The 11 Best Indonesian Restaurants in Dubai That’ll Make You Say “Enak Banget!” with Every Bite
Dubai might be best known for Michelin-starred glamour and gold-leaf sushi, but beyond the five-star hotels and luxury, you’ll find Indonesian cuisine as authentic as can be.
From smoky sate skewers charred over coconut husks to velvety redang simmered for hours, Dubai’s Indonesian eateries are dishing out flavours bold enough to rival Bali’s beachside spots and Jakarta’s midnight street carts.
I’ve taken a few weeks to explore Dubai’s Indonesian food scene myself to compile a list of the best places serving Indonesian food. Grab a fork (or just use your hands) and dig in with me because I’m sharing that list here!
1. The Little Bali
– Media credit: thelittlebalidubai
Address: Cluster U Al Seef 3 Tower Lake level, Shop #01 – Jumeirah Lake Towers
Hours: Monday to Sunday – 12 PM to 10 PM
Phone: +971 4 554 8575
Price: $$$
The Little Bali doesn’t have fancy plating or overpriced cocktails. But if you want a spot where the duck is smashed table-side and the tofu is crispy enough to wake up your taste buds, then this is the restaurant to visit.
I particularly liked the way they cook their Bebek Penyet, aka their duck. It’s golden and crispy, with tender meat that practically falls off the bone. I can taste all of the turmeric and galangal too.
The refreshing lalapan (an Indonesian salad) was the perfect contrast to the duck’s oiliness, and the sambal terasi (shrimp paste chili) was just a little briny.
For something seafood-forward, try the Cumi Balado. It’s stir-fried calamari, glossy with red sambal that has garlic, ginger, and a touch of tamarind. The calamari wasn’t rubbery—I ate three pieces in a row before realizing my lips were tingling from the spice.
Pro Tip: Order Tahu Kriuk. These golden, puffy tofu cubes are deep-fried until the outside is so crispy it crackles. The dipping sauce (chilies + tangy hot sauce) is fiery, but you won’t be able to stop eating it.
2. Daoper Kita Restaurant
– Media credit: eatwithsayang and dapoerkita
Address: Sheikh Mohammad Building – LuluHypermarket – Shop No.3-4 – 2 43A Street، – Al Karama
Hours: Monday to Sunday – 11 AM to 10:30 PM
Phone: +971 50 453 9991
Price: $
Daoper Kita is the best Indonesian restaurant in Dubai to visit if you love Mie Bakso (Indonesian noodle soup) and Martabak (stuffed pancake).
The broth of their Mie Bakso is clear, but it packs a punch. I could taste the boiled-down beef bones and a handful of spices.
It comes with fried shallots scattered on top, egg noodles tangled with vermicelli, and meaty beef balls.
The Martabak Telur is essentially a pancake folded around a spiced omelet. It’s stuffed with minced meat, spring onion, and a whiff of cumin. The dipping sauce? Palm sugar syrup with a vinegar kick and chili that sneaks up on you.
Pro Tip: Try their Ayam Gulai. One spoonful of this chicken curry and you can taste all the spices. Plus, the chicken slides off the bone, so it’s very easy to eat.
3. House of Indonesia DMCC
– Media credit: hoindonesia.dubai
Address: MBL Building Shop, Lake View – 7 Cluster K – Jumeirah Lake Towers – JLT Cluster K
Hours: Monday to Friday, Sunday – 11 AM to 9:30 PM
Phone: +971 55 452 6858
Price:
House of Indonesia’s menu is basically a food map of the country. Each section is labeled by region, so you’re not just eating—you’re traveling, bite by bite.
I’m going to be honest that I almost had second thoughts when the napper head curry (Gulai Kepala Kakap) arrived on my table. I mean, the whole fish head was staring up at me. But once I got past the eyeballs, I liked the way the meat fell off the bones.
I also enjoyed their Sate Maranggi (beef satay).. I loved the way they substituted the typical peanut sauce here for a salty-sweet mix of chili and dark soy. It’s also grilled over bamboo until the edges get an almost burnt crust, so you can really taste the char flavor.
Pro Tip: For veggies, try the Tumis Jantung Pisang (banana blossom stir-fry). I like how they wok-fried it with garlic, ginger, and a pinch of palm sugar.
