Home › Food tours › Jakarta
Food tours in Jakarta: what to eat and which tour to book
Jakarta eats from the whole archipelago. Migrants from Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi and beyond brought their cooking, so on one street you can find Padang curries, Javanese gudeg, Makassar soups and Chinese-Indonesian noodles. The city's own Betawi cuisine adds soto betawi (beef soup with coconut milk), nasi uduk (coconut rice) and kerak telor, a griddled rice-and-egg snack sold at street carts. Much of the best food comes from kaki lima (street carts) and warung (small family eateries) rather than restaurants, and the busiest food streets come alive after dark. Traffic is heavy, so it pays to pick one area per evening rather than crossing the city.
Use this page to know what to order and where. The tours shown here are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; prices and schedules change, so confirm on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Jakarta
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betawi beef soup soto betawi | Beef and offal in a rich broth of coconut milk and milk, with tomato, fried potato, spring onion and crackers (emping), eaten with rice, lime and sambal. | Specialist soto warung across the city; look for 'soto betawi' on the sign. | roughly Rp 30,000–60,000 a bowl (about €1.60–3.20) |
| Kerak telor | Glutinous rice cooked with egg in a small wok over charcoal, flipped upside down to crisp, then topped with shredded toasted coconut and dried shrimp. | Street carts around Kota Tua (Old Town), at Monas, and at the Jakarta Fair (around June). | about Rp 25,000–40,000 (about €1.30–2.20) |
| Coconut rice nasi uduk | Rice cooked in coconut milk with lemongrass and bay leaf, served with fried chicken, tempeh, egg, fried shallots and sambal. A Betawi breakfast and evening staple. | Warung and street stalls, many open in the evening; also in office-area food courts. | roughly Rp 20,000–45,000 (about €1–2.40) |
| Satay sate ayam / sate kambing | Small skewers of chicken (with peanut sauce) or goat (with sweet soy, chilli and shallots), grilled over charcoal and served with rice cakes (lontong). | Street grills everywhere in the evening, and sate restaurants. | roughly Rp 25,000–50,000 for 10 skewers (about €1.30–2.70) |
| Peanut-sauce salads gado-gado / ketoprak | Gado-gado is blanched vegetables, tofu, tempeh, egg and rice cake with peanut sauce; ketoprak is tofu, rice vermicelli and rice cake with a garlicky peanut sauce and sweet soy. | Street carts and warung; sauce is ground to order on a stone mortar. | roughly Rp 20,000–40,000 (about €1–2.20) |
| Meatball soup bakso | Beef meatballs in clear broth with noodles, tofu and greens; customers add sambal, sweet soy and vinegar themselves. | Street carts and bakso shops throughout the city. | roughly Rp 20,000–40,000 a bowl (about €1–2.20) |
| Martabak martabak manis / martabak telor | Martabak manis is a thick, sweet pancake filled with chocolate, cheese, peanuts or condensed milk; martabak telor is a savoury pan-fried pastry stuffed with egg, minced meat and spring onion. | Evening stalls across the city; Jalan Pecenongan is known for them. | roughly Rp 40,000–150,000 for a whole one to share (about €2–8) |
| Fried rice nasi goreng | Rice fried with sweet soy sauce, shallots, garlic and chilli, topped with a fried egg and crackers; versions with goat (nasi goreng kambing) are a Jakarta favourite. | Evening carts and warung everywhere. | roughly Rp 20,000–45,000 (about €1–2.40) |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Jalan Sabang
Central street near Thamrin and the Sarinah area, lined with satay grills, nasi goreng carts, soto stalls and small restaurants; easy to reach from the central hotels.
Glodok and Petak Sembilan (Chinatown)
Jakarta's old Chinatown, with Chinese-Indonesian noodles, rice dishes, sweets and coffee shops in narrow lanes around Pancoran and Jalan Kemenangan. One of the few areas where pork dishes are common.
Jalan Pecenongan
Night food street north of Monas known for martabak, seafood stalls and Chinese-Indonesian dishes, with tents set up along the pavement.
Kota Tua (Old Town)
Dutch colonial square around Fatahillah, with street carts selling kerak telor, ice drinks and snacks, plus a few historic cafés.
