If you aren’t as familiar with Indonesan cuisine but want to eat traditional dishes, then check out our Indonesian food guide for a list of some of the best dishes to look for in Jakarta and Indonesia.
WHERE TO EAT
1. Tesate
What’s the first dish that comes to mind when you think of Indonesian cuisine? For me, it’s sate – that deliciously seasoned and skewered meat dish that originated right here on the island of Java. They’re made with different types of meat marinated in kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) and other ingredients before being grilled over hot coals and served with a variety of sauces. So beloved is sate that it’s recognized by many as an Indonesian national dish.
I googled “best sate in jakarta” and Tesate was one of the results that caught my eye, due to its good reviews and proximity to our hotel in Menteng.
Now how beautiful does that look? This was our first meal in Indonesia so I think we may have gotten carried away with our order. It looks like we ordered everything on their menu! Along with different types of chicken, lamb, and beef sate, we also got a plate of their nasi goreng buntut bumbu belacan which is Indonesian fried rice made with shrimp paste and oxtail.
I think this picture pretty much speaks for itself. The sate was moist and juicy and charred in parts, giving it that nice bit of crunchy caramelization. The chicken and lamb were drenched in a classic sweet peanut sauce while the spiced beef was served dry but with the aromatic flavor of toasted coconut. Everything was absolutely delicious.

Sate is often served as street food but as you can probably tell from these pictures, Tesate is a more upscale restaurant. It’s a lovely modern space, the type you can go to on a date, so expect to pay more for your sate here. Follow the link to see where Tesate is on a map.

2. Nasi Goreng Kambing Kebon Sirih

Markedly different from Tesate, this humble but legendary street food stall has been serving some of the best goat fried rice in Jakarta for decades. Nasi Goreng Kambing Kebon Sirih is an unassuming open-air warung situated in this alley off Jalan Kebon Sirih, just south of Merdeka Square.
They offer a few goat and chicken dishes but this beautiful mound of rice – known as nasi goreng kambing or “goat fried rice” – is what they’re really known for.
Nasi Goreng Kambing Kebon Sirih, Jakarta, Indonesia
Like sate, nasi goreng is one of the most beloved Indonesian dishes. At its core, it’s basically fried rice seasoned with kecap manis and other ingredients like garlic, shrimp paste, and chilli. A host of other ingredients like chicken and prawn are added along with egg, pickles, and krupuk (traditional crackers). In this case, they make it with the most succulent and juicy pieces of mutton.

If you were to eat just two dishes in Indonesia, then it should probably be sate and nasi goreng.
3. Martabak Boss

Martabak Boss is a fun chain of restaurants and food stalls specializing in martabak. Martabak is a type of thick stuffed pancake that can be either sweet or savory. Like sate and nasi goreng, it’s a popular street food snack in Indonesia that’s commonly eaten in other pats of Asia as well like Malaysia and Singapore.
Martabak is one of those dishes that can be made in an infinite number of ways. Even the sweet and savory versions of martabak look completely different! We didn’t try it in Indonesia but we had savory martabak in Singapore which looks like a large stuffed crepe. Sweet martabak, on the other hand, more closely resembles thick pancakes topped with a variety of ingredients. I believe this sweet version of martabak is unique to Indonesia.

The most common topping is dark chocolate but they make them with many different ingredients. We tried the taro and black chocolate lava martabak, both of which were outstanding. They’re buttery and fluffy like American pancakes with a nice crispy edge that forms from being cooked in a cast iron pan.

4. Cafe Batavia

Cafe Batavia is a historic restaurant fronting Fatahillah Square in Kota Tua. It’s located in a colonial building that’s the second oldest in the square, behind only the former City Hall building of Batavia.
Walking into Cafe Batavia is like stepping into a time capsule. Inside you’ll find a dimly lit salon made mostly of wood with chandeliers and large shuttered windows looking out into Fatahillah Square. On the walls are these vintage photographs of celebrities from the 1930s. I’m not sure when the restaurant was opened, but the building itself was constructed in the 1830s and used as an administration office for the Dutch East India Company.
Cafe Batavia has a full menu offering both western and Asian dishes. From what I’ve read, the food is ok and perhaps a little expensive, but it’s the ambiance and history that people come for. I was still full at this point so I didn’t eat anything, but I did cool myself down with a tall glass of iced coffee. If you’re visiting Kota Tua, then this is a great place to relax and enjoy a drink to escape Jakarta’s oppressive heat.