What is Surabaya's signature dish?

Rawon — a black beef soup made with keluak (fermented black nut) that gives it a deeply savoury, almost chocolatey flavour. Served with white rice, salted egg, beansprouts, sambal, and prawn crackers. Surabaya's rawon joints, particularly those that have been operating for decades, are among the best in East Java.

What other local dishes should I try in Surabaya?

Bebek goreng (fried duck, ideally the crispy-skin Surabaya style served with sambal hijau), lontong balap (rice cake with tofu, bean sprouts, lentho cakes, and sweet soy), sate kelapa (satay with shredded coconut marinade), rujak cingur (a fermented shrimp paste and peanut sauce salad with pig snout — an acquired taste but beloved by locals), and Surabaya-style nasi goreng (darker and more savoury than the Bali version).

Where is the best street food in Surabaya?

Jalan Kembang Jepun in Chinatown for Chinese-Indonesian dishes and the morning wet market. Jalan Walikota Mustajab for night food stalls. The Tunjungan Romansa night food zone near Tunjungan Plaza operates from around 6pm. Pasar Atom mall basement food court for an air-conditioned cross-section of Surabaya street food.

Food Guide to Surabaya | The Indonesia Guide

Surabaya has an outstanding food culture that receives far less international attention than Bali or Yogyakarta — which means less tourism pricing and more authentic experiences at local warungs. East Javanese cuisine skews savoury and bold, relying on fermented ingredients (keluak, shrimp paste, tempoyak) and less palm sugar than the Central Javanese tradition. The city’s Chinese Indonesian and Arab communities add further dimensions.

Rawon

Rawon Setan Mbak Endang

Rawon Setan (roughly: “Devil’s Rawon”) is named for being the only late-night rawon joint in Surabaya — open from midnight to 5am, catering to night workers, taxi drivers, and insomniacs. The broth is deeply concentrated, the beef is tender, and the salted egg is perfectly set.

Price: IDR 30,000–55,000/bowl | Hours: 12am–5am | Location: Jl Embong Malang, near JW Marriott

Rawon Pak Pangat

The daytime rawon institution — a no-frills warung with plastic chairs and a perpetually crowded room. The broth is darker and more intensely keluak-flavoured than most Surabaya versions. A landmark since the 1990s.

Price: IDR 25,000–45,000/bowl | Hours: 8am–3pm (often sold out by 11am) | Location: Jl Gunungsari area

Bebek Goreng (Fried Duck)

Bebek Goreng Pak Slamet

The most celebrated fried duck in Surabaya — a warung that has been serving crispy-skinned duck with sambal hijau (green chilli sauce) and lalapan (raw vegetables) since the 1970s. The duck is marinated, slow-cooked, then deep-fried to a skin that shatters on contact. Half duck with rice and sambal is the standard order.

Price: IDR 45,000–70,000 | Hours: 10am–8pm (often sold out by 5pm) | Location: Multiple branches; original at Jl Kranggan

H Slamet Bebek Goreng Madura

A Madurese-style variant — the duck is marinated differently, with more coriander and galangal, and served with Madurese-style peanut sauce rather than sambal. Excellent in its own right.

Price: IDR 40,000–65,000 | Hours: 9am–7pm | Location: North Surabaya

Lontong Balap & Street Food

Lontong Balap Pak Gendut

Lontong balap is Surabaya’s unique breakfast dish — rice cakes, fried tofu, bean sprouts, and lentho (mashed cassava and dried shrimp cakes) in a sweet soy broth, with satay as an accompaniment. Pak Gendut has been making it since the 1980s.

Price: IDR 20,000–35,000 | Hours: 6am–12pm | Location: Jl Petemon Barat

Sate Celup Pak Noer

Surabaya’s speciality: skewers of raw tofu, offal, quail eggs, and vegetables that you dip into a boiling pot of peanut sauce to cook yourself at the table. A social, slightly chaotic eating experience.

Price: IDR 3,000–8,000/skewer | Hours: 5pm–11pm | Location: Jl Kembang Jepun area

Chinese Indonesian

Kafe Nusantara (Pasar Atom)

The basement food court of Pasar Atom mall offers a condensed version of Surabaya’s Chinese Indonesian street food in air-conditioned comfort: cap cay, soto ayam, nasi goreng, bakmi Jawa, and fresh juices. Good for a lunch break from the Kembang Jepun neighbourhood.

Price: IDR 25,000–55,000/dish | Hours: 9am–9pm daily

Es Teler 77 (various branches)

Indonesia’s most popular dessert chain, founded in Surabaya, serving es teler (a cold dessert of avocado, coconut, jackfruit, and condensed milk over shaved ice) and cold Indonesian drinks. The original flavours remain better than the imitators.

Price: IDR 20,000–35,000 | Hours: 10am–9pm

Cafes & Modern Dining

House of Sampoerna Café

The café inside the Sampoerna museum complex serves excellent Indonesian food in a heritage setting — nasi campur, soto Surabaya, and East Javanese snacks. One of the most pleasant café spaces in the city.

Price: IDR 50,000–120,000/person | Hours: 9am–10pm daily | Location: Jl Taman Sampoerna

Sushi Tei Tunjungan Plaza

For a break from Indonesian food, Tunjungan Plaza’s dining floor has a range of Japanese, Korean, and Western options. Sushi Tei is the most reliable of these for consistent quality.

Price: IDR 80,000–200,000/person | Hours: 10am–10pm

Voila Bistro

A European-influenced café on Jl Raya Gubeng with proper espresso, pastries, and a lunch menu of salads, sandwiches, and pasta. Popular with Surabaya’s expat community and business travellers wanting a non-Indonesian option.

Price: IDR 60,000–150,000/person | Hours: 8am–9pm | Location: Gubeng district

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

More Surabaya Guides

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

Where to Eat in Surabaya: Rawon, Bebek & the Best Warungs

Top-rated experiences in Surabaya Guide: East Java's Capital