What to eat and drink in Indonesia: dishes, etiquette and dietary tips

Indonesian cooking is rice-based and regional rather than national. Java leans sweet, with kecap manis (sweet soy), tempeh and tofu carrying a lot of the flavour. Padang in West Sumatra serves rich coconut curries as a spread of small plates. Bali cooks with pork and base genep, a spice paste, and grills satay on lemongrass sticks. Sulawesi and the east run to fish, chilli and sago.

For a first trip, the dishes below cover most of what you will see on menus and carts. Portions are small by US standards; two dishes plus rice is a normal lunch.

The warung is a small neighbourhood eatery, often a family kitchen with a few tables. The kaki lima is a street cart, sometimes with a tarpaulin and plastic stools. Both are where most meals happen, and both are cheap. A plate of nasi goreng or a bowl of bakso at a warung is roughly 15,000–50,000 IDR in 2026 (about $1–3). A mid-range restaurant with air conditioning runs about 60,000–150,000 IDR per person. Hotel and tourist-strip restaurants in Bali and Jakarta can be several times that.

Padang restaurants work differently: dishes are stacked on the table or in the window, you take what you want, and you pay only for what you touch. It is the easiest way to try several curries at once, and one of the best-value meals in the country.

Portions are modest. Order rice plus one or two dishes, and expect sambal — chilli paste — on the side with almost everything.

Tap water is not for drinking in Indonesia. Sealed bottled water is sold everywhere, and refill stations are increasingly common in cafés and guesthouses. Tea (teh) and coffee are the everyday drinks. Kopi tubruk is coarse grounds with sugar and hot water; kopi luwak is the expensive novelty. Es teh manis is sweet iced tea and comes with most meals.

Alcohol is legal but restricted. The legal age to buy is 21, and minimarkets in many cities no longer stock beer, though Bali does. Outside Bali, Papua, North Sulawesi and Christian parts of Flores, most food is halal and alcohol is limited to hotels and licensed bars. Fresh juices (jus) and coconut water are widely available and safe.

Eat with your right hand or with a spoon and fork; the left hand is not used for eating or passing food. In a Padang restaurant you pay only for the dishes you touch, so take what you intend to eat. Sharing is normal, and it is fine to ask what a dish contains.

During Ramadan, do not eat or drink in public in daylight in conservative areas. Dress and behaviour around food stalls is casual, but a little modesty goes a long way outside Bali.

Vegetarian eating is straightforward: tempeh, tofu and gado-gado are everywhere. The trap is terasi, fermented shrimp paste, which hides in sambal and in many vegetable dishes. Say 'saya vegetarian, tidak makan daging atau ikan' and add 'tanpa terasi'.

Halal is the norm outside Bali, Papua, North Sulawesi and Christian areas of Flores. In Bali, ask 'halal?' — pork is common and babi guling is a signature dish. For gluten-free travellers, rice dishes are the safe base, but kecap and noodles contain wheat. Peanut sauce on satay and gado-gado, and shrimp paste in sambal, are the main risks for nut and shellfish allergies; carry antihistamines and your own medication, and note that Bali has international clinics.

The allergy card line below is the one to save on your phone.

Street food in Indonesia is generally fine if you apply the usual rules: eat where there is a queue, take food that is cooked to order and served hot, and skip trays that have been sitting uncovered in the afternoon heat. Carts that fry or grill in front of you are the safest bet. Raw vegetables, cut fruit left out, and sauces kept warm are the items to be more careful with.

Drink sealed bottled water or refilled water, and be cautious with ice from unknown sources. If you do get an upset stomach, oral rehydration salts from any pharmacy are cheap and effective. See a doctor for blood in the stool, a fever above 38.5 °C, symptoms lasting more than three days, or if the patient is a child, pregnant or elderly. This is general information, not medical advice.