Blok M
South Jakarta district with dense street food, food courts, and the 'Little Tokyo' strip of Japanese restaurants and bars; popular with young Jakartans.
Food tours in Jakarta compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jakarta: Local Street Food Shared Tour with MRT Jakarta | 4 hours | from €34 per person | — | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
| Jakarta: Street Food Tour with a Local Guide | 2.5 hours | from €41 per person | — | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
| Jakarta: Private Street Food Tour with MRT Transportation | 4 hours | from €39 per person | private | Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them. | Check dates |
| Jakarta: Glodok Chinatown Morning Food Tour with 7+ Tastings | 3 hours | from €37 per person | max 10 | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Jakarta Evening City Tour with Food Tasting | 2.5 hours | from €44 per person | — | Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark. | Check dates |
| Flavors of Jakarta: Guided Food Tasting Tour with a Local | 2 hours | from €46 per person | max 10 | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
Jakarta: Local Street Food Shared Tour with MRT Jakarta
On GetYourGuide · run by TRIPTRIK
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €34 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 91 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- Sarinah
Jakarta: Street Food Tour with a Local Guide
On GetYourGuide · run by My Capsule Jakarta - Batavia
- Length
- 2.5 hours
- Price
- from €41 per person
- Rating
- 4.7 ★ from 25 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Guided food tour through 2 street food markets Sampling of various local foods from Jakarta and other Indonesian regions Opportunity to try extreme local foods and fruits Personal expenses
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- Hi all. The meeting point is in the lobby of Sarinah Mall, in front of Filosofi Kopi Coffee Shop on Thamrin Street in Central Jakarta.
Jakarta: Private Street Food Tour with MRT Transportation
On GetYourGuide · run by TRIPTRIK
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €39 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 8 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Included
- We will go to Street Food by car (Online Taxi : Grab Car/Blue Bird Taxi) and Subway Admission to: Subway Ticket English-speaking guide Round-trip transfers by Online Taxi : Grab Car/Blue Bird Taxi There is an extra ch…
- Suits
- Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them.
Jakarta: Glodok Chinatown Morning Food Tour with 7+ Tastings
On GetYourGuide · run by Tapak Experiences Indonesia
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €37 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 5 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 10
- Included
- English speaking local guide Seven+ tastings Bottled water Legendary specialty shop visit Market stalls exploration Fritter stand visit Street food snacks Dessert Additional food or drinks beyond the tasting portions…
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Meet at the large ornamental gate marking the entrance to Kawasan Glodok Pancoran. Chinatown Jakarta, on Jl. Pancoran. The gate reads "Selamat Datang, Kawasan Glodok Pancoran, Chinatown Jakarta".
Jakarta Evening City Tour with Food Tasting
On GetYourGuide · run by My Capsule Jakarta - Batavia
- Length
- 2.5 hours
- Price
- from €44 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 4 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Public transportation cards Free snacks 1 free portion of food at the street food market Free bottle of water Photography service Pick up service
- Suits
- Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark.
- Starts
- Hotel Capsule Batavia
Flavors of Jakarta: Guided Food Tasting Tour with a Local
On GetYourGuide · run by Lets Go Far
- Length
- 2 hours
- Price
- from €46 per person
- Rating
- 4.3 ★ from 3 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 10
- Included
- English Speaking Live Tour Guide 10+ iconic tasting Cultural insights and stories from a local guide Insights about the origins of each dish Water Bottles Pickup and Drop from the hotel Personal Expenses Extra Foods Tips
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- We will meet entrance of Saint Theresia Roman Catholic Church. Please ensure you arrive on time to avoid any delays in starting the tour.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Street food is the heart of eating in Jakarta: kaki lima carts and tented warung tenda set up in the evening on pavements and car parks. Choose stalls with a queue and food cooked to order. Many vendors are now on GoFood and GrabFood if you prefer delivery.
