Surabaya Food Guide | The 10 Best Restaurants & Eateries

For someone who fancies a fine dining experience from start to finish, Citrus Lee is the place to go. The chef, a former student at Le Cordon Blue in Paris, creates French gourmet dishes with Chinese and Asian flavors, such as pan-fried scallops with miso mustard sauce. Compared to other eateries of a similar quality, Citrus Lee is characterized by a laid-back atmosphere and friendly service from both the staff and the chef. Price wise the restaurant is obviously more expensive than local venues, but the set menu is accessible.

A new addition to Surabaya’s dining scene, Domicile Kitchen & Lounge falls at the upper end of the spectrum, bringing to the city trendiness and a wide selection of both Western and Eastern delicacies. The owners have clearly put a lot of thought into creating a stylish and relaxed atmosphere through the modern décor, large industrial windows and a stunning bar counter. There’s a wide selection of delicious Western fare to choose from, like the classic Spanishchurroswith warm chocolate, fettuccine with black squid ink and cream, as well as Eastern dishes to cater for local tastes.

Top quality Indonesian dishes and striking surroundings await diners at the Dream of Kahyangan Art Resto. The architecture of the restaurant pays homage to the fusion of the Javanese and Chinese cultures that so deeply informs the landscape of contemporary Indonesia. Diners can choose to dine either inside, surrounded by the restaurant’s collection of antique objects, or outdoors on the scenic patio. The menu specializes in traditional Indonesian fare such as nasi goreng, milk fish, grilled beef ribs with sweet chili sauce, and crispy kangkung, a popular side dish consisting of fried spinach.

Taking full advantage of Surabaya’s proximity to some of Asia’s finest and fullest fishing waters, Layar Seafood produces a dazzling array of fish and seafood dishes, from crabs and lobsters to the more surprising frogs and other marine reptiles. Feel free to select your future dinner while it’s innocently swimming round the tank in the entryway, tell the chaf how you’d like the morsel to be cooked, then settle in for a delicious evening. The crowd is lively and local, and the tender frog’s legs will have you coming back for more.

Sarkies Seafood Restaurant is definitely a place for a special occasion. Sited in the colonial five star Majapahit Hotel, constructed in 1910 by the Sarkies brothers, the landmark building blends history and luxury to great effect. This shines through in the fine dining experience, which has seen Sarkies praised for the high quality of its cuisine and for its award-winning interior design, which recalls the elegance of pre-war Shanghai. Signature dishes here include the beef Vietnam, bi fontang prawns, and the dim sum.