4. Andaliman Restaurant
– Media credit: andalimandubai
Address: The Garden – 4th floor – Za’abeel – Za’abeel 1
Hours: Monday to Sunday – 12 Noon to 11 PM
Phone: +971 4 666 1617
Price: $$$
Andaliman uses fancy ingredients (Angus beef, sustainable seafood) and mixes them with fresh spices and flavors that taste like they’ve been passed down for generations.
Their beef rendang is a favorite of mine. It was slow-cooked with coconut milk, turmeric, and other spices, so the flavours are rich in every bite.
When I can splurge a bit, I like to get their BBQ Udang Saus Madu. The coconut BBQ gives the prawns a smoky char. The honey-calamansi-chili sauce leaves it tangy and sticky, and gives the dish just enough kick to make your nose sweat. Dunk ’em in the sambal colo-colo (think: chunky, lime-heavy salsa).
For dessert, their Es Kopyor is weirdly addictive. The lemongrass sorbet hits like a slap of cold herbs, then the hibiscus sago and lime gel kick in—tart, floral, with little coconut crisps for crunch.
Pro Tip: Order the Andaliman Experience Nasi Campur Nusantara if you’re indecisive (or extremely hungry). It comes with coconut rice stuffed with that killer rendang, crispy perkedel potato fritters, and sate lilit (minced fish satay).
5. Betawi Restaurant
– Media credit: betawi.jlt
Address: located by the lake, Lake Terrace Tower – Cluster D – Jumeirah Lake Towers – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Hours: Monday to Sunday – 12 Noon to 10:30 PM
Phone: +971 4 454 2329
Price: $$$
Betawi Soto Ayam is Indonesia’s answer to chicken soup. I love how the broth is packed with turmeric and lemongrass. It’s easy to find floating shreds of tender chicken, vermicelli noodles, cabbage, and spring onions.
They also do fish really well here. I like their Ikan Bakar Sambal Matah. They grill up the tilapia until it has a nice smoky char, slather it in sambal matah (raw, fiery relish of shallots, chilies, and lemongrass sauce).
The fish is juicy, the sambal bites back, and the sides (tangy sayur asam soup, fried tofu/tempe, rice) turn it into a full-blown feast.
Or try their Acar KUNING. The kingfish is crispy and paired with a sweet-sour pickle salad of cucumber, carrot, and chilies.
Pro Tip: Their vegan Nasi Padang comes with coconut rice piled high with fried tempe so crispy it’s basically vegan bacon.
6. Bandung Restaurant and Cafe
– Media credit: bandungrestaurant_dubai
Address: The Citadel – Business Bay – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Hours:
- Monday to Thursday, Saturday & Sunday – 11:30 AM to 10:30 PM
- Friday – 2 PM to 10:30 PM
Phone: +97145751272
Price: $$
Bandung Restaurant and Cafe has a variety of classic Indonesian dishes that you’ll find at any good Indonesian restaurant. It can be quite hard to choose from their menu, but I like the way they do their skewers and seafood here.
Their Sate Kambing (lamb skewers) always fill me up. I love the charred edges, tender middle, and zero gaminess. The peanut sauce is thick and roasted, not sugary gloop. I usually pair it with lontong (rice cakes) to soak up the drips.
As far as seafood goes, I always enjoy their Cumi Bakar Manis Pedas. Their grilled squid doesn’t turn to rubber—thank God. And the sweet soy glaze caramelizes on the grill, while the spicy sauce (loaded with terasi shrimp paste) brings the heat.
Pro Tip: If you like tofu, try their Tahu Isi. It’s crispy fried tofu pockets stuffed with shredded veggies—carrot, bean sprouts, and other veggies. Dip ’em in the sweet soy-chili sauce.
7. Kuliner Nusantara Dubai
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Address: 1st Floor Wafi Mall Food Court – Umm Hurair Second
Hours: Monday to Sunday – 8 AM to 10:30 PM
Phone: +971586213002
Price: $$
Kuliner Nusantara Dubai’s Ayam Sambal Rica (chicken thigh) comes dunked in a red chili storm.
Honestly, the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves are the only thing that keeps you from having to drown down gallons of water. It’s definitely not for people who get weak in the knees when eating spicy food.
Spicy food aside, they cook up Nasi Lemak Uduk with all the traditional flavour. The coconut rice comes with crispy fried chicken, salty anchovies, crunchy peanuts, and that fried cucumber-chili paste combo.
Pro Tip: For dessert, try their Onde Onde Goreng. You get 4 glutinous rice balls that are fried until the sesame-coated shells crackle when you bite. Inside? Sweet mung bean paste.
