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
Search hotels in Surabaya on Booking.com
- 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