Sit-down meals
Sit-down options range from Padang restaurants (where many dishes are placed on the table and you pay for what you touch) to air-conditioned malls with excellent food courts and modern Indonesian restaurants. Restaurants usually add about 10% tax plus a service charge.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes in Jakarta are less common than in Bali or Yogyakarta, but some run in homes or restaurants covering satay, sambal, rendang or gado-gado, sometimes with a market visit. Allow for traffic when booking.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | Rp 150,000–250,000, about €8–13 (street food and warung all day) |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | Rp 400,000–700,000, about €21–37 (street food plus one restaurant meal) |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | Rp 1,500,000+, about €80+ (modern Indonesian or hotel restaurant with drinks) |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Possible: tofu (tahu), tempeh, gado-gado, ketoprak, vegetable curries and fried rice without meat are everywhere. But shrimp paste (terasi) is in many sambals, and stocks often contain meat. Say 'saya vegetarian, tidak pakai daging, ikan, atau terasi'. Buddhist vegetarian restaurants exist in Chinatown.
Halal: Easy. Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim-majority country and most food is halal; certified places show a halal logo. Pork appears mainly in Chinese-Indonesian restaurants in Glodok and in some Batak and Manado restaurants. During Ramadan, many places close or screen their windows during the day.
Gluten-free: Rice-based food helps, but soy sauce (kecap) contains wheat and is in many dishes, and noodles, fried snacks and martabak contain wheat. Awareness is low outside upmarket restaurants. Plain rice, grilled fish and satay with peanut sauce (check for soy sauce) are the safer choices.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Unofficial taxis and drivers who don't use the meter, especially at the airport and outside malls at night. Use Blue Bird taxis with a meter, or ride apps such as Grab or Gojek, which show the price before you go.
- Stalls with no prices charging visitors much more than locals. Ask the price before ordering ('berapa?'), or order through a delivery app to see normal prices.
- Drinking tap water or unbottled drinks of unknown origin. Tap water is not safe to drink. Ice in established places is usually made from filtered water; at street carts, if unsure, order drinks without ice ('tanpa es').
- Padang restaurants where every dish placed on the table appears on the bill if touched. That's how Padang restaurants work, not a scam; you pay only for dishes you take from, so leave the rest untouched or say which you want.
Top tours & activities in Jakarta
Rent a car in Jakarta
Compare rental cars from local and international companies, with free cancellation on most bookings.
Compare car rentals in JakartaPlan the rest of your Jakarta trip
Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Is street food in Jakarta safe?
Generally yes, if you choose busy stalls where food is cooked fresh and served hot, such as satay, fried rice, soto and martabak. Be more careful with raw salads, cut fruit and drinks with ice at small carts. Tap water is not safe to drink. Carry hand sanitiser, as many carts have no running water.
Do I need to tip in Jakarta?
Tipping is not expected at street stalls and warung. Restaurants usually add about 10% tax plus a service charge of around 5–10%, so no extra tip is needed. Leaving small change or rounding up is appreciated by drivers and for good service. On a food tour, a tip for the guide of roughly Rp 50,000–100,000 is welcome but optional.
What is the best area for street food at night?
Jalan Sabang in Central Jakarta is the easiest from the main hotels, with satay, fried rice and soto stalls from early evening. Jalan Pecenongan, north of Monas, is good for martabak and seafood. Blok M in the south is popular with young locals. Traffic is slow, so pick one area per night.
How does eating during Ramadan work?
During Ramadan many Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. Most restaurants in malls and hotels stay open, but some warung close during the day or cover their windows. Eating in public is not illegal but is best done discreetly. At sunset (buka puasa), streets fill with stalls selling sweets and drinks, which is a good time to explore.
Can I pay by card?
Malls, restaurants and many cafés take cards and QRIS (the national QR payment system). Street carts and small warung mostly take cash, often in small notes, though many now accept QRIS. Carry Rp 10,000–50,000 notes for street food; large Rp 100,000 notes can be hard to change at carts.
How much should I budget for food per day?
Eating only street food and warung, about Rp 150,000–250,000 (roughly €8–13) a day is plenty. Adding one restaurant or mall meal brings it to roughly Rp 400,000–700,000 (€21–37). A modern Indonesian or hotel restaurant with drinks can cost Rp 1,500,000 or more per person; alcohol is heavily taxed.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.