8. Sunda Cafe
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Address: Shop #R41A, Exit 2, Street Level, Emirates Towers Metro Station – Sheikh Zayed Rd
Hours:
- Monday to Saturday – 11 AM to 10 PM
- Sunday – Open 24 Hours
Phone: +971561652897
Price: $$
Sunda Cafe does a really good Indonesian coffee, but I admit I come here mainly for the food. In particular, I like their Nasi Padang. You can choose from beef rendang that’s been braised into a sticky, spice-crusted mess, or fried chicken with a shatter-crisp skin.
No matter what you pick, it’ll come with coconut rice, a delicious veg curry, a balado egg (hard-boiled and smothered in chili paste), and orek tempeh—caramelized tempeh that’s sweet, salty, and crunchier than your resolve to eat just one bite.
They also have really good Nasi Ayam Geprek aka their take on fried chicken. It comes with a garlicky sambal that’s so spicy, you’ll need at least two scoops of rice to survive. Your nose will run but the taste will leave you with zero regrets.
Pro Tip: If you want something fancier, try their Sup Iga. These beef ribs are slow-cooked until the meat comes off the bone. The broth is spiked with cloves, star anise, and tons of veggies.
9. Restaurants seleraku Dubai
– Media credit: selerakudubai
Address: 7th St 2 Al Tayer Building
Hours: Monday to Sunday – 11 AM to 10:30 PM
Phone: +97143556707
Price: $$
Seleraku Dubai is my go-to when I’m craving fried oxtail or duck that’s been treated right.
Their Buntut Cabe Ijo + Rice is basically fried oxtail chunks that come crispy on the outside but gelatinous-tender inside. They are drowned in a bright green chili sambal.
The sambal’s tangy and herbal, not just spicy. It pairs stupidly well with the steamed rice and those salty, crispy krupuk crackers on the side.
They also do Bebek Bakar just right here. Their grilled duck is marinated in the best Indonesian spices, then charred perfectly. The meat stays juicy too, and has that smoky-sweet crust that tastes like it’s been kissed by a street-food grill master.
Pro Tip: Try their Risol. It’s basically like a spring roll. It’s stuffed with meat and vegetables, and has a mayo-like creaminess. Plus, it’s deep-fried.
10. Warung Orang Kita Palm Jumeirah
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Address: Talabat Kitchen, Concord Tower – Al Sufouh – Al Sufouh 2
Hours:
- Monday to Friday, Sunday – 8:30 AM to 9:30 PM
- Saturday – 8:30 AM to 9 PM
Phone: +971523927335
Price: $
Warung Orang Kita has a really good Bakso Beranak. It’s like a giant meatball with tiny meatballs inside. It comes in a delicious, clear broth with fried shallots and noodles.
On the other hand, their Batagor is fried street food at its best. I love the way the fish dumplings and tofu are puffed up like delicious golden pillows begging to be eaten. They come drenched in peanut sauce too.
Their Pempek fish cakes are deep-fried until the edges crisp up, hiding a gooey egg yolk center. I like to dip them in cuko—that funky, vinegar-based sauce with chilies and palm sugar.
Pro Tip: Try their Gado Gado. It’s the ultimate salad for people who hate salads. You get steamed veggies, tofu, tempeh, and a hard-boiled egg that’s smothered in peanut sauce so thick it’s basically a dip.
11. Bobi Bowl Restaurant
– Media credit: bobibowl.dxb
Address: Wasl Port Views Building 5 – Shop No.12 Al Mina St
Hours: Monday to Sunday – 11 AM to 10 PM
Phone: +971585167004
Price: $
Bobi Bowl is where I go for Indonesian rice bowls. The Prawn Woku will hit the spot for seafood lovers.
The woku sauce has this slow, spicy burn, with galangal and kaffir lime leaf cutting through the heat. It coats plump prawns that tasted like they’d been caught that morning. I mixed every grain of rice into the sauce; I didn’t want a single drop wasted.
But my personal favorite here is the Nasi Goreng Katsu. The rice has that smoky wok hei taste, like it has been fried over a hot flame, not cooked in a microwave. And the katsu? Crunchy enough that it made a sound when I bit into it.
Pro Tip: Try their Bobi Bowl Laksa. The noodles are so silky they slide right off the fork, and that coconut curry broth isn’t too thick or sweet. The fish balls have that bouncy texture you only get from fresh, not frozen, and the prawns? Again, perfect.