng and the beef tenderloin are both well-executed. The cocktail bar from 5pm is the city’s best.

Price: IDR 120,000–350,000/person | Hours: 7am–11pm | Location: Louis Kienne Hotel, Kota Lama Reservation recommended for weekend evenings

Colosseum Restaurant (Gumaya Tower Hotel)

The fine-dining restaurant on the upper floors of the Gumaya Tower with panoramic views over Semarang toward the Java Sea. Serves contemporary Indonesian cuisine and imported steaks. One of the few restaurants in Semarang where the view is part of the experience.

Price: IDR 200,000–500,000/person | Hours: 6pm–10pm | Reservation required

Old City 3D Trick Art Museum Café

Inside the popular Kota Lama attraction, this café serves simple Indonesian food and coffee in a heritage setting. Unpretentious but convenient for a break during a Kota Lama walking tour.

Price: IDR 30,000–75,000/person | Hours: 9am–9pm

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Morning Food Markets

Pasar Johar (Semarang’s main traditional market, built 1933) has a wet market section active from 5–9am with fresh produce, spice vendors, and breakfast warungs serving soto Semarang (a clear chicken noodle soup variant), bubur ayam (rice porridge with chicken), and lontong sayur (rice cake in vegetable coconut broth). IDR 10,000–25,000/meal. The market building is a Dutch colonial masterpiece worth visiting for the architecture alone.

Find food tours and cooking experiences in Semarang — a guided food walk is one of the best ways to move beyond tourist-facing restaurants.

More Semarang Guides

• Semarang travel guide — the full Semarang overview: orientation, key attractions, hotels, and getting there
• Things to do in Semarang — the best activities and experiences in and around Semarang
• Where to stay in Semarang — the best hotels and guesthouses by neighbourhood and budget